For 2012-2013, the USM School of Nursing had the largest number of first-time test takers of the NCLEX-RN exam, a licensing exam for US nurses, in the state of Maine. The group of 154 accounted for over 20% of first-time candidates and had a pass rate of 89.61% - surpassing the state average of 82.52% and national average of 84.3%.