NES Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows

Why There's No Official NES Pass Rate

If you searched for "NES Elementary Education pass rate 2026" hoping for a single percentage, here's the honest answer: Pearson's Evaluation Systems group, which develops and administers the National Evaluation Series (NES), does not publish an aggregate pass rate for the Elementary Education (102/103) assessments. That's typical for state-adopted licensure tests administered through Pearson VUE - the score reports that matter to you are individual, not statistical.

That absence of a headline number isn't a reason to guess. It's a reason to look at the mechanics that actually determine whether any individual candidate passes: the scaled passing score, the domain weighting inside each subtest, and the question format you'll face on test day. Those are the levers you can control, and they're covered in detail in our NES Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 5 Content Areas.

How NES Scoring Actually Works

Elementary Education is split into two separately scored subtests, each containing approximately 75 multiple-choice questions. The NES profile lists 220 as the passing score for each subtest on its scaled reporting range. That means you don't get a single combined score for "Elementary Education" - you get two independent pass/fail outcomes, one for Subtest I and one for Subtest II.

This separation matters more than most candidates realize. A candidate who is exceptionally strong in Social Studies but underprepared in Reading and English Language Arts can still fail Subtest I overall, because the scaled score reflects performance across the entire subtest, weighted by domain. For a full breakdown of what 220 actually represents and how scaled scoring differs from raw percentage-correct, see NES Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.

What Really Determines Whether You Pass

Three structural facts shape almost every candidate's outcome on the NES Elementary Education assessments:

• Domain weighting isn't even. Within Subtest I, Reading and English Language Arts accounts for 62% of the content - more than five times the weight of any other single domain in that subtest. Within Subtest II, Mathematics accounts for 50%. Time spent studying domains proportional to their actual weight, rather than spreading effort evenly across all five domains, is one of the biggest differentiators between candidates who pass on the first attempt and those who don't.
• No reference materials are provided. Unlike some professional exams that allow formula sheets or approved calculators for certain sections, NES test-takers must recall content directly. That raises the value of memorization drills and timed practice over passive review.
• Timing is tight but not brutal. Subtest I allows 1 hour 30 minutes and Subtest II allows 1 hour 45 minutes for roughly 75 questions each - a little over a minute per question. Candidates who haven't practiced under timed conditions often run out of time on the last 10-15 questions, which disproportionately affects lower-weighted domains they hadn't prioritized anyway.

Our NES Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt walks through how to sequence preparation around these three facts rather than treating all content as equally urgent.

Subtest I vs. Subtest II: A Side-by-Side Look

Because the two subtests are scored independently and cover entirely different content, it helps to compare them directly before building a study plan.

The Domains That Carry the Most Risk

Not every domain deserves equal study time, and the exam's own weighting tells you exactly where to focus.

For a domain-by-domain study checklist with more granularity than percentages alone, the NES Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts is a useful companion once you've identified your weak areas.

Registration, Fees, and Retake Rules

Understanding the logistics around scoring also means understanding how registration choices affect your path to a passing score. A single computer-based subtest costs $85, while a combined computer-based appointment covering both subtests costs $165. Online-proctored subtests are registered separately at $85 each. If you fail a subtest, you must wait 30 days before you're eligible to retake that same subtest - which makes first-attempt preparation far more valuable than rushing to sit for the exam early and "seeing what happens."

Before registering, confirm that your state accepts test codes 102 and 103, since requirements vary by state education agency. A full cost comparison across single-subtest, combined, and online-proctored options is available in NES Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown, and state-specific eligibility rules are covered in NES Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.

Who Actually Cares About This Score

The 220 passing score threshold exists because state education agencies and school districts use NES Elementary Education results as a licensure checkpoint for candidates entering elementary classrooms. Districts hiring for elementary teaching positions, alternative certification programs, and teacher preparation programs all rely on this credential as verification that a candidate has demonstrated competency across reading, social studies, math, science, and the arts/health/fitness domains - not as an academic exercise, but as a hiring gate. If you're weighing whether the investment in preparation and fees is worthwhile relative to career outcomes, Is the NES Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and NES Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis go deeper into that comparison.

A Study Timeline Built Around Domain Weight

Generic study advice tells you to review everything evenly. The smarter approach for NES Elementary Education is to let domain percentages set your calendar. Here's a sample five-week structure that mirrors how much each domain is actually worth on test day:

This structure front-loads the highest-weighted domains while still leaving room for a full review pass. For question-format practice that mirrors real testing conditions, our practice test platform lets you simulate both subtests under timed conditions before you commit to an official registration date. If you'd rather get oriented first, our overview of What Is NES Certification? and the broader NES Certification primer are good starting points, and the homepage links to every domain-specific practice set.

Frequently Asked Questions