NCLEX exam requirements | Eligibility Criteria 2024

Hi everyone, welcome to our informative guide on NCLEX exam requirements.

Today, we’ll walk you through the NCLEX eligibility requirements, the registration process, the retake policy, and taking the exam requirements.

By the time you finish this article, you’ll be well conversant with what is required to take the NCLEX exam.

In summary, we’ll talk about:

• NCLEX eligibility requirements
• NCLEX registration process
• NCLEX test-taking instructions and retake policy

Let’s dive right in.

NCLEX Eligibility Requirements

There are several criteria that nursing students must meet to be eligible for the NCLEX exam.

Candidates must be 18 years of age.

Secondly, for education requirements, learners must have a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN), an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), or a Practical Nursing Diploma.

A BSN takes four years to complete, while an ADN takes around 18 months to complete.

You can take the classes online, in person, or a combination of both.

Usually, the programs include coursework, lab, and clinical experience.

Test-takers with a BSN or ADN take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).

Those with Practical Nursing Diploma are qualified to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Licensed Practical Nurses/Licensed Vocational Nurses (NCLEX-PN).

A Practical Nursing Diploma takes a year to complete.

Next, test-takers must have graduated from a state-approved nursing program.

You can find a complete list of your board-approved nursing programs on your Department of Education website.

Furthermore, nursing students must have a good moral character, which is assessed through professional and legal history.

Test-takers submit fingerprints for criminal checks.

That’s not to say that learners with criminal records are automatically disqualified.

The emphasis is on being truthful during the assessment since withholding information may cause an even bigger problem.

In the same breath, a professional assessment is geared towards determining whether aspiring nurse professionals have any conditions or history that may hinder their practice.

In some US states, nursing students are required to submit their official transcript during registration.

In others, nursing schools are required to verify when their students meet the nursing program requirements.

The application process may be before or after graduation.

Now, this is an overview of the general registration requirements.

However, it will be best to check with your state nursing board to find out the exact requirements per your Nursing Regulatory Body (NRB).

NCLEX Registration Process

The next step in the NCLEX exam requirements is the registration process.

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) breaks down the process as follows:

1. Test-takers are required to apply for the NCLEX licensure to their Nursing Regulatory Board. That’s the state they want to work in. The NRB is mandated with determining NCLEX candidates’ eligibility.
2. The next step is registering for the exam with Pearson VUE online or by phone.

Online/Internet registration

Visit www.pearsonvue.com/nclex and follow the prompts to create our username and password.

From there, you’ll be required to answer several questions, including but not limited to the state you are seeking licensure, the test you’ll take, your nursing program, year of graduation, ethnic group, and the nursing regulatory body you want to register with.

Once you’ve answered all the questions satisfactorily, you’ll be prompted to pay.

There are two payment options.

You can pay using a card which can be a prepaid, debit, or credit card.

Your payment may also be through a third party, such as your nursing school, employer, or agency.

Most states charge a registration fee of $200.

I’ll advise you to have your card ready when starting the registration process.

Telephone registration

You’ll contact Pearson VUE via phone, and they’ll do the registration on their end.

Just like when registering through the Pearson VUE website, have your card ready.

You’ll give your name on the card, the card number, and the expiry date.

And, of course, you’ll also answer several application questions.

Your registration will be open for a year, waiting for confirmation of your eligibility from NRB.

Once NRB has confirmed that you are qualified, it notifies Pearson VUE, which sends you the Authorization to Test (ATT) within 48 hours of receiving your eligibility approval.

With an ATT, you can schedule the exam date and time and select a local testing center from the list provided.

You’ll have three months to take the NCLEX exam.

And now you are wondering, what happens if you don’t meet the eligibility requirement or it’s denied?

Well, there’s no way around it.

Your NCLEX registration will go up in flames, and so will your application fee.

You’ll have to wait until the 365 days elapse before registering again.

Why wait?

This is important.

You can’t have two registrations concurrently.

That is to say; you can’t re-register for NCLEX while the previous registration is still active.

If you do that, the second registration will be automatically denied.

And the sad part is you’ll lose the registration fee again since it’s non-refundable.

Simply put, if your eligibility is denied, you must wait a year before registering again.

Taking the NCLEX Exam Requirements

When taking the exam, there are strict regulations that test-takers must adhere to or risk disqualification.

According to the NCSBN website, test-takers shouldn’t give or accept assistance during the exam.

Secondly, calculators, phones, watches, cheat sheets, and dictionaries are prohibited during the NCLEX examination.

Candidates must show an acceptable identification document, which includes a driver’s license, Gov ID, passport, military identification card, or permanent residence card.

The name on the ID should match the name used to register for the NCLEX exam.

Finally, test-takers shouldn’t disturb or interfere with any NCLEX equipment.

NCLEX Retake Policy

According to www.ncsbn.org, NCLEX candidates can take the exam up to eight times a year.

Learners should allow a 45 days waiting period between each test.

While this is NCSBN regulation, different states have various regulations on how often nursing students can take the exam.

For example, in Pennsylvania, test-takers have unlimited attempts until they pass the NCLEX examination.

In others, like Louisiana, learners have four years to pass the exam from graduation.

During this period, they can take the exam up to four times.

Failure to pass the exam requires test-takers to do a refresher course before going at it again.

Another important thing to remember is that you must pay the application fee for each test.

Those who fail the exam receive a Candidate Performance Report (CPR) from NCSBN.

CPR outlines a student’s performance so that they can better prepare for a retake.

Conclusion

The NCLEX exam requirements vary depending on the stage you are in.

Luckily, we’ve meticulously outlined all the requirements at the different stages of registration and taking the exam.

Now that you are conversant with what’s expected of you, you can start your application for the NCLEX.

Also, check the NCLEX candidate bulletin for the most up-to-date information on what’s required of you before and after the NCLEX exam.

NCLEX Exam Requirements FAQs

References

NCSBN

NursingLicensure.org

NursingExams.org

All Nursing Schools

RegisteredNurseRN.com