NCLEX-RN

The NCLEX-RN is developed by the NCSBN to measure whether a candidate can practise safely and effectively as a newly licensed, entry-level registered nurse. It is computerized adaptive testing (CAT): each answer affects the difficulty of the next question, and the exam stops when the computer is 95% certain whether you are above or below the passing standard.

Under the 2026 RN test plan, effective April 2026:

• You answer a minimum of 85 and a maximum of 150 items.
• You have five hours, including all breaks.
• The minimum-length exam includes three clinical judgment case studies of six items each, and 15 unscored pretest items.

The Next Generation NCLEX, with new item types to measure clinical judgment, launched on 1 April 2023.

Of the minimum-length exam, 52 items come from eight content areas in set percentages. If your ability is very close to the passing standard, the exam continues to the maximum of 150 items. If time runs out before a decision is reached, alternate criteria are used.

Anyone seeking registered nurse licensure in the USA, including nurses educated abroad. Eligibility is decided by the nursing regulatory body (NRB) in the state where you apply, not by the NCSBN. Many boards ask internationally educated nurses for a credentials evaluation and English test results, and the rules differ by state.

1. Apply for licensure to your chosen state board of nursing and meet its requirements.
2. Register for the NCLEX with Pearson VUE and pay the fee. Registrations stay open 365 days waiting for eligibility from the board.
3. When the board makes you eligible, you receive an Authorization to Test (ATT) by email.
4. Schedule and sit the exam within the ATT validity dates, at a US or international Pearson VUE centre. The NCLEX site says the average ATT lasts 90 days and cannot be extended. To reschedule or cancel, give at least one full business day (24 hours) of notice.
5. The board issues your official result.

The NCLEX registration fee is US$200. Testing at an international location adds a US$150 scheduling fee, plus value added tax where applicable. Changing your nursing regulatory body costs US$50. The NCLEX site says that from 1 February 2027 the registration fee will be US$350 in the United States and Australia.

International locations include India, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and others. In participating states, Quick Results gives an unofficial result 48 hours after the exam for a fee.

• ATT expiry. ATT validity dates cannot be extended. If you do not test in time, you reregister and pay again.
• Duplicate registrations. A second registration while one is open is denied and the fee is not refunded.
• Retake gap. Repeat candidates are offered appointments from 45 days after their last attempt.

Read our NCLEX-RN guide for international nurses for state-by-state requirements.