Key Dates

• Publication: January 2026 (on NCSBN.org)
• Effective for testing: April 1, 2026
• Approval: August 13–15, 2025 (NCSBN Annual Meeting)

What’s Changing

• Clinical judgment remains central. Expect case-based item sets (six items per case) aligned with the NCSBN Clinical Judgment Model.
• Content distributions are updated to reflect current entry-level practice, based on the 2024 Practice Analyses.
• Language refinements improve clarity in areas like end-of-life care.

Quick Distribution Ranges

Note: Use the official January 2026 test plans for the full distributions and all categories.

How to Prep—Smart and Calm

• Testing on or after April 1, 2026? Align your study plan with the January 2026 test plans.
• Until they’re posted, you can review the approved proposals from the 2025 Annual Meeting—but confirm against the official January release before finalizing materials.
• Choose resources that emphasize clinical judgment and realistic, case-based practice.
• Faculty and tutors: plan curriculum and practice sets around the updated distributions and item types.

Bottom line: the 2026 NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN plans go live in April 2026, with full documents published in January. Prepare with intention, and focus on clinical judgment.