Failed the NCLEX? How to pass on your next attempt.

How soon can I retake the NCLEX-RN?

You can write the NCLEX-RN once in any 45-day period and up to 8 times a year. CNO sets no limit on the number of attempts, but every attempt counts, including ones in other provinces, and you must report each to CNO. You still have to pass and meet every other requirement within two years of applying.

For the REx-PN the wait is 60 days, which allows up to 6 attempts a year.

Other provinces set their own limits. In Alberta, CRNA sets no limit on attempts, but you must pass within two years of the date it makes you exam-eligible. In British Columbia, BCCNM sets no limit while your application is valid, with at least 45 days between attempts, but on a provisional licence you must pass within two attempts.

What is the Candidate Performance Report?

After a failed attempt, Pearson sends you a Candidate Performance Report. It shows how you performed in each content area of the test plan (what the report contains). It is the most useful document you have, because it tells you where the next attempt will be won.

How should I study for my next attempt?

1. Rank your weak areas from the report. Two or three areas below the standard usually explain the result.
2. Rebuild the content in those areas first, then mix in the rest. Management of Care and Pharmacology together are around a third of the exam.
3. Practise case studies weekly. They make up 18 items of every minimum-length exam and test the full clinical judgement process of the Next Generation NCLEX.
4. Review every rationale, including for questions you got right by guessing.
5. Sit timed mock exams and only register once your mock scores are steady.

Our free study planner has a setting for repeat writers that gives more time to practice and less to first-pass content review.

What does failing cost me?

Each retake needs a new registration and fee: $360 now, or $570 if you register on or after 1 February 2027. NCSBN gives no refunds. There is also a licensing cost: in Ontario, anyone who has failed the registration exam twice cannot hold a Temporary Class certificate, and an existing temporary registration ends on a second failure.

Is it normal to fail the NCLEX the first time?

It is common for internationally educated nurses. In 2025, 39.6% of internationally educated first-time candidates passed the NCLEX-RN for Canadian licensure, and 32.7% of repeat candidates passed. See the full figures. A failed attempt is information, not a verdict.