What your CPR shows, and what it doesn’t
NCSBN sends a Candidate Performance Report after an unsuccessful attempt. It rates your performance in the eight NCLEX-RN test plan areas, then in Clinical Judgment and its six components, using three levels: Above, Near or Below the passing standard.
- Near is not a near pass. NCSBN notes that “near” does not mean you performed at or above the standard in that area.
- The levels don’t add up to your result. The pass-fail decision uses the whole exam, so the planner never estimates a score, a chance of passing, or how close you were.
- An abbreviated CPR has no area levels. It is issued when fewer than the minimum number of items was answered, so the planner follows the official weights instead of guessing weak areas.
For a longer walkthrough, read how to read your NCLEX CPR.
How your plan is calculated
- Total time = your weekly hours × the weeks until your test date, counted in 30-minute blocks.
- Mixed practice is set aside first (25% by default; you can choose 15% or 35%).
- Each area gets a score: the midpoint of its official range in the 2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan × a level multiplier (Below ×3, Near ×2, Above ×1 by default). A blank area keeps ×1: no level is assumed.
- Area study time is split in proportion to the scores. Clinical Judgment adds no hours, because NCSBN measures it through case studies and stand-alone items across the test plan rather than as a separate area.
- Weeks start with the highest priorities: Below areas first, then Near, then blank areas, then Above. A large Near area can still get more total hours than a small Below area. Each area gets a first pass (about two-thirds of its time) and comes back later in a shorter review pass.
The multipliers and the time split are a planning method proposed by Passy. You can adjust them. They are not an NCSBN formula and have not been validated as a way to predict results.
Worked example
A candidate has six weeks and 12 hours a week: 72 h. With the default settings, 18 h (25%) is set aside for mixed practice, which leaves 54 h for area study. Each area’s score is the midpoint of its official range multiplied by its level (Below ×3, Near ×2, Above ×1).
| Area | CPR level | Midpoint × level | Share of area time | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies | Below | 16 × 3 = 48 | 23.3% | 12.5 h |
| Reduction of Risk Potential | Below | 12 × 3 = 36 | 17.5% | 9.5 h |
| Management of Care | Near | 18 × 2 = 36 | 17.5% | 9.5 h |
| Physiological Adaptation | Near | 14 × 2 = 28 | 13.6% | 7.5 h |
| Health Promotion and Maintenance | Near | 9 × 2 = 18 | 8.7% | 4.5 h |
| Basic Care and Comfort | Near | 9 × 2 = 18 | 8.7% | 4.5 h |
| Safety and Infection Prevention and Control | Above | 13 × 1 = 13 | 6.3% | 3.5 h |
| Psychosocial Integrity | Above | 9 × 1 = 9 | 4.4% | 2.5 h |
| Total | 206 | 100.0% | 54 h | |
Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies gets 23.3% of the 54 h of area study (48 ÷ 206), which is 12.5 h. As a share of all 72 h, including mixed practice, that is about 17%. Hours are rounded to 30-minute blocks, so the hours column always adds up exactly.
Priorities follow the levels: Start here for Below, Strengthen for Near, Maintain for Above. In week 1 this candidate starts with Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies.
When you can test again
Under the NCSBN baseline you need at least 45 test-free days between attempts. Your nursing regulatory body can require a longer wait or extra steps, and you need a new registration and Authorization to Test before you can schedule. Day 46 is not a guaranteed appointment, so the planner uses the date you enter. See NCLEX retake rules and next steps.
Questions about the planner
Do I need to upload my CPR?
No. You choose each level yourself, and nothing you enter leaves your browser tab. Don’t type your name, date of birth, or candidate number anywhere on this page. Passy’s analytics record only that a plan was built, with coarse ranges such as the number of weeks, never your levels or dates.
Can the planner tell me my chances of passing?
No. The CPR describes performance by area; it is not a score you can convert into a probability. The planner only organizes study time.
What if I left some areas blank?
Blank areas keep their official share with no extra emphasis, and the plan lists them so you can add them later. If no area is entered, the plan follows the official weights.
Can I save or change the plan?
Yes. Change the weekly hours, the date or the method settings under the plan, then print it or save it as a PDF from your browser. You can also copy it as text for your own notes.
Sources
- 2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan (Effective April 2026), Distribution of Content.
- NCSBN sample NCLEX-RN Candidate Performance Report (March 2026).
- NCSBN: NCLEX Candidate Performance Report.
- NCSBN: NCLEX Results and Retake Policy.
Area names, ranges and report levels checked against these documents on October 21, 2026.
Keep going
- Free 20-question NCLEX-RN practice set with a rationale after every answer.
- NCLEX-RN study plan generator if you don’t have a CPR to work from.
- What to study for the NCLEX-RN.
Passy is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), NCLEX, or Pearson VUE. NCLEX® is a registered trademark of NCSBN. Passy practice questions are original study material and are not official NCLEX items.