About six weeks prior to graduation, you will be given the
following applications by your nursing school:
1. Application for licensure.
2. Application for the NCLEX-RN® exam.
On a predetermined date, you will be required to submit the
completed forms and the licensure fees to your nursing school.
Upon receipt of an ATT (authorization to test), you will be able
to schedule your test date and time.
With the advent of the computer adaptive NCLEX-RN® exam, you
are able to schedule an individual date and time to take the
exam. Testing is available year-round, 15 hours a day, 6 days a
week, in 6-hour time slots.
Submitting an application
Following the appropriate
procedures
Your first step is to submit an application to the National
Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). You will be required
to follow the procedures established by the individual State
Boards of Nursing. Some states have combined registration for the
NCLEX-RN® exam with the application for licensure. In all other
states, you must apply for licensure with the State Board of
Nursing in the state in which you wish to become licensed. Once
you have applied, you will receive a Candidate Bulletin to
register for the NCLEX-RN® exam.
Exam and licensure fees
The cost to take the NCLEX-RN® exam is $200. Additional licensure
fees are determined by the individual State Board of Nursing.
Sending it in
You are responsible for sending the completed test application
and the fee to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. You can
register by phone by calling: 1-866-496-2539 in the USA
1-952-681-3815 for outside the USA
Calls should be made between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern
Standard Time, Monday through Friday. Phone registrants are
required to pay by VISA or Master Card. There is a $9.50 service
fee for the phone registration. You will receive a postcard
acknowledging receipt of registration. If you prefer, you may
send a personal check, cashier's check or money order to the
National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
You will not be able to schedule an appointment to take the
exam until your State Board of Nursing declares you eligible and
you receive an Authorization to Test (ATT) in the mail.
Other articles about the NCLEX-RN®
exam:
