Pearson VUE (NCLEX test delivery)

Pearson VUE describes itself as a high-stakes exam delivery company, part of the Pearson group, with 5,500 test centers in more than 180 countries and territories. It says it will now be known as Pearson Professional Assessments, so you may see both names.

For international nurses, Pearson matters because of the NCLEX. NCSBN develops the exam; your state board, the nursing regulatory body, decides whether you are eligible; and Pearson takes your registration and fee, issues the Authorization to Test once the board makes you eligible, and seats you at a test center.

1. Apply to a state board of nursing for licensure by examination.
2. Register with Pearson online or by phone, with your program code, an email address and a card. Your first and last names must match your ID exactly.
3. Wait for eligibility. NCSBN says a registration stays open for 365 days waiting for the board to make you eligible.
4. Once you receive your ATT, schedule online or by phone. NCSBN says first-time candidates are offered an appointment 30 days after asking, and repeat candidates from 45 days after their last attempt.
5. To change an appointment, act at least one full business day (24 hours) before it. Changes to international appointments can only be made by phone.

• Registration for US licensure: $200. NCSBN says this rises to $350 from February 1, 2027.
• Testing at an international center: an extra $150, plus VAT where applicable, which is never refunded.
• Changing your board after registering: $50.
• Quick Results: $7.95.

NCSBN says there are no refunds of registration fees, including if you miss an appointment or do not reschedule in time.

International NCLEX centers include Australia, Brazil, France, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Türkiye and the United Kingdom. At an international center the only acceptable ID is a passport. Arrive at least 30 minutes early; Pearson captures your signature, photograph and palm vein scan, and you have five hours, including breaks. Phones and other devices must be switched off and sealed in bags Pearson provides; NCSBN describes a zero-tolerance policy. If a technical problem delays you by more than 30 minutes, you can choose to keep waiting or reschedule without a further fee.

Official results come only from your board, which NCSBN says sends them within six weeks. In participating states you can buy unofficial Quick Results two business days after the exam. Online forums describe a "Pearson VUE trick" for guessing a result early; it is not an official result.

• Name mismatches between the registration and passport, which mean being turned away and paying again.
• Letting the ATT expire by booking late.
• Registering twice, which NCSBN says leads to a denied, non-refundable second registration.

Our NCLEX-RN guide covers preparation.