What to do after you fail the NHIE

At a PSI test center in the United States, you get your score report before you leave. In Canada, it comes by mail. EBPHI says reports vary by state and test center, but in most states a failing report shows a graph of how you did in each content area of the exam.

That graph is your best clue to what went wrong. It shows which parts of the exam pulled you under. Keep the report, too. EBPHI's test policies ask you to bring your failing score report when you come back for a retake.

The NHIE isn't graded on a curve. You were measured against a passing point of 500 on a 200 to 800 scale, not against the other people in the room. For how that scale works, see the NHIE passing score.

You have to wait 30 days between attempts. EBPHI calls this standard practice for high-stakes exams and says there is no exception unless a law or regulation requires one.

1. After the exam

   Read your score report

   In most states a failing report graphs each content area. Keep it.

2. The 30 days

   Study the weak tasks

   Go back to the source for the two or three lowest tasks, then test them again.

3. A week before

   Sit a full-length practice exam

   200 questions in 4 hours. Check that the weak tasks moved.

4. After 30 days

   Retake the NHIE

   A new fee, $225 in most states. Bring your failing score report.

Each attempt is a new fee. In most states and in Canada it is $225, and it can't be refunded. You book a retake the same way you booked the first exam, online or by phone with the test provider. EBPHI's packet says you may retake the exam as many times as you wish, unless your state limits it.

A few states set a different fee or cap the number of tries. These are the ones our state pages record. If your state is not here, EBPHI's 30 days and $225 are the rule to plan around, but check with your licensing board.

Kentucky's 14 days is shorter than EBPHI's 30, and EBPHI makes no exception unless a law or regulation requires one. In Vermont, PSI's handbook allows unlimited retakes, but the state rule is the stricter one. For every state, see license requirements by state.

EBPHI's FAQ has an answer to "Why did I fail the exam?" It gives two reasons. Some candidates haven't sat for a test since school and are out of practice at it. Others don't know the material as well as they think, because they leaned on their course and its exams. EBPHI's advice is to review the exam content outline before you test.

The first is fixed by practice at full length. The second is fixed by finding out what you don't know, and rereading the same notes won't show you that. A test sorted by outline task will.

For why a high practice score can still end in a fail, see why people score high on practice tests and still fail.

Start where the points are. The outline has 19 tasks in three domains. Domain 1, the building systems, is 70% of the exam. Reporting is 20% and professional practice is 10%. If your report shows a low bar in a heavy domain, that is where most of your lost points are. See NHIE domain weights for the weight of every task.

Get a score by task, not just by domain. Your report shows content areas. A practice exam can split that further. The free 200-question practice exam is weighted like the NHIE and ranks all 19 tasks, weakest first.

Drill the weak tasks. Go back to the source for the two or three lowest tasks, then test them again. The free practice sets have 10 questions for each of the 19 tasks, so you can test one task at a time. When the weak tasks are electrical, heating, cooling, or plumbing, see how to study the NHIE systems tasks.

Sit one more exam at full length. The NHIE is 200 questions in 4 hours. Take a second practice exam at that length a week before your retake, and check that the weak tasks moved. For pace and reading tips, see how to pass the NHIE.

For a day-by-day plan that fits in the 30-day wait, see the 30-day retake plan.