Is the NCLEX Harder than the Bar Exam? - Naxlex Blog (2024)

Is the NCLEX harder than the bar exam? Most people think the bar exam is more complex than the NCLEX. But is this the truth? The bar exam covers complex legal topics, with an average 60% pass rate. On the other hand, NCLEX focuses on nursing topics, with an 80% pass rate. However, for many nursing students, the NCLEX exam is the most strenuous and stressful part of their nursing studies. It challenges your determination, tests your critical thinking abilities, and might even make you question your dedication to nursing as a career.

Fortunately, 1.3 million individuals have conquered the NCLEX and become nurses. You can do this with the help of study resources from NCLEX prep material from Naxlex. You can confidently approach exam day by studying diligently, avoiding common pitfalls, and utilizing our helpful tips and resources. With Naxlex NCLEX, achieving NCLEX pass rates above the national average is guaranteed. Naxlex NCLEX is a reliable source you can trust. Let us help you showcase your capabilities on the big day.

Is the NCLEX Harder than the Bar Exam? True or False

The Bar Exam is often considered more challenging than the NCLEX due to its comprehensive coverage of intricate legal subjects and a lower average pass rate of around 60%. Conversely, the NCLEX concentrates on nursing principles and boasts a higher average pass rate of approximately 80%.

Which are the most Challenging Questions in NCLEX?

To do well on the NCLEX, you must be acquainted with the most challenging questions you might encounter. By grasping their attributes and learning to tackle them, you can enhance your confidence and improve on the test.

The most challenging NCLEX questions typically demand a thorough grasp of:

  • Pharmacology: A significant number of nursing students consider pharmacology to be the most challenging subject in their program. The course title implies its complexity, which is indeed the case. Pharmacology course needs students to understand various medications, their mechanisms of action within the body, and their appropriate indications for use.
  • Microbiology: the focus lies on the impact of microscopic organisms on the body. Students study microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, algae, protozoa, and archaea, which are only visible under a microscope. They become acquainted with the characteristics of these microorganisms, the diseases they can cause, and the medications used to treat them, such as antibiotics and antifungals.
  • Medical surgical nursing: The Medical-Surgical course stands out as one of the classes where students must integrate their knowledge of pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment. A significant challenge in this course is the expectation to grasp a broad range of content from the beginning.

These questions test your capacity to integrate information, think critically, and prioritize care under pressure, making the NCLEX harder than the bar exam.

Examples of NCLEX High-level Questions

Is the NCLEX harder than the bar exam? The NCLEX is harder than the bar exam in the nursing student’s eyes. This is because, on the NCLEX, you’ll encounter high-level questions that require you to analyze or evaluate information to make decisions or connections. For instance, you might need to link a person’s diet to their health symptoms or issues.

The good news is that the Naxlex NCLEX test bank has over 1000 high-level questions that will prepare you to answer the complex questions. Let’s check a few questions from our NCLEX test bank questions that make the NCLEX harder than the bar exam, which looks simple on exam day.

  1. A patient with a history of heart failure is admitted to the hospital with worsening shortness of breath and edema. Which intervention should the nurse prioritize?

a) Administering a diuretic medication.

b) Monitoring the patient’s oxygen saturation.

c) Placing the patient on strict fluid restriction.

d) Initiating cardiac monitoring.

Answer: a) Administering a diuretic medication.

Explanation: The priority intervention for a patient with heart failure experiencing worsening symptoms such as shortness of breath and edema is administering a diuretic medication to reduce fluid overload and relieve congestion symptoms. This intervention helps to improve the patient’s respiratory status and decrease the workload on the heart.

  1. A client with diabetes mellitus type 2 presents to the clinic with complaints of persistent fatigue and blurred vision. Which assessment finding would the nurse prioritize?

a) Blood glucose level.

b) Blood pressure measurement.

c) Urine specific gravity.

d) Serum potassium level.

Answer: a) Blood glucose level.

Explanation: The priority assessment for a client with diabetes mellitus type 2 experiencing symptoms of fatigue and blurred vision is to check their blood glucose level. Elevated blood glucose levels can cause these symptoms and may indicate inadequate diabetes management, requiring immediate intervention to prevent complications such as hyperglycemia or diabetic ketoacidosis.

Read More

  • Which is the Best NCLEX Study Guide?
  • What is the Cost of Taking NCLEX Exam?
  • How to Pass the NCLEX Exam in 2024
  • Can unofficial NCLEX results change?
  • How Long Do The NCLEX Results Take?
  1. A postoperative client suddenly develops chest pain, dyspnea, and tachycardia. Which action should the nurse take first?

a) Administering oxygen therapy.

b) Notifying the healthcare provider.

c) Checking the client’s vital signs.

d) Assessing for pulmonary embolism.

Answer: c) Checking the client’s vital signs.

Explanation: When a postoperative client develops sudden chest pain, dyspnea, and tachycardia, the nurse’s first action should be to check the client’s vital signs to assess their hemodynamic status and determine the severity of the situation. This initial assessment will guide further interventions, such as administering oxygen therapy, notifying the healthcare provider, and assessing for pulmonary embolism.

For more NCLEX practice questions, click here:

Winding Up

Is the NCLEX harder than the bar exam? Yes, preparing for challenging NCLEX questions requires dedicated practice and readiness. Remember, achieving success on the NCLEX goes beyond mere knowledge; it involves honing critical thinking and clinical judgment skills. To enrich your preparation and excel in test-taking, consider utilizing a digital Naxlex NCLEX study resource.

Naxlex NCLEX, an innovative digital platform explicitly tailored for NCLEX readiness, offers comprehensive question banks, detailed explanations, study guides, and customizable practice sessions. Additionally, it provides NCLEX flashcards and video tutorials.

This platform delivers real-time feedback on your performance, pinpoints areas for improvement, and helps you gain confidence in tackling tough questions. Take advantage of Naxlex NCLEX’s robust resources to optimize your study efforts and enhance your chances of NCLEX success.

Is the NCLEX Harder than the Bar Exam? - Naxlex Blog (2024)

FAQs

Is the NCLEX Harder than the Bar Exam? - Naxlex Blog? ›

The Bar Exam is often considered more challenging than the NCLEX due to its comprehensive coverage of intricate legal subjects and a lower average pass rate of around 60%. Conversely, the NCLEX concentrates on nursing principles and boasts a higher average pass rate of approximately 80%.

Is the NCLEX harder than the bar exam? ›

Is The NCLEX Harder Than The Bar Exam? The Bar Exam is typically seen as harder than the NCLEX. This is because the Bar Exam covers many intricate legal topics and has a lower pass rate, around 60% on average. In contrast, the NCLEX focuses on nursing concepts and has a higher pass rate, around 80% on average.

Is the new NCLEX harder? ›

And this is what I said in my show before, if you are a high performing student, the next gen NCLEX will be much very much easier for you. But if you're in the moderate the low performing student, it might cause you to fail the exam more.

Is UWorld good for nursing students? ›

UWorld is the nursing students' choice for licensure exam preparation for a reason – our detailed explanations include the clinical reasoning behind the correct and incorrect answers – so you learn as you practice.

How difficult was the NCLEX? ›

NCLEX's difficulty can fluctuate among test-takers but is generally regarded as a formidable examination. It scrutinizes your aptitude for critical thinking, application of nursing acumen, and formulation of safe and efficacious decisions within a clinical context.

Which state is NCLEX the hardest? ›

The NCLEX is a standardized exam and is the same type of test for everyone in the country. No state has a “harder” exam than another state.

What is the hardest test in America? ›

1. The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) takes the top spot as the most challenging exam in the US, with an average preparation time ranging from 200 to 400 hours for each of its three steps.

How hard is the NCLEX 2024? ›

Let's look at the statistics. The 2024 NCLEX pass rate worldwide is 79% out of the 81,824 nursing students that took the exam. That's up from 2023, the year next gen questions were added to the test, when the yearly total pass rate was 69.7%.

What percentage of nurses pass the NCLEX the first time? ›

As you can see in the data listed above, first-time NCLEX and Next Gen NCLEX test-takers consistently perform better than repeat test-takers. In 2023, first-time U.S.-educated test-takers have a pass rate over 83%, compared to their counterparts who repeated the test and passed at a rate of only about 42%.

What is the hardest part of the NCLEX? ›

The hardest questions on the NCLEX often require a deep understanding of nursing theory, pharmacology, pathophysiology, and nursing interventions. They may present complex clinical scenarios involving multiple patients or require you to identify the best course of action when faced with conflicting information.

Is a 60% on UWorld good? ›

What percentile on UWorld do I need to pass the NCLEX? Your NCLEX QBank percentile is defined by how many QBank users perform at or below your performance level. For example, if you are in the 47th percentile, you perform better than 47% of other users. Ideally, you want to perform better than 60% of users.

Is the actual NCLEX easier than UWorld? ›

To answer this question, we surveyed thousands of UWorld users just like you who recently utilized our NCLEX review course to prepare for their licensing exam. The result? 90% of users report that UWorld's questions are the same level of difficulty or more difficult than the questions they encountered on the NCLEX.

Which class is hardest in nursing school? ›

Nursing school's LPN courses for enhancing basic skills include such as pharmacology and pathophysiology can prove challenging. Here are the opinions of some health care teams on what you can expect when enrolling.

What kind of questions are considered hard on NCLEX? ›

Higher-level questions that you'll encounter on the NCLEX will expect you to take the info presented and analyze or evaluate the info to make a decision or form a connection. For example, a question may ask you to make a connection between a person's diet and their specific health symptoms or issues.

What is the hardest nursing exam? ›

For many nursing students, taking the NCLEX exam is the most difficult and stressful moment in their nursing education. Your resolve will be tested, your critical thinking skills will be tested, and even your commitment to your chosen profession in nursing may be tested.

Does anyone fail NCLEX in 75 questions? ›

If you're doing really well, you could pass in 75 questions. But if you're doing really poorly, you could fail in 75. And so on… Just because you get asked the maximum number of questions on NCLEX does not mean you've failed the exam.

What are the odds of passing the NCLEX? ›

As you can see in the data listed above, first-time NCLEX and Next Gen NCLEX test-takers consistently perform better than repeat test-takers. In 2023, first-time U.S.-educated test-takers have a pass rate over 83%, compared to their counterparts who repeated the test and passed at a rate of only about 42%.

Is there a lot of math on the NCLEX? ›

Math on the NCLEX

Once you've graduated and earned your BSN, you're not quite done with being tested on your math skills. While math certainly isn't a main focus on the NCLEX, you will likely have to do a few calculations while taking the exam. Don't be too worried about it, though.

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