NEA-BC Pass Rate: 73% of First-Time Candidates Passed in 2025
In ANCC's latest annual data, 706 of the 973 people who took the Nurse Executive, Advanced (NEA-BC) exam for the first time in 2025 passed.
| NEA-BC, 2025 first-time candidates | Row label |
|---|---|
| Pass rate | 73% |
| Took the exam | 973 |
| Passed | 706 |
| Did not pass | 267 |
Source: ANCC, 2025 Certification Data, page 2, "Nurse Executive, Advanced" row. "Did not pass" is our subtraction: 973 − 706.
Before you use the number:
- It counts first attempts only. ANCC says its annual tested and passed counts are for first-time test takers.
- It spans two exam outlines. The current NEA-BC Test Content Outline took effect November 11, 2025. ANCC does not publish the 2025 pass rate separately for candidates who tested before and after that date.
- It isn't the score you need. Passing takes a scaled score of 350 or higher on ANCC's scale, which tops out at 500. That's not a raw percentage-correct requirement.
By Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team · Last verified September 18, 2026
NEA-BC pass rate by year
| Year | Exam outline in use | First-time candidates | Passed | Did not pass | Pass rate as ANCC printed it | Exact rate from counts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | January 2021 outline until Nov. 11; current outline after | 973 | 706 | 267 | 73% | 72.6% |
| 2024 | January 2021 outline | 810 | 564 | 246 | 70% | 69.6% |
| 2023 | January 2021 outline | 714 | 532 | 182 | 75% | 74.5% |
Sources:
- 2025: ANCC, 2025 Certification Data, p. 2.
- 2024: ANCC, 2024 Certification Data, "Nurse Executive, Advanced" row.
- 2023: ANCC, 2023 Certification Data, copy hosted by the University at Buffalo School of Nursing, p. 2.
"Did not pass" and the exact rates are our calculations from ANCC's counts.
Across 2023–2025, 1,802 of 2,497 first-time candidates passed, about 72.2%. That combined figure is our arithmetic, not an ANCC-published three-year pass rate, and it should not be used as a personal probability of passing.
The annual rate has not moved in one direction: ANCC printed 75% for 2023, 70% for 2024, and 73% for 2025. Those changes are descriptive. ANCC does not publish evidence showing why the rate moved from one year to the next.
The number of first-time candidates increased from 714 in 2023 to 973 in 2025. ANCC also reported 6,717 current NEA-BC certificants as of December 31, 2025.
What the 73% counts, and what it doesn't
It's the share of people taking NEA-BC for the first time in calendar year 2025 who passed. ANCC describes its annual reporting this way.
| Counted in the 73% | Not counted |
|---|---|
| First attempts during calendar year 2025 | Retakes; ANCC does not publish a separate NEA-BC retake pass rate in the annual table |
| A pass or fail against ANCC's passing standard | Renewals; ANCC reports renewals separately |
| Candidates included in ANCC's national annual data | Any single employer, school, or review course |
| Tests taken across the 2025 calendar year | A pass rate for either 2025 exam outline by itself |
The pass rate isn't the passing score
These two numbers are easy to mix up:
- Pass rate: the share of first-time candidates who passed. ANCC printed 73% for NEA-BC in 2025.
- Passing score: what you need on your own exam. ANCC requires a scaled score of 350 or higher, on a scale with a maximum of 500.
ANCC first determines a raw score from the number of scored items answered correctly, then converts that raw score to a scaled score. ANCC does not publish a universal raw-percent-correct number that equals a scaled 350.
So 350 out of 500 does not mean "70% correct," and the 73% pass rate is not a target score.
The exam also isn't graded on a curve. ANCC says its certification exams are criterion-referenced: your pass/fail result depends on whether you meet the passing standard, not on how you rank against other candidates. ANCC uses the Modified Angoff method to establish the minimum passing score. See the ANCC Certification Handbook, "How Are Exams Scored?"
If every candidate in a given year met the standard, every candidate could pass.
Which exam does the 73% describe?
The 2025 figure spans two NEA-BC outlines.
The current NEA-BC Test Content Outline took effect November 11, 2025. Before that, the exam followed the outline effective January 10, 2021.
That means:
- The 2023 and 2024 pass rates come from years fully under the January 2021 outline.
- The 2025 calendar year includes roughly ten months under the older outline and about seven weeks under the current one.
- ANCC does not publish how many of the 973 first-time 2025 candidates tested under each outline.
- ANCC therefore does not publish a full-year pass rate for the current outline yet.
The accurate statement is: 73% was the 2025 first-time NEA-BC pass rate. It should not be relabeled "the pass rate for the current exam."
What changed in the outline
| Domain | January 2021 outline | Current outline effective Nov. 11, 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leadership | 43 scored questions | 42 | −1 |
| Quality and Safety | 30 | 32 | +2 |
| Human Capital Management | 18 | 26 | +8 |
| Health Care Delivery | 34 | 25 | −9 |
| Total scored | 125 | 125 | — |
The current outline places the continuum of evidence-based practice, process improvement, and quality improvement in Quality and Safety.
The current exam has 150 total questions: 125 scored and 25 unscored pretest questions, with a 3-hour time limit. ANCC's current domain allocation is:
| Current domain | Scored questions | Published weight |
|---|---|---|
| Leadership | 42 | 34% |
| Quality and Safety | 32 | 26% |
| Human Capital Management | 26 | 21% |
| Health Care Delivery | 25 | 20% |
| Total | 125 | 100%* |
\*ANCC notes that the published percentages are rounded.
Use the 73% figure for historical context. Use the current outline to decide what you study now.
→ Open the current ANCC NEA-BC Test Content Outline
How does NEA-BC compare with NE-BC?
ANCC's 2025 data report a 73% first-time pass rate for NEA-BC and 63% for NE-BC.
That does not show that NEA-BC is easier. The credentials assess different role levels, use different eligibility requirements, and have different exam blueprints.
If you're choosing between the credentials, use role fit and eligibility—not the pass-rate gap.
→ Compare NE-BC, NEA-BC and CENP
What to do with the number
- Read it as a cohort result, not your personal odds. The 73% describes first-time candidates in 2025.
- Build your study plan from the current outline. ANCC currently weights Leadership at 34%, Quality and Safety at 26%, Human Capital Management at 21%, and Health Care Delivery at 20%.
- Do not convert 350/500 into a raw percentage. ANCC reports a scaled score.
- Use practice percentages to find weak areas, not to predict your ANCC result. A practice-set percentage is not an official scaled score.
- Check your eligibility separately. Current NEA-BC eligibility includes a graduate degree with nursing at the baccalaureate or graduate level, an active RN license or legally recognized equivalent, at least 2,000 qualifying leadership/management/administration hours within the last three years, and 30 hours of relevant continuing education within the last three years.
→ Confirm ANCC's current NEA-BC eligibility and fees
If you didn't pass
The 73% is no longer the most useful number for you because ANCC's annual pass-rate figure covers first attempts. Your score report is more useful.
ANCC says a failing score report includes your scaled score and a performance rating for each major content area:
| Rating | What ANCC says it means |
|---|---|
| LOW | Below an acceptable level; substantial study is recommended before retesting |
| MEDIUM | Marginally acceptable; further study is recommended before retesting |
| HIGH | Well above average; review may still be helpful |
ANCC's current retest rules are:
- Wait 5 days after the exam before submitting an online retest application.
- You may retest after 60 calendar days from the date you last tested.
- You may not test more than three times in any 12-month period.
- You must meet the eligibility requirements in effect when the retest application is submitted.
- Retest fees apply.
- You retake the entire exam.
Sources: ANCC Test Score Reports & Retest Application Procedures and the ANCC Certification Handbook.
If your first attempt was before November 11, 2025, your retest uses the current outline. Re-map your LOW and MEDIUM areas to today's domain distribution before deciding where to spend study time.
Pass-rate claims you'll see online
Check any NEA-BC pass-rate claim for four things:
- [ ] A year. The figure changes by reporting year.
- [ ] A denominator. How many first-time candidates tested?
- [ ] First-time or all attempts. ANCC's annual tested/passed data are first-time test-taker figures.
- [ ] The source. Is the number tied to ANCC's annual Certification Data report?
| If you read… | What the verified ANCC data support |
|---|---|
| "The NEA-BC pass rate is 70%." | 70% was ANCC's printed 2024 first-time rate. The 2025 figure is 73%. |
| "NEA-BC usually has a 75% pass rate." | ANCC printed 75% for 2023, 70% for 2024, and 73% for 2025. |
| "The latest pass rate reflects the current exam." | The 2025 annual figure spans the old and current outlines; ANCC does not split the cohort by outline. |
| "You need 73% to pass." | 73% is a cohort pass rate. ANCC requires a scaled score of 350 or higher. |
| "350/500 means you need 70% correct." | ANCC converts raw scores to scaled scores; it does not publish a universal raw percentage that equals 350. |
| Old weights of 34% / 24% / 14% / 27% | Those are from the retired outline. Current published weights are 34% / 26% / 21% / 20%. |
| An NE-BC pass rate presented as NEA-BC | NE-BC is a different credential and exam. Its 2025 first-time pass rate was 63%. |
NEA-BC pass rate FAQ
Where does ANCC publish the NEA-BC pass rate?
ANCC publishes annual Certification Data. Its certification FAQ says the annual report contains first-time test-taker and pass data for active APRN and RN specialty certifications.
When will the 2026 NEA-BC pass rate come out?
ANCC has not published a 2026 annual rate yet or announced a publication date that we verified. If ANCC's annual Certification Data report advances beyond 2025, this page needs to be refreshed.
How many nurses hold NEA-BC?
ANCC reported 6,717 current NEA-BC certificants as of December 31, 2025.
Does ANCC publish a NEA-BC retake pass rate?
Not in the annual certification-data table we verified. The annual report and ANCC FAQ describe the tested and passed figures as first-time test-taker data.
What score do you need to pass NEA-BC?
ANCC requires a scaled score of 350 or higher on a scale with a maximum of 500.
Is 350 out of 500 the same as 70% correct?
No. ANCC converts a raw score—the number of scored items answered correctly—to a scaled score. ANCC does not publish a universal raw-percent-correct threshold that candidates can treat as equivalent to 350.
Sources and verification
On September 18, 2026, Castleport checked the current ANCC sources used for the pass-rate, scoring, blueprint, eligibility, and retest claims on this page.
- ANCC, 2025 Certification Data, p. 2.
- ANCC, 2024 Certification Data, "Nurse Executive, Advanced" row.
- ANCC, 2023 Certification Data, copy hosted by the University at Buffalo School of Nursing, p. 2.
- ANCC, Nurse Executive, Advanced Certification (NEA-BC).
- ANCC, NEA-BC Test Content Outline, effective November 11, 2025, p. 1.
- ANCC, Certification Handbook, Version 4, January 23, 2026, especially "How Are Exams Scored?" and retesting.
- ANCC, Test Score Reports & Retest Application Procedures.
- ANCC, Certification FAQs, "What is the pass rate for ANCC exams?"
Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Nurses Association (ANA). Exam and credential names are used to identify their subjects, and trademarks belong to their respective owners.
Nothing on this page guarantees a passing score, certification, licensure, employment, or income. NEA-BC is a certification, not a license to practice.
Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team · Last verified: September 18, 2026.