This is one of the most common questions for new graduate nurses, and the answer is nuanced. The NCLEX uses a computerized adaptive testing (CAT) algorithm, which means the number of questions you receive is not a simple indicator of pass or fail. Seeing your exam stop at the 150 questions in RN exam does not automatically mean you have failed. In fact, it can indicate several scenarios. The NCLEX-RN can range from a minimum of 75 questions to a maximum of 150. The exam shuts off when the CAT algorithm is 95% confident in determining your competency, which it does by continually adjusting question difficulty based on your performance.
If your test went all the way to 150 questions in RN exam, the algorithm needed more data to make a definitive decision about your competency. This often creates a “borderline” scenario. Essentially, you were likely hovering very close to the passing standard throughout the entire test. The system kept giving you chances to consistently demonstrate you were above the standard, and it took the full number of 150 questions in RN exam to reach its statistical certainty. Therefore, reaching the maximum can mean one of two things: you were consistently performing just well enough to stay in the game but not well enough for the system to be sure you’d passed early, or you were performing so well on difficult questions that the system needed the full length to confirm your high level of competence. The most important thing to remember is that you should never leave the testing center assuming you’ve failed because you saw 150 questions in RN exam.
Many candidates who test to the full length do pass. The only way to know your official result is to wait for your state board of nursing to release the quick results or your official license. Avoid the “partial good pop-up” or other unofficial checks, as they are unreliable. Trust the process and try to manage your anxiety while you wait for the official outcome.