The NCLEX, or National Council Licensure Examination, is used in every state in the nation to qualify entry level nurses who have completed an accredited nursing program. If you have graduated from a practical nursing or registered nursing program, you will have to pass this examination in order to earn a license. There are two forms of the examination: NCLEX-RN for registered nurses, and NCLEX-PN for practical or vocational nurses.
The Board of Nursing/Regulatory Body (BON/RB) of each state sets the requirements for eligibility to take the test. The requirements may vary from state to state, but usually include:
• Graduation from an Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredited nursing program, with transcript
• Graduation from other accredited nursing programs specified by the state, with transcript
• Fingerprints
• Photo
• Criminal background check; if applicable, documents and/or letters explaining prior convictions or disciplinary action
The application must be submitted with required documents and fee.
The nurse applicant then registers to take the NCLEX with Pearson VUE, the testing agency, and waits while the BON/RB processes the application to determine eligibility for testing. The examination is scheduled upon establishment of eligibility.
Both NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN are administered individually through computer adaptive testing. This process of testing selects the items given based on performance on prior questions and establishes the true competence level of each examinee. The examination is scored by the testing agency and the results submitted to the BON/RB in question. The Board of Nursing will then issue a license if the applicant passed, and will notify the applicant if not passed, in about a month after the testing date.
According to Brilliant Nurse, “If you fail the examination, your Board of Nursing will send you a diagnostic profile which will show the areas of knowledge in which you performed well and those where your performance was below par.” You can apply for retesting; the National Council requires that you wait until after 91 days before retaking the test.
The NCLEX is therefore a crucial hurdle which you must cross to gain your license for nursing. Your school of nursing may offer a preparatory course for the NCLEX; there are a number of websites, both free and for fee, that provide sample NCLEX questions for practice and preparation. You might also want to familiarize yourself with how computer adaptive testing works so as to be confident and prepared when you take the NCLEX.
