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National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN)
The NCLEX-PN is the variable-length, computer-adaptive licensure examination developed by NCSBN that U.S. practical nurse and vocational nurse candidates must pass for licensure, measuring entry-level nursing competence across Client Needs content areas and clinical judgment case studies.
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QuestionsVariable length: 85-150 items; the minimum-length exam is 52 content-area items plus 18 clinical judgment case-study items (3 case studies of 6 items each) plus 15 unscored pretest items
Testing timeUp to 5 hours; the five-hour limit includes the introductory screen and all (optional) breaks
ScoringPass/fail by CAT against the NCSBN passing standard (reevaluated by the NCSBN Board of Directors every three years; 95% confidence interval decision rules); no fixed pass percentage
Exam feeUSD 200 NCLEX registration fee for U.S. licensure (fees are set by jurisdiction, not exam type); effective February 1, 2027 the fee rises to USD 350 in the U.S. and Australia (CAD 570 in Canada)
Prep options
Study resources for NCLEX-PN
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Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- NCSBN
- Category
- Nursing Licensure
- Current version
- 2026 NCLEX-PN Test Plan, effective April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2029
- Where it applies
- United States — national
- Exam languages
- English
- Score scale
- Pass/fail only; no numeric score is reported, and candidates who do not pass receive a Candidate Performance Report (CPR)
- Testing provider
- Pearson VUE
- Format
- Variable-length computerized adaptive test (CAT) delivered on computer with multiple item formats and partial-credit scoring (plus/minus, zero/one, rationale); not offered in paper-and-pencil or oral formats
- Availability
- Year-round by appointment at test centers across the United States and select international sites; first-time candidates are offered an appointment within 30 days of the scheduling request, repeat candidates 45 days after the last attempt
- Results
- Official results only through the candidate's nursing regulatory body, within six weeks after the exam; unofficial Quick Results available two business days after the exam for U.S. licensure candidates whose NRB participates
- Remote testing
- Not available
Exam structure
Content distributed across eight Client Needs areas with percentage bands: Coordinated Care 18-24%, Safety and Infection Prevention and Control 10-16%, Health Promotion and Maintenance 6-12%, Psychosocial Integrity 9-15%, Basic Care and Comfort 7-13%, Pharmacological Therapies 10-16%, Reduction of Risk Potential 9-15%, Physiological Adaptation 7-13%; clinical judgment measured by case studies spanning the six NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model steps
Where rules vary
The NCLEX-PN is used for U.S. licensure only (unlike the NCLEX-RN, which NCSBN also provides for Canadian and Australian licensure); the examination is administered uniformly across U.S. jurisdictions against a single NCSBN passing standard.
Eligibility
Apply for licensure/registration with a nursing regulatory body (NRB) and meet its eligibility requirements, register and pay the fee with Pearson, then schedule only after receiving the Authorization to Test (ATT; average validity 90 days, set by the NRB)
Retake policy
NCSBN policy: retake 45 days after the last administration, up to 8 attempts per year; some jurisdictions apply stricter limits