🧠 2025 NGN Update: What New Nursing Graduates Must Know

👋 Hello Future Nurses,

If you’re preparing to take your NCLEX-RN in 2025, there’s one thing you need to know: the Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) is fully in effect. Launched in April 2023, NGN is reshaping how the exam evaluates clinical judgment and decision-making skills.

📘 What’s New: NGN vs. Traditional NCLEX

Focus Shift:

• Traditional NCLEX concentrated on clinical knowledge.

• NGN emphasizes clinical judgment—how you assess, decide, act, and evaluate in real-world scenarios.

New Item Formats Include:

• Case Studies: 3 sets of 6 sequential items each, simulating realistic patient scenarios

• Bowtie & Trend (Matrix/Grid) questions

• Extended drag/drop, multiple response, highlight‑text formats

• Partial‑credit scoring—you’re rewarded for clinical reasoning even if answers aren’t perfect

🎯 How Nursing Schools Are Responding

Integrating Clinical Judgment into Curriculum:
Educators are embedding the NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model (CJMM) into coursework, simulations, and testing — focusing on steps like recognizing cues, prioritizing actions, and evaluating outcomes.

Updating Teaching Methods & Tools:
Schools are revamping lesson plans and adopting NGN-compatible tools—from digital simulations to adaptive quizzes—to help students practice high-level reasoning skills.

Faculty Development & Institutional Support:
Programs like UWorld and Lippincott PassPoint offer efficacy research and standardized NGN-aligned prep, helping schools maintain strong NCLEX pass rates and support evolving exam demands.

🗓️ Timeline & Exam Expectations

• Every candidate receives 3 scored NGN case studies (18 total items).

• Depending on exam length, you may also get up to 7 stand-alone NGN items (e.g., bowtie, matrix).

• Total exam length remains capped at 5 hours and 70–145 scored questions; NGN-style questions make up about 20–25% of that total.

🧩 What New Grads Should Do Now

1. Use NGN-Aligned Study Tools:
   Choose prep platforms offering practice with case studies, matrix questions, and highlighting formats.

2. Focus on Clinical Judgment:
   Practice decision-making frameworks—analyze patient cues, justify priorities, and reflect on outcomes.

3. Ask Educators About NGN Prep:
   Check if your program includes simulations, mock exams, and item reviews tailored for NGN.

4. Track Trends & Updates:
   Use the NCSBN test plan and FAQs for current details and sample items.

💬 Voices in the Field

“NGN ensures new nurses can make safe, effective decisions in complex care settings.”
— Educators supporting the updated exam framework

“Lippincott PassPoint users showed first-time NCLEX pass rates as high as 93.7% — well above national average.”
— Evidence-based practice results for NGN prep

🧑‍🏫 America Needs Nurses: How We Support You

We help graduates and international students navigate NGN preparation with:

• NGN-specific prep guides and clinical reasoning workshops

• Direct access to certified NCLEX tutors and case-based simulations

• Coaching for nursing schools transitioning to NGN-aligned teaching