The National Council Licensure Examination PN (NCLEX-PN) is a legally defensible and psychometrically sound nurse licensure and credential exam that is in line with the current nursing practice. Before you become a practical or licensed vocational nurse, you first have to pass the NCLEX-PN. The examination is administered and scored by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.

The NCLEX-PN exam is based on the Computerized Adaptive Testing technology. There is an average of 85 questions but you might have up to 205 questions in the test. The examination usually starts with simple questions and as you answer correctly, the subsequent questions become harder. If you answer wrongly to a question, the next question gets easier. Basically, the computer brings up questions based on your capabilities.

The total number of questions you answer is dependent on the number of questions you answer correctly. For instance, if you answer the first set of 85 questions correctly, you will not be required to answer any further ones. If you also answer all 85 questions incorrectly, you will not be required to answer any more questions. None of the exam questions can be skipped as each question is determined by your previous response.