The number you need: 500
The SNLE reports your result on a scale from 200 to 800. The passing standard is 500. There is no separate pass mark per domain — you pass or fail on the single overall scaled score.
- Reporting scale: 200 (minimum) to 800 (maximum)
- Passing standard: 500
- Standard recommended by a panel of 14 Saudi nurses
- Approved by the SCFHS Central Assessment Committee in April 2017
- Results announced two to six weeks after the testing window closes
Why '500 out of 800' is not 62.5%
This is worth correcting directly, because a lot of forum advice gets it wrong and it changes how people study.
The scale does not begin at zero
If you answered nothing correctly you would still not be reported as 0 — the floor of the reporting scale is 200. So 500 is not '500 of 800 marks earned'; the arithmetic that produces 62.5% simply does not apply.
Raw marks are converted, not counted
Your raw score (the number of scored items you answered correctly) is mapped onto the 200-800 scale. That mapping accounts for the difficulty of the particular form you sat, so two candidates with the same raw score on different forms can receive slightly different scaled scores.
Scaling is what makes forms comparable
Because question banks rotate, one sitting may be marginally harder than another. Scaling means a 500 in March represents the same standard of nursing competence as a 500 in October — nobody is penalised for drawing a tougher form.
Pilot items complicate raw counting further
Up to 10% of the questions you see are unscored pilot items that do not affect your result at all, and they are not flagged on screen. Another reason a self-calculated 'percentage correct' is meaningless.
What this means for how you prepare
You cannot reverse-engineer a target percentage, so aim at competence rather than a number.
- Track accuracy by domain, not just overall — a weak 40%-weighted Adult Nursing score hurts far more than a weak Leadership score
- Practise under real timing; scaled scores reward consistent judgement, and judgement collapses when you are rushing the last 30 items
- Read the rationale on correct answers too, so a lucky guess is not banked as knowledge
- Use full-length timed mocks as your benchmark, and require the standard twice before booking
If you score below 500
A fail is a resit, not the end of the route. SCFHS permits up to four attempts per year counted from your first attempt, and you cannot sit twice inside the same testing window.
- Use your domain breakdown to pick the two weakest areas — do not restart the whole syllabus
- Rebuild with subtopic notes and question sets in those domains, then re-test with a full mock
- If your next window is close, a 10-day structured crash schedule is more effective than unguided revision
Official sources
The 500 pass mark, the 200-800 reporting scale and the standard-setting history are published by SCFHS.
SNLE Prep is an independent study provider and is not affiliated with SCFHS. Always confirm current rules on the official portal. Back to all SNLE guides.
Frequently asked questions
What is the SNLE passing score?
500, on a reporting scale that runs from 200 to 800. Anything at or above 500 is a pass.
Does 500 out of 800 mean I need 62.5% of answers correct?
No. This is the single most common misunderstanding about the SNLE. 500 is a scaled score, not a percentage of items answered correctly. The scale does not start at zero, and raw marks are converted onto it, so the percentage of questions you need correct is not fixed and is not published.
Who set the SNLE passing standard?
A standard-setting panel of 14 Saudi nurses recommended the standard, which was approved by the Central Assessment Committee in April 2017.
What should I be scoring on mocks before I book?
Because the scaled conversion is not published, treat mock percentages as a training signal rather than a prediction. Nurses who clear 75% consistently on full-length timed mocks, twice, are usually in a comfortable position.
When do SNLE results come out?
SCFHS announces results two to six weeks after the testing window closes, not on the day you sit.
Prepare with SNLE Prep
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