Start with the exact assessment named on your ATI Pharmacology report, the proficiency level it displays, and your nursing program's written policy. Those three things answer different questions: what you took, how ATI classified the performance, and what your school requires next. A percentage copied from another assessment or an older cutoff chart cannot answer all three.
ATI includes Pharmacology in its RN and PN Content Mastery Series, with practice and secure proctored assessments. The series is designed to assess specific content concepts and connect results with Focused Review. ATI Content Mastery Series overview.
Official ATI sources checked November 9, 2026. This guide explains how to use your report without presenting a universal Pharmacology cutoff, a school grading rule, or a personal NCLEX passing probability.
Read the report in this order
Before deciding whether a score meets your requirement, save the report and make a short summary:
| Report detail | What to record | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment name | The complete name, including RN or PN and any version shown | Pharmacology results should be interpreted for the assessment you actually took. |
| Assessment type | Practice or proctored | A practice result and an assigned proctored result serve different course purposes. |
| Test date and attempt | The date and attempt shown | This identifies which report a policy or remediation assignment refers to. |
| Individual score | The score exactly as displayed | Do not replace it with a remembered number or a score from a different report. |
| Proficiency level | The level printed on this report | Use the applicable report's classification rather than assigning a level from an unrelated table. |
| Topics or categories to review | The areas identified for further study | These become the starting point for your review plan. |
| Course requirement | The policy provided by your program | This establishes what you must submit or complete next. |
ATI's student guide explains that assessments are enabled by instructors, a performance profile is generated after an assessment, and results and Focused Review can be found through the assessment/results areas. If a report or resource is missing, confirm the assigned assessment and access with your instructor. ATI student quick guide.
How to use ATI Pharmacology Levels 1, 2, and 3 on your report
A proficiency level is a performance band for a named assessment, not a percentage of nursing school completed or a school letter grade. ATI's published RN CMS 2019 standard-setting explanation describes four bands: Below Level 1, Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3. It also distinguishes ATI's recommended benchmarks from the institution's own use of them. That document is explicitly version-specific; its numeric boundaries should not be relabeled as universal current exam cutoffs. ATI RN CMS 2019 standard-setting explanation.
For your result, read the definition attached to your assessment and ask faculty to confirm the applicable benchmark. Use the displayed level to start a conversation about the next learning task:
| Level shown on your report | A practical next step |
|---|---|
| Below Level 1 | Ask which gaps need immediate attention and what support or remediation is required. |
| Level 1 | Work through identified weaknesses and check whether the course requires a different benchmark or additional work. |
| Level 2 | Confirm the course requirement and complete any assigned review; do not assume the label cancels remediation. |
| Level 3 | Maintain the knowledge you demonstrated and address the remaining topics identified in the report. |
These are study-planning suggestions, not replacement ATI definitions. A result still needs to be interpreted in the context of your assessment and course.
Why this guide does not publish a single “Level 2 percentage”
An old chart can look authoritative while describing a different assessment series. Check the document's title, date, RN/PN designation, and assessment name before using any number. ATI's own historical standard-setting material documents changes to recommended boundaries, which is a reason to verify the applicable source rather than treat every posted chart as interchangeable. ATI standard-setting FAQ.
Does my level mean I passed the course?
Take that question to the syllabus or faculty policy. Ask for the current written rule if you cannot find it. A productive message includes your assessment name, test date, displayed score and level, and the specific policy sentence you want clarified.
Confirm:
- Which result or attempt the school uses.
- Whether there is a benchmark, course-grade contribution, or remediation requirement.
- What evidence of review must be submitted and when.
- Whether another assessment is allowed or required, and how it will be evaluated.
- How to report an interruption or a disputed result.
Keep the academic requirement separate from your learning goal. Completing the required paperwork and understanding a difficult medication concept are related tasks, but a checked submission box does not demonstrate that the concept is now clear.
Turn Focused Review into a usable study plan
ATI describes Focused Review as a way to identify priority remediation areas and connect a CMS result with relevant Review Module chapters. Start with the resources attached to the assessment you took. ATI description of CMS Focused Review.
- Open the correct report. Match the assessment name and date before starting the review.
- List the topics requiring attention. Keep the list specific enough that you can name what you are trying to learn.
- Read the linked material. Use the assigned module and your course's approved references to resolve the gap.
- Explain the concept without copying the text. Write a short explanation in your own words, then compare it with the source.
- Check the explanation with fresh practice. Follow your program's instructions for permitted practice and review the rationale.
- Bring unresolved questions to faculty. Include the concept you cannot explain, not reconstructed secure exam content.
The steps above are a practical workflow. They do not promise a particular proficiency level or prescribe a fixed number of review hours.
A pharmacology review log you can use
Keep one row per concept rather than copying entire chapters:
| Field | What to write |
|---|---|
| Topic | The concept named in your report or assigned review. |
| Gap | What you did not understand: terminology, the question's task, a calculation setup, or how to apply the information. |
| Source | The module section, textbook page, or faculty reference used to resolve it. |
| Explanation | Your brief account of the concept and why it matters in the scenario. |
| Follow-up | What still needs clarification and when you will revisit it. |
Fictional completed entry: Topic: mass-unit conversion. Gap: I treated 0.5 g as 0.5 mg. Source: the assigned dosage-calculation module. Explanation: 0.5 g × (1,000 mg / 1 g) = 500 mg; grams cancel, leaving milligrams. Follow-up: solve a fresh conversion in the opposite direction and explain the units before checking the answer. This is a unit-conversion exercise, not a medication order.
Avoid turning the log into a list of memorized answer letters. The goal is to recognize the task in a different question and explain the reasoning, not remember where an answer appeared on one attempt.
Connect terminology and calculations with the topic you are reviewing
If medication names are slowing you down, use the pharmacology prefixes and suffixes guide to organize terminology. Treat naming patterns as study aids and verify the actual medication in your approved reference.
If the gap is calculation setup, work through the dosage-calculation practice guide and explain the units at each step. You can also browse the free NCLEX-style quiz directory for additional practice. These resources are separate from ATI's secure exam and your program's required remediation; they are not a source of actual ATI exam items.
Frequently asked questions
What score is Level 2 on ATI Pharmacology?
Use the classification on your own report and the source for that exact assessment. A boundary from RN CMS 2019, another version, or another content exam should not be assumed to apply. Ask faculty for the applicable interpretation if it is unclear.
Is Level 1 automatically a failing course grade?
Do not infer a course grade from the level alone. Check the school's current assessment and remediation policy and ask which requirements apply to your result.
Is RN Pharmacology the same assessment as PN Pharmacology?
ATI lists Pharmacology within both RN and PN CMS modules. Read the RN/PN designation on your assigned assessment rather than assuming the reports or requirements are interchangeable. ATI CMS module list.
Can I convert one Pharmacology score into my NCLEX pass probability?
Do not invent that conversion. ATI describes CMS as content-specific assessments and its Comprehensive Predictor as a separate assessment with a separate predictive role. A single Pharmacology result is not a personal NCLEX outcome guarantee. ATI's explanation of its assessment and prediction tools.
Where do I find my Focused Review?
Use the assessment or results area of your ATI student account. ATI's student guide describes both access points. If the expected resource is not enabled, ask your instructor to check access for your assigned product. ATI student access guide.
Will repeating the same practice questions prove I am ready?
A familiar answer is not the same as a clear explanation. Use review to identify the concept, explain it, and apply it in fresh permitted practice. For the actual course or proctored requirement, follow the school's policy rather than a self-selected practice percentage.
