NCLEX-RN Overview
What is the NCLEX-RN Examination?
NCLEX-RN Examination, a nationwide licensure examination for registered nurses in the United States, stands for National Council Licensure Examination. The test is administered by the Nursing Boards that represent each of the 50 states in the United States of America.
Why must you take the NCLEX-RN Examination?
You must pass the NCLEX-RN exam to be a Licensed Registered Nurse in the United States. The designation registered nurse or R.N. indicates that you have proven to your state board of nursing that you can deliver safe & effective nursing care. The exam is a test of minimum competency and is based on the knowledge and behaviors that are needed for the entry-level practice of nursing. The exam tests not only your knowledge, but also your ability to make competent nursing judgments.
Who prepares the NCLEX-RN Examination?
The NCLEX-RN exam is prepared by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). It is administered to test takers by means of a computer in a format called CAT. Viewing this we have created an online training methodology for our nurses.
What is CAT?
CAT stands for Computerized Adaptive Testing. Test questions are chosen according to the accuracy of your responses and therefore CAT tailors itself to each individual test taker. If you answer correctly the next question the computer presents will be slightly more difficult. If you answer this incorrectly, the computer will present a slightly less difficult question.
There is no time limit for each individual question. You have a maximum of 5 hours to complete the exam, but that includes the beginning tutorial, an optional 10-minute break after the first two hours of testing, and an optional break after an additional 90-minutes of testing. Everyone answers a minimum of 75 questions to a maximum of 265 questions. Regardless of the number of questions you answer, you are given 15 questions that are experimental. In a CAT test, once you have answered a question you must go on to the next question, you cannot go back to the previous question nor can you change any of your answers. Therefore you must think carefully before choosing an answers.
NCLEX-RN Registration Process and Exam Fee
1. Submit an application for licensure to the board of nursing in the state or territory where you wish to be licensed. Candidates will also have to pay other fees for licensure required by the board of nursing in the jurisdiction in which they are applying. Candidates must check with their board of nursing to find out about these fees.
2. Register for the NCLEX examination with Pearson VUE. The fee for taking the NCLEX-RN examination is $200.
Note that registering to take the examination and applying for licensure to a state board of nursing are two different processes.
Candidate who chooses to schedule their NCLEX examination at an international test center, they will have to pay an international scheduling fee of $150 plus a Value Added Tax (VAT) where applicable. These fees will be charged when a candidate schedules their examination appointment (after receiving Authorization to Test ATT).
International Test Centres:
American Samoa
Australia
Canada
Germany
Guam
Hong Kong
India
Japan
South Korea
Mexico
Northern Mariana Islands
Puerto Rico
Taiwan
Virgin Islands, US
US
UK
The NCLEX-RN Exam Blueprint
The exam is organized according to the framework Meeting Client Needs. There are four major categories of Client Needs and six subcategories.
Client Need # 1: Safe & Effective Care Environment
Client Need # 2: Health Promotion and Maintenance
Client Need # 3: Psychosocial Integrity
Client Need # 4: Physiological Integrity
NCLEX-RN Examination, a nationwide licensure examination for registered nurses in the United States, stands for National Council Licensure Examination. The test is administered by the Nursing Boards that represent each of the 50 states in the United States of America.
Why must you take the NCLEX-RN Examination?
You must pass the NCLEX-RN exam to be a Licensed Registered Nurse in the United States. The designation registered nurse or R.N. indicates that you have proven to your state board of nursing that you can deliver safe & effective nursing care. The exam is a test of minimum competency and is based on the knowledge and behaviors that are needed for the entry-level practice of nursing. The exam tests not only your knowledge, but also your ability to make competent nursing judgments.
Who prepares the NCLEX-RN Examination?
The NCLEX-RN exam is prepared by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). It is administered to test takers by means of a computer in a format called CAT. Viewing this we have created an online training methodology for our nurses.
What is CAT?
CAT stands for Computerized Adaptive Testing. Test questions are chosen according to the accuracy of your responses and therefore CAT tailors itself to each individual test taker. If you answer correctly the next question the computer presents will be slightly more difficult. If you answer this incorrectly, the computer will present a slightly less difficult question.
There is no time limit for each individual question. You have a maximum of 5 hours to complete the exam, but that includes the beginning tutorial, an optional 10-minute break after the first two hours of testing, and an optional break after an additional 90-minutes of testing. Everyone answers a minimum of 75 questions to a maximum of 265 questions. Regardless of the number of questions you answer, you are given 15 questions that are experimental. In a CAT test, once you have answered a question you must go on to the next question, you cannot go back to the previous question nor can you change any of your answers. Therefore you must think carefully before choosing an answers.
NCLEX-RN Registration Process and Exam Fee
1. Submit an application for licensure to the board of nursing in the state or territory where you wish to be licensed. Candidates will also have to pay other fees for licensure required by the board of nursing in the jurisdiction in which they are applying. Candidates must check with their board of nursing to find out about these fees.
2. Register for the NCLEX examination with Pearson VUE. The fee for taking the NCLEX-RN examination is $200.
Note that registering to take the examination and applying for licensure to a state board of nursing are two different processes.
Candidate who chooses to schedule their NCLEX examination at an international test center, they will have to pay an international scheduling fee of $150 plus a Value Added Tax (VAT) where applicable. These fees will be charged when a candidate schedules their examination appointment (after receiving Authorization to Test ATT).
International Test Centres:
American Samoa
Australia
Canada
Germany
Guam
Hong Kong
India
Japan
South Korea
Mexico
Northern Mariana Islands
Puerto Rico
Taiwan
Virgin Islands, US
US
UK
The NCLEX-RN Exam Blueprint
The exam is organized according to the framework Meeting Client Needs. There are four major categories of Client Needs and six subcategories.
Client Need # 1: Safe & Effective Care Environment
Client Need # 2: Health Promotion and Maintenance
Client Need # 3: Psychosocial Integrity
Client Need # 4: Physiological Integrity