ATI Proficiency Levels Explained: What Level 1, 2 and 3 Mean

ATI does not pass or fail you on a Content Mastery Series exam; it gives you a proficiency level. Level 3 means likely to exceed the NCLEX-RN standard in that subject, Level 2 fairly certain to meet it, Level 1 likely to just meet it, and Below Level 1 not yet at the minimum. Level 2 is a common target. The percent each level needs is not public.

The four levels, in ATI’s words

Why there is no public percent for Level 2

ATI sets the cut scores in a national standard-setting study and gives the tables to faculty. They differ by exam and by version, so the “Level 2 = 6x%” numbers on forums are someone’s memory of one form. Your instructor can tell you the cut for your exam.

How schools turn a level into a grade

Schools write their own rules. Two we read, as examples (not ATI’s rules):

• University at Buffalo: 10 points, 4 for the practice tests and Focused Review and up to 6 for the level (Level 3 = 6, Level 2 = 3, Level 1 = 1).
• McCloskey School of Nursing: 100 points across Practice A, Practice B, the level, and remediation, with a retake for students at Level 1 or below.

The pattern: most of the points come from doing the practice and the review, and the level adds the rest. A Level 1 with the practice done can score better than a Level 2 without it.

Does the level predict the NCLEX?

ATI’s January 2026 study of 9,728 students (ATI-funded) found RN students at Level 2 or higher on all nine exams had about a 98% predicted probability of passing. That is the Comprehensive Predictor’s estimate, not NCLEX results. Use your level the way ATI does: as a map of which topics need work.

Going for Level 2 or 3

1. Measure first. Take Practice A with rationales off, the way the proctored exam feels. ATI itself says practice scores are not built to predict the proctored score, so treat it as a map of what you missed, not a forecast.
2. Fix the misses, not the whole book. Work the Focused Review it builds and write out the key points for each missed topic (many schools assign “three critical points” or ATI’s Active Learning Templates). Then take Practice B with rationales on.
3. Relearn by system, then mix. Learn each weak area with short recall sessions (on NurseSavvy, the topic’s cards and cheat sheet), then answer mixed questions so you practice choosing the area, not just answering inside it.
4. Spend the last days on priority and safety. These exams are written in the NCLEX style: what do you do first, which finding do you report, what does the teaching need to correct. Our priority-question guide covers the reasoning.
5. Stop the night before. Sleep is the last study session.

Sources: ATI’s Content Mastery Series page, its 2019 RN CMS educator implementation guide, ATI’s January 2026 research release, and the ATI policies of the University at Buffalo, McCloskey School of Nursing and UNMC. Read October 24, 2026.

ATI, Content Mastery Series and Comprehensive Predictor are trademarks of Assessment Technologies Institute, LLC. HESI is a registered trademark of Elsevier. Kaplan is a trademark of Kaplan, Inc. NCLEX is a registered trademark of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. NurseSavvy is not affiliated with or endorsed by these companies, and every NurseSavvy practice question is original.