For the second year in a row, all 40 of the Missouri Western State University students who received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in December, 2023 passed their NCLEX licensure exam on their first attempt. The 44 graduates in December 2022 also attained a 100% first-try success rate.
In April 2023, the NCLEX exam was updated. The new exam (Next Generation NCLEX) is designed to better measure nursing clinical judgment and decision-making skills. This includes the use of real-world case studies and innovative types of exam questions.
A pass rate of 100% is rare. Prior to December 2022, the last time all Missouri Western nursing graduates passed the exam on their first try was almost 15 years ago, in May, 2008.
To better prepare graduates for the exam, a face-to-face NCLEX review session has been incorporated into the last semester of Missouri Western’s nursing curriculum. Exams were also revised to include case studies and innovative exam questions that are consistent with those on the NCLEX.
Missouri Western nursing graduates are not only prepared for the exam, they are prepared for their careers. Dr. Kendall reports that when they crossed the stage to receive their diploma in December, 38 of the 40 graduates had a job in the field.
