Exam Formats at a Glance: Questions, Time, Retakes

Exam owners change formats, so treat this page as a starting point and confirm on the official site before you book. Each section links to its sources. FocusFlow Lab is independent of every exam owner listed here. To turn a test length into minutes per question, use the test time calculator. For how long people usually prepare, see how long to study for each exam.

NCLEX-RN

The NCLEX-RN gives you between 85 and 150 questions, with up to 5 hours to finish.
You can retake it up to 8 times a year, at least 45 days apart, unless your jurisdiction sets a stricter limit.

Sources: NCSBN: NCLEX candidate bulletin. Make a schedule with the free NCLEX-RN study plan generator.

NCLEX-PN

The NCLEX-PN gives you between 85 and 205 questions, with up to 5 hours to finish.
Retakes need at least 45 days between attempts, and some jurisdictions allow fewer attempts a year than the standard limit.

Sources: NCSBN: NCLEX candidate bulletin. Make a schedule with the free NCLEX-PN study plan generator.

ATI TEAS

170 questions in 209 minutes across four sections: Reading 45 questions in 55 minutes, Math 38 in 57 minutes, Science 50 in 60 minutes and English and Language Usage 37 in 37 minutes.
Some of those questions are unscored practice items, so not every question counts toward your score.

Sources: ATI: TEAS exam details. Make a schedule with the free ATI TEAS study plan generator.

MCAT

230 questions in four sections: Chem/Phys 59 questions in 95 minutes, CARS 53 in 90 minutes, Bio/Biochem 59 in 95 minutes and Psych/Soc 59 in 95 minutes.
About 6 hours 15 minutes of testing, and about 7 hours 30 minutes in the seat with breaks.
You can take it up to 3 times in a testing year, 4 times over 2 consecutive years and 7 times in your lifetime.

Sources: AAMC: what is on the MCAT exam, AAMC: testing attempt limits. Make a schedule with the free MCAT study plan generator.

USMLE Step 1

Step 1 is one 8-hour test day. Since 14 May 2026 it runs as 30-minute blocks of up to 20 questions each; before that it was 60-minute blocks of up to 40.
Step 1 has been reported pass or fail only since 26 January 2022.

Sources: USMLE: Step 1, USMLE: examination results and scoring. Make a schedule with the free USMLE Step 1 study plan generator.

PANCE

The current NCCPA blueprint took effect in January 2025. It gives one percentage per area, and says the shares may vary slightly on each exam.

Sources: NCCPA: PANCE blueprint. Make a schedule with the free PANCE study plan generator.

NAPLEX

225 questions in 6 hours, on the computer.
Results are reported as pass or fail, with no numeric score.

Sources: NABP: take the NAPLEX. Make a schedule with the free NAPLEX study plan generator.

DAT

280 questions in four tests: Survey of the Natural Sciences 100, Perceptual Ability 90, Reading Comprehension 50 and Quantitative Reasoning 40.
There must be at least 60 days between attempts.

Sources: ADA: Dental Admission Test. Make a schedule with the free DAT study plan generator.

GRE

About 1 hour 58 minutes in five sections. Analytical Writing comes first: one task in 30 minutes.
Verbal Reasoning has two sections (12 questions in 18 minutes, then 15 in 23) and Quantitative Reasoning has two (12 questions in 21 minutes, then 15 in 26).
Verbal and Quant adapt at the section level: how you do on the first section sets the difficulty of the second.

Sources: ETS: GRE General Test structure. Make a schedule with the free GRE study plan generator.

GMAT Focus

64 questions in 2 hours 15 minutes across three sections: Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning and Data Insights.
You choose the section order, and you can review and change up to 3 answers in each section. The total score runs from 205 to 805.

Sources: GMAC: GMAT Focus exam policies. Make a schedule with the free GMAT Focus study plan generator.

LSAT

Four sections of 35 minutes each with a 10-minute break after the second. Two Logical Reasoning sections and one Reading Comprehension section are scored, and the fourth is unscored.
Argumentative Writing is separate: 50 minutes in total, with 15 minutes of prewriting and 35 minutes of writing.
LSAC has announced the LSAT will change from August 2027, so check the current format before you test.

Sources: LSAC: LSAT FAQs, LSAC: the 2027 LSAT change. Make a schedule with the free LSAT study plan generator.

CPA FAR

Each section is 4 hours with two multiple-choice testlets and three task-based simulation testlets. It is scored 0 to 99, you need 75 to pass, and the score is not a percentage or a curve; multiple-choice and simulations count equally. FAR has 50 multiple-choice questions and 7 simulations.
FAR content areas: Financial Reporting 30 to 40%, Select Balance Sheet Accounts 30 to 40%, Select Transactions 25 to 35%.

Sources: AICPA: what is tested on the CPA Exam, AICPA: CPA Exam scoring, ThisWayToCPA: what every candidate should know about FAR. Make a schedule with the free CPA FAR study plan generator.

CPA AUD

Each section is 4 hours with two multiple-choice testlets and three task-based simulation testlets. It is scored 0 to 99, you need 75 to pass, and the score is not a percentage or a curve; multiple-choice and simulations count equally. AUD has 78 multiple-choice questions and 7 simulations.

Sources: AICPA: what is tested on the CPA Exam, AICPA: CPA Exam scoring. Make a schedule with the free CPA AUD study plan generator.

CPA REG

Each section is 4 hours with two multiple-choice testlets and three task-based simulation testlets. It is scored 0 to 99, you need 75 to pass, and the score is not a percentage or a curve; multiple-choice and simulations count equally. REG has 72 multiple-choice questions and 8 simulations.

Sources: AICPA: what is tested on the CPA Exam, AICPA: CPA Exam scoring. Make a schedule with the free CPA REG study plan generator.