This bulletin contains information for all registrations and scheduling of

examination appointments beginning January 1, 2009. Do not discard

before receiving your test results.
Additional information is available at www.ncsbn.org.

2009 NCLEX® Examination

Candidate Bulletin
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ABOUT THE NCLEX® EXAMINATIONS
Questions About...
• Registering to take the NCLEX® examination
• Authorization to Test (ATT)
• Lost Authorization to Test
• Acceptable forms of identification
• Comments about the test center
• NCLEX examination development
• General NCLEX examination information
• Unresolved concerns related to examination
administration
• Name or address changes
• Name corrections on your Authorization to Test (ATT)
• Licensure
• Endorsement
• Interpretation of results
• Candidate Performance Report
• Scheduling an appointment to test
• Rescheduling or unscheduling your testing
appointment
• Examination results
Answers
Visit: NCLEX® Candidate Web Site,
http://www.pearsonvue.com/nclex.
Call: NCLEX Candidate Services (Pearson VUE)
United States – Call at (toll-free) 1.866.49NCLEX
(1.866.496.2539), Monday - Friday, 7 am to 7 pm, U.S.
Central Time.
Asia Pacific Region – Call NCLEX Candidate Services in
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, at (pay number) +603.8314.9605,
Monday - Friday, 8:30 am to 6 pm, Universal Time.
Europe, Middle East, Africa – Call NCLEX Candidate
Services, at (pay number) +44.161.855.7445, Monday -
Friday 8 am - 6 pm, Central European Time.
India – Call NCLEX Candidate Services at (pay number)
91.120.439.7837, Monday-Friday 9 am - 6 pm, IT.
All other countries not listed above – Call (pay number)
1.952.681.3815, Monday - Friday, 7 am to 7 pm,
Central Time.
Candidates with hearing impairments who use a
Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) – Call
the U.S.A. Relay Service at (toll-free) 1.800.627.3529 or
the Canada & International Inbound relay service at
(pay number) 605.224.1837. These services are available
24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Write: NCLEX Examination Program
Pearson Professional Testing
5601 Green Valley Drive
Bloomington, MN 55437-1099
E-mail: pvamericascustomerservice@pearson.com.
Visit: NCSBN Web site, http://www.ncsbn.org
Write: National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc.
NCLEX® Examinations Department
111 E. Wacker, Suite 2900
Chicago, Illinois 60601-4277
Call NCLEX® Examinations Department: 866.293.9600
Fax NCLEX® Examinations Department: 312.279.1036
E-mail: nclexinfo@ncsbn.org
Write or call your board of nursing. Links to all boards of
nursing Web sites and contact information is available on
the NCSBN Web site: www.ncsbn.org; click on the link
titled Boards of Nursing.
Wait until you receive your Authorization to Test (ATT).
Follow directions on pages 7-9 of this bulletin.
Examination results are sent to you by your board of nursing.
Wait a minimum of four weeks following your examination
for your results to arrive in the mail.
 JANUARY 2009

Table of Contents
What is the NCLEX® Examination? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Registration Process Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Examination Fee and Registration Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Fee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Registration Time Limit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
How to Register for the NCLEX ® Examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Registering on the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Registering by Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Registering by Telephone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
No Refunds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Failure to Pay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Workforce Exception Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Procedures for Requesting Special Accommodations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Directions for Completing the NCLEX® Examination Registration Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Sample Name Entry on an NCLEX® Registration Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Sample Address Entry on an NCLEX® Registration Form. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
How to Schedule Your NCLEX® Examination Appointment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Authorization to Test (ATT)…. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Scheduling Your NCLEX Examination Appointment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Group Scheduling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Scheduling Procedure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Candidates Seeking Examinations Accommodations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Procedure for Changing Your NCLEX® Examination Appointment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Personal Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Acceptable Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Additional Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Examination Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Test Center Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Grounds for Dismissal or Cancellation of Results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Confidentiality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
The Day of the Examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Additional Information about the NCLEX® Examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
NCLEX® Test Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Client Needs Categories Covered on the NCLEX® Examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Scoring the NCLEX® Examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Examination Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Abbreviations for States, Territories, and Canadian Provinces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
International Country Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Education Program Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
U.S. and Territories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
International. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

The policies and procedures contained within this Candidate Bulletin are subject to change at any time with or without notice. If you have any questions regarding
these changes contact NCSBN at 1-866-293-9600. Candidate results are not reported during any period of time in which the board of nursing to which a candidate has
applied for licensure is not a member in good standing of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN).
Copyright © 2009 National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN). All rights reserved.
NCLEX®, NCLEX-RN® and NCLEX-PN® are registered trademarks of NCSBN and may not be used or reproduced without written permission from NCSBN. No part of
this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other-
wise now known or to be invented) without written permission from NCSBN.
Address inquiries in writing to NCSBN Permissions, 111 E. Wacker Drive, Suite 2900, Chicago, IL 60601-4277.
NCLEX® EXAMINATION CANDIDATE BULLETIN
What is the NCLEX® Examination?
In April 1994 nurse licensure candidates began taking the
National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX®) on a
computer at test centers located across the United States and
select international sites. The change to computerized
adaptive testing (CAT) for the nurse licensure examination
came about as a result of a decision made in August 1991 by
the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN).
The NCLEX® examinations are only provided in a comput-
erized adaptive testing format.
The NCLEX examination is designed to test knowledge, skills
and abilities essential to the safe and effective practice of
nursing at the entry level. NCLEX examination results are an
important component used by boards of nursing to make
decisions about licensure. Only boards of nursing can release
NCLEX examination results to candidates.
The NCLEX examination is given on a computer. You are not
expected to know how to use a computer before you take the
examination. A tutorial will be included as part of the exami-
nation. The tutorial will instruct you on the use of the mouse
and how to record an answer.
Even after the examination starts, you will be able to request
assistance at any time regarding the operation of the computer.
In addition to the traditional four option multiple-choice
items, the tutorial will include information on how to respond
to different types of item formats called alternate items.
Another computer function is the on-screen optional calculator.
Again, the application of this calculator will be reviewed in the
tutorial prior to the beginning of the examination.
The tutorial can be reviewed any time prior to the examina-
tion at www.pearsonvue.com/nclex.
Pearson Professional Testing provides test development and
test administration services for the NCLEX examination.
2
Registration Process Overview
1. Submit an application for licensure to the
board of nursing where you wish to be licensed.
2. Meet all of the board of nursing’s eligibility
requirements to take the NCLEX examination.
3. Register for the NCLEX Examination
with Pearson VUE.
4. Receive Confirmation of Registration from
Pearson VUE.
5. The board of nursing makes the candidate
eligible to take the NCLEX.
6. Receive Authorization to Test (ATT) from
Pearson VUE.
If you choose to provide an e-mail address at the time you
register for the NCLEX examination (whether by mail,
telephone, or via the internet), please note that all of your
correspondence from Pearson VUE will arrive ONLY by
e-mail. If you do not provide an e-mail address when you
register, your correspondence from Pearson VUE will
arrive ONLY through U.S. mail.
If more than two weeks have passed after you have
submitted a registration for an NCLEX examination and
received confirmation from Pearson VUE, and you have
not received an ATT, please call Pearson VUE at the
appropriate number listed on the inside front cover.
Examination Fee and
Registration Information
Fee
The fee for taking the NCLEX® examination is $200.
You may also have to pay other fees for licensure required by
the board of nursing in the jurisdiction in which you are
applying. You must check with your board of nursing to find
out about these fees. If you choose to schedule your NCLEX
examination at a test center outside of the United States*, you
will have to pay an international scheduling fee of $150, and
where applicable, a Value Added Tax (VAT). These fees will
be charged when you schedule your examination appointment.
Registration Time Limit
All NCLEX examination registrations will remain open for
a 365-day time period during which a board of nursing
may determine the candidate’s eligibility. The time period
begins when the board of nursing receives the candidate’s
registration from the test service. Once a candidate is made
eligible, he or she must test within the validity dates printed
on the Authorization to Test (ATT).
* United States includes American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands,
and the US Virgin Islands.

If the board of nursing is unable to make you eligible within
the 365-day time period, you must wait until your current
registration expires before re-registering. A candidate may not
have two NCLEX examination registrations (of the same exam
type) open at the same time. If you re-register before your
current registration expires, your second registration will be
processed and denied, and the fee collected is non-refundable.
Candidates who are not made eligible by their board of
nursing within the 365-day time period will forfeit their
registrations, including the registration fee. Candidates who
wish to take an NCLEX examination will need to re-register
and re-pay the examination fee.
How to Register for the NCLEX® Examination
1. Submit an application for licensure to the board of
nursing where you wish to be licensed. Be sure to meet
that board of nursing’s application deadline.
2. Register for the NCLEX examination using one of the
following methods.
If you provide an e-mail address when registering for
the NCLEX examination, all subsequent correspondence
from Pearson VUE will arrive ONLY BY E-MAIL. If you do
not provide an e-mail address, all your correspondence
will arrive ONLY through the U.S. mail.
Registering on the Internet
Go to the NCLEX Candidate Web site
(www.pearsonvue.com/nclex) and select one of the following
registration options:
1. Paying by credit card:
❏ Answer each question as directed. Use pages 4-7 of this
bulletin as a guide in answering the questions.
❏ You must pay for your registration by credit or debit card,
using one of the following: VISA, MasterCard or
American Express. Have your credit card ready when
you begin your registration.
2. Paying by money order, cashier’s check or certified check:
❏ Answer each question as directed. Use pages 4-7 of this
bulletin as a guide in answering the questions.
❏ Upon completion follow directions to print
confirmation document.
❏ Mail the confirmation document and a certified check,
cashier’s check or money order (made payable to the
National Council of State Boards of Nursing) for $200 in
U.S. currency drawn on a bank in the United States.
Mail to: NCLEX Operations, PO Box 64950, St. Paul,
MN 55164-0950.
❏ Personal checks, cash, foreign currency, stamps, receipts or
proofs of payment will not be accepted.
JANUARY 2009
Registering by Mail
❏ You must enclose a certified check, cashier’s check, or
money order (made payable to the National Council
of State Boards of Nursing) for $200 in U.S. currency
drawn on a bank in the United States with your registra-
tion. Use the enclosed envelope to return your registra-
tion form and payment. Mail to: NCLEX Operations,
PO Box 64950, St. Paul, MN 55164-0950.
❏ Personal checks, cash, foreign currency, stamps, receipts or
proofs of payment will not be accepted.
❏ Credit cards cannot be used when registering by mail.
NOTE: Registrations that are not properly completed and/or
are not accompanied by the proper payment will be returned
to you and will delay your testing.
Registering by Telephone
❏ Call NCLEX Candidate Services at one of the numbers
listed on the inside front cover of this candidate bulletin.
❏ Before you call, complete the registration form; the
customer service representative will ask you to provide
the information collected on the registration form.
❏ You must pay by using a valid VISA, MasterCard, or
American Express credit or debit card.
❏ Have your credit card ready when you make your tele-
phone call. You must supply the name shown on the cred-
it card, the credit card number, and the expiration date.
❏ Credit cards will be verified before registrations are
processed. Delays may be encountered if credit cards
cannot be verified.
No Refunds
There will be no refund of registration fees (mail,
telephone, or via the internet) for any reason.
If you have not received a confirmation of your registration
within one week of submitting your registration form, call
NCLEX Candidate Services at one of the telephone
numbers listed on the inside front cover of this candidate
bulletin to check the status of your registration. Do not
submit another registration and fee before calling.
If you decide to submit an additional registration, first
stop payment on the original payment submitted. If you
register twice for either the NCLEX-RN® or the NCLEX-PN®
examination, both registrations will be processed and
both fees collected. However, you will not be allowed
to have more than one active registration for the same
examination.
No registration fees will be refunded, not even fees
received from duplicate registrations.
There will be no refund of the $150 international
scheduling fee or VAT for any reason.
3
NCLEX® EXAMINATION CANDIDATE BULLETIN
Failure to Pay
A candidate may not take the NCLEX examination if the
registration fee has been stopped, cancelled, or otherwise
revoked, either by the candidate or a financial institution.
If payment is stopped after the candidate takes the
examination, NCSBN and the boards of nursing reserve
the right to hold and/or revoke the candidate’s result.
Workforce Exception Program
Nursing schools, agencies or employers may register and adminis-
tratively pay for the NCLEX examination on behalf of the
candidate. This is considered a Workforce Exception. If your
registration is accompanied by such a payment, you will not use
the enclosed envelope to return your registration and payment.
Please follow the instructions below:
Write ‘Workforce Exception’ on a post-it note (or any note),
place it on the $200 check (made payable to NCSBN), and
mail both the NCLEX registration form and check to:
NCLEX Workforce Program
Pearson VUE
5601 Green Valley Drive, Room 220
Bloomington, MN 55437
NOTE: NCSBN and Pearson VUE have established specific
guidelines for this provision (Workforce Exception). Failure to
adhere to the guidelines will result in the rejection and a
significant delay of the registration.
Procedures for Requesting
Special Accommodations
Testing accommodations for otherwise qualified candidates
can be provided only with the authorization of your board
of nursing.
❏ Request information from your board of nursing
concerning its requirements for requesting testing
accommodations. This should be done before
submitting your NCLEX examination registration.
❏ Make a request for accommodations to your board of nurs-
ing. Your request must comply with requirements estab-
lished by your board of nursing for candidates requesting
testing accommodations.
❏ Send your request to your board of nursing as early
as possible so that, if approved by the board of
nursing, the special accommodations can be made
in a timely manner.
4
Directions for Completing
the NCLEX® Examination
Registration Form
The registration scan form that is in the envelope enclosed
with this candidate bulletin includes all of the questions that
you must answer if you register via the internet, by mail or by
telephone. If you submit your registration form by mail, your
registration form will be read by a computer and must be
completed accurately to ensure timely and efficient processing.
You will be sent a confirmation indicating that your registra-
tion was received. Incomplete forms and forms received with-
out the correct fee will be returned.
Page 1 of the Registration Form
For any of the three registration methods (internet, mail or
telephone) you will be asked to supply the following information:
Examination Fee
Please enter the number of your check or money order in the
boxes provided.
1. Examination for Which You Are Registering
Fill in the circle next to the NCLEX examination for which
you are registering, either Practical Nurse (NCLEX-PN® exami-
nation) or Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN® examination).
Once the registration has been submitted, candidates who
want to change the type of examination requested or the
board of nursing where licensure was requested must contact
NCLEX Candidate Services and will be required to pay a
$50 change fee.
Once a board of nursing declares you eligible to test, neither
the board of nursing where licensure was requested nor the
type of examination can be changed.
Your Name
2. Name
Enter your name exactly as it is printed on the picture
identification that you will present at the test center.
Do not change the spelling and do not change the order of
your names.
Print your last (family) name, first name, and your middle
name in the spaces provided and completely fill in the corre-
sponding circles. Print one letter clearly in each box. Leave
blank spaces between each part of your name. If any of your
names are too long to fit in the boxes provided, print as much
as will fit. If you have had a name change, and have been
made eligible by your board of nursing, you must submit the
name change to your board of nursing and request a new ATT

from the NCLEX Call Center. Do not call or write NCLEX
Candidate Services with this information.
NOTE: The name on the ATT must match the name on
the identification you will present at the test center.
See page 5 for a sample name entry on an NCLEX
registration form.
Page 2 of the Registration Form
3. Mother’s Maiden Name
Print your mother’s maiden name and fill in the corresponding
circles. Maiden name is the last (family) name your mother
used at birth before marriage. Only the last name is needed,
not the full name. Your registration will not be processed
without this information. If you have questions please contact
NCLEX Candidate Services at one of the numbers located on
the inside front cover of this bulletin.
4. Your Date of Birth
Fill in the circle next to the month in which you were born.
Print the day and year in which you were born and completely
fill in the corresponding circles. For birth dates that are less
than 10, enter zero in the first “day” box (for example, if you
were born on April 2, 1966, you would fill in the circle next to
“April” and then enter 02 for the day and 1966 for the year).
Incomplete birth dates will delay processing.
5. U.S. Social Security Number
Print your United States Social Security number, if you have
one, and fill in the corresponding circles. This information is
optional but may be used by the board of nursing to link your
NCLEX examination results to your application for licensure.
Sample Name Entry
on an NCLEX®
Registration Form
JANUARY 2009
6. Ethnic Information
Indicate the appropriate ethnic information by filling in the
corresponding circle. This information is used for statistical
purposes only. Your compliance to this question is voluntary.
7. Sex
Indicate your sex by filling in the corresponding circle.
This information is used for statistical purposes only. Your
compliance to this question is voluntary.
8. Telephone Number (Home/Mobile)
Print your home/mobile telephone number and fill in the
corresponding circles. This number will be used if it is
necessary to contact you about your registration.
9. Telephone Number (Work)
Print your work telephone number and fill in the
corresponding circles. This number will be used if it is
necessary to contact you about your registration.
10. E-Mail Address
If you have an e-mail address, print it in this space if you wish
to receive all of your subsequent correspondence (confir-
mation of registration, ATT and confirmation of examination
appointment) from Pearson VUE by e-mail ONLY. If you do
not provide an e-mail address, your correspondence from
Pearson VUE will arrive ONLY through U.S. mail.
Page 3 of the Registration Form
11. Your Maiden Name
Print your maiden name and fill in the corresponding circles.
Maiden name is the family name given to you at birth before
marriage.
5
NCLEX® EXAMINATION CANDIDATE BULLETIN
12. Another Last Name You Have Used
Print any other last name you have used when registering for
the NCLEX examination or applying for licensure to a board
of nursing. Fill in the corresponding circles. The name you
enter must be the name you used immediately prior to the
name you currently use.
13. Last Date Other Name Was Used
Fill in the circle next to the month. Print and completely fill
in the corresponding circles of the year for the last date that
you used the name entered in number 12.
14. Primary Language
Fill in the circle next to the option that best describes your
language proficiency. This information is used for statistical
purposes only.
15. Education Program Code
Using the list of Education Program Codes beginning on
page 18, enter the five-digit code of the program from
which you received your nursing education and fill in the
corresponding circles. If educated outside the U.S.*, use
the international education codes on page 40.
This information is required and must be filled in.
* United States includes American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands,
and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
6
Sample Address
Entry on an NCLEX®
Registration Form
If the name of your program is not on the list or if you are taking
the licensure examination as a result of equivalency, please
contact your board of nursing to find the correct code to use.
16. Graduation Date
Fill in the circle next to the month of your graduation from
your nursing program. Print the year of your graduation and
fill in the corresponding circles. (For example, if you
graduated in June 1997, you would fill in the circle next to
“June” and then enter 1997 for the year.)
17. Do You Have CGFNS Certification?
Indicate whether or not you have received certification
from CGFNS (Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing
Schools). A current CGFNS certificate indicates that
you have passed the pre-licensure examination that tests
nursing knowledge and English skills for graduates of foreign
nursing schools.
18. CGFNS Certification Number
If you have CGFNS certification, print your certification
number in the spaces provided and fill in the corresponding
circles. Otherwise leave this section blank and go on to
question 19.

Page 4 of the Registration Form
19. Board of Nursing From Which You Are
Seeking Licensure
Fill in the circle next to the name of the board of nursing
where you applied for licensure. This information is required
and must be filled in. If a board of nursing is not selected,
this form will be returned to you.
Once the registration form has been submitted, candidates who
want to change the board of nursing where licensure was
requested or the type of examination requested must contact
NCLEX Candidate Services and will be required to pay a
$50 change fee. The board of nursing where licensure was
requested or the type of examination requested cannot be
changed once that board of nursing declares you eligible to test.
20. Your Current Mailing Address
Print the street address, city, state, territory or Canadian province
where you want your registration and scheduling information to
be mailed. (If you choose to provide an e-mail address, please note
that all of your correspondence from Pearson VUE will arrive
ONLY by e-mail. If you do not provide an e-mail address your
correspondence will arrive only through U.S. mail.) Fill in the
corresponding circles. To indicate a space in your address, leave a
blank box and fill in the corresponding circle. The state, territory
and Canadian province abbreviations are located on page 17. If
you live outside of the United States, its territories or Canada,
leave the section marked “State, Territory, or Province” blank.
20a. U.S. Zip Code
If you live in the United States or its territories,
print your U.S. zip code and completely fill in the
corresponding circles.
20b. Country Code
Only if your mailing address is outside the United States and
its territories, use the International Country Code list on
page 17 to complete this item. Print the three-digit country
c ode and completely fill in the corresponding circles.
There is no country code for U.S. addresses.
20c. Foreign Postal Code
If you live outside the U.S., please print your international
postal code in this space. All testing at Pearson Professional
Centers is subject to U.S. government trade regulations and
restrictions regarding embargoed countries, some of which are
applicable to the provision of testing services in the U.S. and
its territories. You must supply an international postal code
when providing your address and make sure that such
reference is consistent with the address on your identification
that you present at the testing center.
Signature
Sign (do not print) in pencil or ink your full name and fill in the
date. Before you mail your registration form and examination
fee in the enclosed envelope, make sure that you have signed
your form and checked it for accuracy. Be sure that the proper
circles are filled in, that there are no stray marks and that your
form is complete and accurate.
JANUARY 2009
How to Schedule Your NCLEX®
Examination Appointment
Authorization to Test (ATT)
After your board of nursing declares you eligible, you
will receive your ATT.
You must have your ATT to schedule an appointment to
take the NCLEX® examination and you must present your
ATT at the test center on the day of your examination to be
admitted to the examination. You will not be admitted to
the examination without your ATT and will be required to
re-register and re-pay to take the examination.
Call NCLEX Candidate Services at one of the telephone
numbers listed on the inside front cover of the Candidate
Bulletin to report a lost ATT or if it has been two weeks since
you registered and have not received your ATT.
The ATT contains your test authorization number, candidate
identification number, and an expiration date. Each ATT is
valid for a period of time specified by the state board of
nursing (varies from 60 days to 365 days; however, the average
is 90 days). Once the board of nursing declares you eligible to
test and your ATT is issued, you must test within the validity
dates of your ATT. These validity dates cannot be extended
for any reason. If you do not test within these dates you
will have to re-register and pay again.
Scheduling Your NCLEX® Examination Appointment
When scheduling your examination appointment, you should
plan for a testing session that may last a maximum of six hours
if you are taking the NCLEX-RN® examination, or five hours
for the NCLEX-PN® examination. Candidates should make
appointments to test as soon as possible after receiving their
ATTs even if they do not want to test immediately.
WARNING: Test centers may fill up quickly because of high
volumes and previously scheduled special events. Waiting to call
to schedule your testing appointment may significantly limit the
dates the center can seat you. Additionally, if you wait until your
ATT is close to expiring, Pearson Professional Centers may not
be able to seat you prior to its expiration. If this occurs, you will
be required to re-register and re-pay to take the examination.
You must test within the validity dates of your ATT.
As stated previously, these validity dates cannot be extended
for any reason.
First-time test takers must be offered an appointment within
30 days of the call to schedule an appointment, and repeat
candidates must be offered an appointment within 45 days.
If you wish, you may decline the appointment offered and
schedule later than the 30 or 45 days.
7
NCLEX® EXAMINATION CANDIDATE BULLETIN
Group Scheduling
Group scheduling (5 or more candidates) must be done
through the Pearson VUE group scheduling coordinator.
For further information please send a fax to the attention of
Group Scheduling Coordinator at 952-681-3080.
Scheduling Procedure
Follow these procedures to schedule your NCLEX examination
appointment.
1. You may take the examination at any approved
Pearson Professional Center (PPC). You can find
Pearson Professional Center locations and addresses on the
NCLEX Candidate Web site (www.pearsonvue.com/nclex).
You may schedule an appointment to take your NCLEX
examination at any center. You do not have to take the
examination in the same jurisdiction in which you are
seeking licensure.
2. If you choose to schedule your examination at a test center
outside of the United States*, you will be charged an addi-
tional non-refundable scheduling fee of $150. If applicable,
a Value Added Tax (VAT) may be charged for this exami-
nation. Please be aware that once you have an appoint-
ment at a test center outside of the United States*, and
you decide to re-schedule to a test center in the U.S.,
American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands or
the US Virgin Islands, you will not receive a refund for
the $150 scheduling fee.
Please also be aware that the list of available test centers
outside of the United States is subject to change without
prior notice. You will be notified in the event that the test
center at which you are scheduled to take your examination
becomes unavailable. You may reschedule the examination
at another available test center. If, under these circum-
stances, you choose to reschedule the examination at a test
center in the United States, your $150 scheduling fee will
be refunded.
3. Examination appointments at test centers in the U.S.,
American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands or the
U.S. Virgin Islands can be scheduled through the NCLEX
Candidate Web site or by calling NCLEX Candidate
Services at one of the telephone numbers listed on the
inside front cover of this Candidate Bulletin. You can
only schedule an appointment for test centers outside of
the United States* by telephone through the NCLEX
Candidate Services. Walk-ins will not be accepted at test
centers outside of the United States.*
You cannot schedule your examination appointment
until you receive the ATT. Have your ATT available
when you schedule.
* United States includes American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands,
and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
8
4. If you are using the NCLEX Candidate Web site to
schedule, you will be asked to supply your user ID
and password, which you will receive with your
Acknowledgement of Receipt of NCLEX® Examination
Registration. You also will be asked your preference for
date and time of testing at the Pearson Professional
Center of your choice.
5. If you schedule via the telephone, you will be asked to
supply your name and your ATT number, along with other
information to verify your identity. You also will be asked
your preference for date and time of testing at the Pearson
Professional Center of your choice.
6. If your first-choice date or time is unavailable, you will be
offered an alternative as close to your first choice as possible.
7. On the bottom of your ATT, make a note of when and at
which Pearson Professional Center you have been sched-
uled for the examination. Be sure to ask for directions if
you need them.
8. A confirmation of your appointment will be sent to you
from Pearson VUE. Verify that all the information is cor-
rect. Call or go online to check that your appointment has
been scheduled or re-scheduled if you do not receive a
confirmation. Contact NCLEX Candidate Services
immediately to correct any errors to your appointment.
Candidates Seeking Examination
Accommodations
Testing accommodations for otherwise qualified
candidates will only be provided with the authorization
from your board of nursing.
Do not schedule an appointment to take the NCLEX
examination until you have received written confirmation
of your accommodations and your ATT indicating
“Accommodations Granted.”
Candidates approved for testing with special accommoda-
tions must schedule their testing appointment through the
NCLEX Accommodations Coordinator by calling NCLEX
Candidate Services at one of the telephone numbers listed
on the inside front cover of this Candidate Bulletin and
asking for the NCLEX Accommodations Coordinator.
Candidates with accommodations may not test as walk-ins.
Please note: Candidates who seek to test with accommo-
dations cannot schedule their appointments through the
NCLEX Candidate Web site.

Procedure for Changing Your
NCLEX® Examination Appointment
If you need to change your appointment date, time or
location, you may go to the NCLEX Candidate Web site
(www.pearsonvue.com/nclex) or call NCLEX Candidate
Services one full business day (24 hours) as described below:
For examinations scheduled on Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday, and Friday call at least 24 hours prior to the
day and time of your appointment.
For examinations scheduled on Saturday, Sunday, or
Monday, call no later than Friday at least 24 hours in
advance of your appointment time.
Candidates with appointments at test centers outside of the
United States* must call NCLEX Candidate Services to change
their appointment. Candidates who have appointments at a test
center outside the U.S. may re-schedule to another test center
outside the U.S. without forfeiting their $150 scheduling fee. If
you choose to re-schedule your examination to a test center
within the United States*, you will forfeit your $150 fee.
If you have an appointment at one of the test centers in the
United States* and choose to re-schedule to a test center
outside the U.S., you will be charged a non-refundable $150
scheduling fee and any applicable Value Added Tax (VAT).
If you are a candidate receiving special accommodations, ask
for the NCLEX Accommodations Coordinator in order to
change your appointment.
If you fail to arrive for your examination appointment or fail
to re-schedule/unschedule without giving the appropriate
notice (as outlined on this page), you will forfeit your exami-
nation fee (and scheduling fee if applicable) and your ATT
will be invalidated. You will be required to re-register and re-
pay the examination fee of $200. Your failure to take the
examination will be reported to the board of nursing where
you have applied for licensure.
NOTE: Leaving a message on an answering machine does
not constitute giving the required notice for re-scheduling or
unscheduling your testing appointment. You must either re-
schedule or unschedule your appointment on the NCLEX
Candidate Web site or by speaking with an agent at NCLEX
Candidate Services.
No Refunds
There will be no refund of the $200 examination fee for
any reason. This policy also applies to the scheduling fee of
$150 and VAT (if applicable). See page 3 for details.
* United States includes American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands,
and the US Virgin Islands.
JANUARY 2009
Personal Identification
Because of the importance of the NCLEX® examination,
several security measures will be enforced during the
administration of the examination. Strict candidate
identification requirements have been established.
Your Name
The printed name on your identification must match exactly the
printed name on your ATT. If your name with which you have
registered is different from the name on your identification, you
must bring legal name change documentation with you to the
test center on the day of your test. The only acceptable forms
of legal documentation are: marriage licenses, divorce decrees
and/or court action legal name change documents. All
documents must be in English and must be original documents.
Candidates wishing to make a legal name change, address
change or e-mail address change must contact their board
of nursing. This cannot be done at the test center.
Identification Requirements
When you arrive at the test center, you will be required to
present one form of acceptable identification from the list
below. You will also be required to present your valid ATT.
You will not be admitted to the examination without
acceptable identification and your ATT; if either of these
requirements is not met, you will be turned away; if you
arrive without these materials, you will be required to re-
register and re-pay the examination fee of $200. If you paid
the scheduling fee of $150, that will be forfeited as well.
Acceptable Identification
The only acceptable forms of identification in test centers
in the United States* are:
• U.S. driver’s license (if expired, a renewal slip must
be presented in order to be admitted) (Department of
Motor Vehicle-issued)
• U.S. state identification (Department of Motor
Vehicle-issued)
• passport
• U.S. Military Identification
The only identification acceptable in test centers outside
of the United States* is:
• passport
Candidates with identification from a country on the U.S.
government’s embargoed countries list will not be admit-
ted to test.
All identification must be valid and not expired with
signature and photograph. All identification must be in
English and signed in English.
Driver’s or learner’s permits are not acceptable as
identification for admittance to the NCLEX examination.
Only the identifications listed above will be accepted.
9
NCLEX® EXAMINATION CANDIDATE BULLETIN
Additional Precautions
Additional security measures that will be taken at the test
centers include:
❏ A digital fingerprint, signature and photograph will be taken
at the test center and will accompany your examination
result. Your fingerprint, signature and photograph may be used
to confirm your identity by the board of nursing to which you
have applied for licensure. You cannot be tested without
having your fingerprint, signature and photograph taken.
❏ You will be observed at all times while taking the exami-
nation. This process will include direct observation by test
center staff as well as video and audio recording of your
examination session.
Examination Security and
Candidate Rules
Test Center Regulations
To ensure that all candidates’ NCLEX® examination results
are earned under comparable conditions and represent fair
and accurate measurement, it is necessary to maintain a stan-
dardized testing environment. The following regulations are
designed to help ensure such an environment.
All candidates must adhere to these regulations:
❏ No study aids (textbooks, notebooks, classroom notes, etc.)
are allowed anywhere in Pearson Professional Centers.
❏ No papers, books, food, pens, purses, wallets, watches,
beepers, cell/mobile phones or any other electronic
devices are allowed in the testing room.
❏ No cameras, photographic equipment or devices, or
weapons (i.e. guns, knives, swords, daggers, etc.) are
allowed in the test center.
❏ No hats, scarves or coats may be worn in the testing room.
Religious apparel worn as part of the doctrinal or traditional
observance of the religious faith practiced by the candidate
may be allowed in the testing room.
❏ Eating, drinking or use of tobacco is not allowed in the
testing center.
❏ Scratch paper may not be brought into the testing room.
❏ Note boards and markers will be provided by the test center
staff. Note boards may not be removed from the test center.
❏ Candidates may not leave the testing room without the
test administrator’s permission.
❏ Candidates must provide a fingerprint each time they
enter and exit the testing room.
❏ Candidates may not leave the Pearson Professional Center
building during break times.
❏ Candidates may not access any study aids or seek assis-
tance of any third party in answering items (in person,
by phone or e-mail) after the start of the exam.
10
Grounds for Dismissal or Cancellation of Results
An examinee who violates the test center regulations or rules,
or engages in irregular behavior, misconduct and/or does not
follow the administrator’s warning to discontinue inappropriate
behavior may be dismissed from the test center and your exam
fee will not be refunded. Additionally, your exam result may be
withheld or cancelled and your licensing board may take other
disciplinary action such as denial of a license and/or disqualify-
ing you from future registrations for licensure. Behaviors that
are considered to constitute irregular behavior or misconduct
include but are not limited to:
❏ Giving or receiving assistance of any kind.
❏ Using any prohibited aids. Prohibited aids are any devices
or materials that will be helpful in taking the NCLEX
examination. Examples of aids that are prohibited are
electronic devices (i.e. cell/mobile phones, PDAs, hand
held computers, etc.), handheld calculators, conversion
tables, dictionaries, etc.
❏ Attempting to take the examination for someone else.
❏ Bringing any NCLEX examination study aids (textbooks,
notebooks, classroom notes, etc.) to the testing center or
accessing or attempting to access such study materials at
any time after the start of the examination administration,
including, but not limited to, break times.
❏ Failing to follow testing regulations or the instructions of
the test administrator.
❏ Creating a disturbance of any kind.
❏ Copying, reconstructing or removing examination items
and/or responses (in any format) or notes about the exami-
nation from the testing room or attempting to do the same.
❏ Tampering with the operation of the computer or
attempting to use it for any function other than taking
the examination.
Confidentiality
Candidates should be aware and understand that the disclosure
of any examination materials including the nature or content
of examination items, before, during, or after the examination
is a violation of law. Violations of confidentiality and/or candi-
dates’ rules can result in criminal prosecution or civil liability
and/or disciplinary actions by the licensing agency including
the denial of licensure.
If you are aware of, or have observed an attempt to compro-
mise the NCLEX examination process, please report it to the
NCLEX Test Security group.
Candidates may report any suspicious behavior in the
following ways:
❏ Call Pearson VUE at 1.866.496.2539
❏ E-mail Pearson VUE at
pvtestsecurity@pearsonvue.com
or go to www.pearsonvue.com/contact/security/
and complete the form.

The Day of the Examination
The staff members at each Pearson Professional Center follow
designated procedures to ensure that the operation of the test
center meets NCSBN criteria for standardized testing.
The following are procedures that will be followed when you
arrive at the Pearson Professional Center for your NCLEX®
examination appointment.
1. Plan to arrive at the Pearson Professional Center at
least 30 minutes before your scheduled testing time. If
you arrive more than 30 minutes after your scheduled
appointment, you may be required to forfeit your
NCLEX examination appointment.
If you forfeit your examination appointment you will be
required to re-register and re-pay the examination fee.
Your failure to take the examination will be reported to
the board of nursing where you have applied for licensure.
2. Friends, relatives or children who accompany you to the
test center will not be permitted to wait in the test center
or contact you while you are taking the examination.
3. You will be required to present your ATT and a valid
acceptable ID with your photo and signature in English.
4. You will be asked to provide your signature, and you will
have your fingerprint and photograph taken. Hats, scarves
and coats may not be worn in the testing room or while
your photograph is being taken.
5. You will be required to leave your personal belongings
outside the testing room. Secure storage will be provided.
Storage space is small, so candidates should plan appropri-
ately. Pearson Professional Centers assume no responsibili-
ty for candidates’ personal belongings.
Do not take textbooks or notebooks containing NCLEX
examination study materials to the test center as such
items are considered prohibited testing aids; doing so may
result in dismissal or cancellation of your testing results.
6. The test administrator (TA) will provide you with an erasable
note board that may be replaced as needed during testing. You
may not take your own note boards, scratch paper or writing
instruments to the examination, nor may you remove the
note board from the testing room at any time. Turn in your
note board to the TA after you complete testing.
7. You will have up to six hours to complete the NCLEX-
RN® Examination, and five hours to complete the
NCLEX-PN® Examination; total examination time
includes a short tutorial, two preprogrammed optional
breaks and any unscheduled breaks you may take. The
first optional break is offered after two hours of testing.
The second optional break is offered after three and one-
half hours of testing. The computer will automatically tell
you when these scheduled breaks begin.
All breaks count against testing time.
JANUARY 2009
When you take a break, you must leave the testing room,
and you will be required to provide a fingerprint before
and after your break.
8. The TA will give you a short orientation and then will
escort you to a computer terminal. You must remain in
your seat during the examination, except when authorized
to leave by test center staff. You may not change your
computer terminal unless a TA directs you to do so.
NOTE: On rare occasions, technical problems may require
re-scheduling of a candidate’s examination. If circumstances
arise causing you to wait more than 30 minutes after your
scheduled appointment time, or a restart delay lasts longer than
30 minutes, you will be given the choice of continuing to wait
or re-scheduling your appointment without an additional fee.
❏ If you choose to wait, you may later change your mind at
any time prior to beginning or restarting the examination.
❏ If you choose not to re-schedule, but rather test after a
delay, you will have no further recourse and your testing
results will be considered valid.
❏ If you choose to re-schedule your appointment or the
problem causing the delay cannot be resolved, you will be
allowed to test at a later date, at no additional charge.
Every attempt will be made to contact candidates if technical
problems are identified prior to a scheduled appointment.
9. Raise your hand to notify the TA if you:
❏ Believe you have a problem with your computer.
❏ Need to change note boards.
❏ Need to take a break.
❏ Need the administrator for any reason.
10. After your examination is finished, you will be asked to
complete a brief computer-delivered questionnaire about
your testing experience.
11. When you have finished the questionnaire, raise your
hand to summon the TA. The TA will collect and inven-
tory all note boards. The TA will dismiss you when all
requirements are fulfilled.
12. If you believe there was an irregularity in the administra-
tion of your test or the associated test conditions that you
believe adversely affected the outcome of your examina-
tion, you should notify the proctor or TA before you leave
the test center.
13. You may ask the TA for a Confidential Comment Sheet for
any narrative information about your testing session you
want to provide to NCSBN, the Pearson Professional
Centers or NCLEX Candidate Services.
NOTE: Pearson Professional Centers administer many types
of examinations including some that require essay-type
responses. Pearson Professional Centers have no control over
noises made by candidates typing during another exami-
nation. Typing noise is considered a normal part of the
computerized testing environment, just as the noise of turning
pages is a normal part of the paper-and-pencil testing
environment. Earplugs are available upon request.
11
NCLEX® EXAMINATION CANDIDATE BULLETIN
Questions About Your Testing Session
If you have questions about your testing session, please contact
NCSBN within two weeks of your testing appointment.
Test Security Issues
NCSBN strives to report results that accurately reflect the
ability of each test taker. Accordingly, our standards and proce-
dures for administering tests have two related goals: giving test-
takers comparable opportunities to demonstrate their abilities
and preventing any test-takers from gaining an unfair advantage
over others. To promote these objectives, NCSBN reserves the
right to cancel or withhold any test results when, in its
judgment, a testing irregularity occurs; there is an apparent
discrepancy in, or falsification of, a test-taker’s identification; a
test-taker engages in misconduct, irregular behavior, violates the
candidate rules or otherwise breaches his/her Confidentiality
Agreement; or the results are believed to be invalid for any
other reason, notwithstanding the absence of any evidence of a
candidate’s personal involvement in irregular activities.
Invalid Results
NCSBN may cancel or withhold a candidate’s results if, in
NCSBN's judgment, there is a good faith basis to question the
validity of the results for any reason, notwithstanding the
absence of any evidence of a candidate’s personal
involvement in irregular activities. Evidence of invalid results
may include, but are not limited to unusual answer patterns or
unusual score increases from one exam to another. If a
candidate's result is cancelled, revoked or invalidated without
a finding that the candidate engaged in irregular behavior, the
candidate may appeal the decision and/or will be offered a
free retest. An appeal is the candidate's exclusive means of
redress with regard to NCSBN's decision to take this action.
Results Reporting
For quality control purposes, every computerized NCLEX
examination is scored twice; once by the computer at the test
center and then the result is verified after the examination
record has been transmitted to Pearson VUE.
Although the examination is scored as the candidate completes
each item, NO RESULTS are released at the test center. In fact,
test center staff do not have access to the examination results.
Examination results are available ONLY from the boards of
nursing and will be mailed to candidates approximately one
month after taking the examination. DO NOT CALL your
board of nursing, NCLEX Candidate Services, the Pearson
Professional Centers or NCSBN for examination results.
You can also get your “unofficial” results within two business
days through our quick results service available on the NCLEX
Candidate Web site or by calling 1-900-776-2539. Note:
Quick results are not available in all states and there is a
fee for this service.
12
Candidate Performance Report
When a candidate fails, the board of nursing sends the
candidate a Candidate Performance Report (CPR). This report
identifies the performance as failing, provides the number of
items administered to the candidate, and a summary of the
candidate’s relative strengths and weaknesses based on the test
plan. It is hoped that failing candidates can use this information
to help guide their study before retaking the examination.
Retake Policy
Candidates must wait a minimum of 45 or 90 days between each
examination. The policy of determining the minimum frequency
within which a candidate may retake the examination is estab-
lished by each individual board of nursing and NCSBN.
Additional Information About the
NCLEX® Examination
Examination Length
Both the NCLEX-RN® and the NCLEX-PN® are variable
length adaptive tests. The NCLEX® examinations are not
offered in paper-and-pencil or oral examination formats.
An NCLEX-RN examination can be anywhere from 75 to
265 items. Of these items, 15 are pretest items that are not
scored. Regardless of the number of items administered, the
time limit for this examination is six hours. An NCLEX-PN
examination can be anywhere from 85 to 205 items. Of these
items, 25 are pretest items that are not scored. The time limit
for this examination is five hours. It is important to note that
the time allotted for the examination includes the tutorial,
the sample items, all breaks (restroom, stretching, etc.) and
the examination. All breaks are optional.
The length of your examination is determined by your responses
to the items. Once the minimum number of items has been
answered, testing will stop when the candidate’s ability is deter-
mined to be either above or below the passing standard with 95
percent certainty. Depending upon the particular pattern of
correct and incorrect responses, different candidates will take
different numbers of items and therefore use varying amounts of
time. The examination will stop when the maximum number of
items has been taken or when the time limit has been reached.
Remember, it is in the candidate’s best interest to maintain a
reasonable pace of spending only one or two minutes on each
item. The candidates should select a pace that will permit them
to complete the examination within the allotted time should
the maximum number of items be administered.
It is important to understand that the length of your
examination is not an indication of a pass or fail result.
A candidate with a relatively short examination may pass or
fail just as a candidate with a long examination may pass or
fail. Regardless of the length of the examination, each

candidate is given an examination that conforms to the
respective NCLEX test plan (RN or PN) and has ample
opportunity to demonstrate his or her ability.
The Passing Standard
The NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN are separate examinations
that reflect different scopes of practice. Accordingly, these
examinations are scored on separate scales and have separate
passing standards. The NCSBN Board of Directors re-
evaluates these standards once every three years. The
criterion that the Board uses to set the standard is the
minimum level of ability required for safe and effective
entry-level nursing practice.
To assist the Board of Directors in making this decision, the
Board is provided with information on: (1) the results of a
standard setting exercise performed by a panel of experts with
the assistance of professional psychometricians; (2) the historical
record of the passing standard with summaries of the candidate
performance associated with those standards; (3) the results of a
standard setting survey sent to educators and employers; and
(4) information describing the educational readiness of high
school graduates who express an interest in nursing.
Once the passing standard is set, it is imposed uniformly on
every test record according to the procedures laid out in the
Scoring the NCLEX Examination section on page 15. To pass
an NCLEX examination, a candidate must perform above the
passing standard. There is no fixed percentage of candidates
that pass or fail each examination.
Similar Items
Occasionally, a candidate may receive an item that seems to be
very similar to an item they received earlier in the examination.
This could happen for a variety of reasons. For example, several
items could be about similar symptoms, diseases, or disorders, yet
address different phases of the nursing process. Alternatively, a
pretest (unscored) item could be about content similar to an
operational (scored) item. It is incorrect to assume that a
second item, which is similar in content to a previously admin-
istered item, is administered because you answered the first item
incorrectly. Always select the answer you believe to be correct
for each item administered. All examinations conform to their
respective test plan (NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN).
Reviewing Answers and Guessing
The items are presented to you one at a time on a computer
screen. You can view each item as long as you like, but you
cannot go back to a previous item once you have selected your
answer and confirmed it by pressing the <NEXT> button. You
must answer every item even if you are not sure of the right
answer. The computer will not allow you to go on to the next
item without answering the one on the screen. If you are
unsure of the correct answer, make your best guess and move
on to the next item. After you select an answer to an item,
JANUARY 2009
you do have a chance to think about your answer and change
it as many times as you like. However, once you confirm your
answer and go on to the next item, you will not be allowed to
go back to any previous item in the examination.
Answering Alternate Item Types
To answer some alternate item types, you may need to perform
additional tasks in order to complete an item. In multiple response
items you may need to select one or more responses, but if you
change your mind, you can change your selection by clicking on
the answer you gave (so it will disappear) and selecting another
before you move on to the next item. For exhibit items, additional
information is provided by selecting the exhibit item button
shown on the screen. You should click on this button to get the
additional information to answer the item, but you will not be
prevented from answering an item without opening an exhibit.
For fill-in-the-blank calculation items you will need to perform a
mathematical calculation to answer the item. An on-screen
calculator is provided if you click on the ‘Calculator’ button.
Once you have calculated your answer, type it into the box
provided. The item tells you how many decimal places should be
in your answer. Do not type the unit of measure in the box – it
will always be provided. Drag and drop items require that you
move statements from one column to another, placing them in
the correct order according to the item. Again, as long as you do
not move to the next screen you can reorder your responses as
much as you like. Finally, on hot spot items you will click to
mark an area that you want to represent your answer, but if you
click on another area, the first response will disappear and your
new response will be marked. When you are satisfied with your
answer, you can confirm it by pressing the <NEXT> button.
NOTE: Rapid guessing can drastically lower your score. Some
test preparation companies have realized that on certain pencil
and paper tests, unanswered items are marked as wrong. To
improve the candidate’s score when they are running out of
time, these companies sometimes advocate rapid guessing
(perhaps without even reading the item) in the hope that the
candidate will get at least a few items correct. On any adaptive
test, this can be disastrous. It has the effect of giving the
candidate easier items, which they also get wrong. The best
advice is to: (1) maintain a reasonable pace, and (2) carefully
read and consider each item before answering.
NCLEX® Test Plans
The 2007 NCLEX-RN® and the 2008 NCLEX-PN® Test Plans
are documents that describe the scope and content of the
examinations.
Obtaining the Detailed NCLEX® Test Plan
A candidate version of the NCLEX-RN® and NCLEX-PN®
Detailed Test Plans can be downloaded at no cost by accessing
the NCSBN Web site at: w w w.ncsbn.org.
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NCLEX® EXAMINATION CANDIDATE BULLETIN

Test Content
The practice of nursing requires knowledge of the health needs
of clients as well as an understanding of integrated processes
fundamental to nursing practice. Client Needs are used as the
framework for both RN and PN test plans. NCLEX-RN and
NCLEX-PN examinations may include items written at various
cognitive levels.1, 2 The majority of items are written at the
application or higher levels of cognitive ability. In general, if
the age or age category of the client is not stated in an item, it
can be understood that the client is an adult. The percentages
of items relating to the various aspects of the test plan are
presented in the tables below.
Developing the Examination
Steps in the development of the NCLEX® examination are
outlined below.
1. To determine the basis for safe and effective entry-level
nursing practice, NCSBN conducts a practice analysis of entry
level nurses every three years. The legal scope of nursing prac-
tice and results of the practice analysis are used to develop an
NCLEX test plan. Test plans, which outline the content cate-
gories and percentage of test items allocated to the categories,
reflect the job-related knowledge, skills and abilities required
for safe and effective entry-level job performance.
1
Bloom, B.S. (ed). (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The Classification of
Educational Goals, Handbook 1. Cognitive Domain. New York: David McKay Co, Inc.
2
Anderson, L.W., Krathwohl, D.R. (eds).(2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and
assessing. A revision of Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives. New York: Addison
Wesley Longman, Inc.
2. Item writers are practicing nurses who write items that test
entry-level nursing practice for the RN or PN examination.
3. A second expert panel of practicing nurses then reviews
the newly-written items. The second review is to ensure that
each item reflects current entry-level nursing practice as well
as the correct answer (one for multiple choice items, but may
be more than one in multiple response items).
4. All items used in an examination have been pretested and
are shown to have met NCSBN statistical criteria before being
used as operational (scored) items.
Definitions
For NCLEX-RN, Client = individual, family or group.
For NCLEX-PN, Client = individual, family or
significant other.
Nursing Diagnosis = A classification of client needs and/or
problems according to presumed natural relationships; e.g.,
use of North American Nursing Diagnoses Association
(NANDA) Definitions and Classifications.
Prescription = Orders, interventions, remedies or treatments
ordered or directed by an authorized health care provider.
Exhibit = Denotes a client chart or medical record type of item.
The item stem and response options are the standard multiple
choice. Additional information available behind tabs listed on
the screen. Click on a tab to review the additional information.

Client Needs Categories Covered on the NCLEX® Examinations

Four major “Client Needs” categories organize the content of the 2007 NCLEX-RN® and the 2008 NCLEX-PN® Test Plans.
In the 2007 NCLEX-RN® and the 2008 NCLEX-PN® Test Plans, two of the categories are divided into a total of six subcate-
gories. “Health Promotion and Maintenance” and “Psychosocial Integrity” do not have subcategories. The following processes
are integrated into all “Client Needs” categories of the 2007 NCLEX-RN® Test Plan: Caring, Communication and
Documentation, Nursing Process, and Teaching and Learning. For the 2008 NCLEX-PN® Test Plan, the integrated processes are:
Clinical Problem Solving Process (Nursing Process), Caring, Communication and Documentation, and Teaching and Learning.

For the 2007 NCLEX-RN® Test Plan For the 2008 NCLEX-PN® Test Plan
Percentage of Items Percentage of Items
From Each Category/ From Each Category/
NCLEX-RN Client Needs Subcategory NCLEX-PN Client Needs Subcategory
Safe Effective Care Environment Safe and Effective Care Environment
■
Management of Care 13-19% ■
Coordinated Care 12-18%
■
Safety and Infection Control 8-14% ■
Safety and Infection Control 8-14%
Health Promotion and Maintenance 6-12% Health Promotion and Maintenance 7-13%
Psychosocial Integrity 6-12% Psychosocial Integrity 8-14%
Physiological Integrity Physiological Integrity
■
Basic Care and Comfort 6-12% ■
Basic Care and Comfort 11-17%
■
Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies 13-19% ■
Pharmacological Therapies 9-15%
■
Reduction of Risk Potential 13-19% ■
Reduction of Risk Potential 10-16%
■
Physiological Adaptation 11-17% ■
Physiological Adaptation 11-17%

14

Scoring the NCLEX® Examination
Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT)
The NCLEX® examination is different than a traditional
“pencil-and-paper” examination. Typically, pencil-and-paper
examinations administer the same items to every candidate,
thus ensuring that the difficulty of the examination is the same
across the board. Because the difficulty of the examination is
constant, the percentage correct is the indicator of the
candidate’s ability. One disadvantage of this approach is that it
is inefficient. It requires the high ability candidates to answer
all the easy items on the examination. Obviously, asking high
ability candidates easy items provides very little information
about their ability. Another disadvantage is that guessing can
artificially inflate the scores of low ability candidates. This
happens because low ability candidates will be given some
difficult items. In the case of multiple-choice items, candidates
can answer these items correctly 25 percent of the time for
reasons that have nothing to do with their ability (there are
only four choices). Instead, the NCLEX examination uses
Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) to administer the
items. CAT is able to produce test results that are more stable
using fewer items by targeting items to the candidate’s ability.
Although everyone’s first item is relatively easy, subsequent
items are better targeted. This is accomplished by re-estimating
the candidate’s ability every time an item is answered. Using
the candidate’s most current ability estimate, the computer
searches the item bank for an item that has a degree of diffi-
culty that is approximately equal to that ability estimate. As a
result, the candidate should have a 50-50 chance of answering
this item correctly. After the candidate answers this item, the
computer re-estimates the candidate’s ability and selects the
next item using the same procedures.
This process continues until it is clear (with 95 percent
certainty) that the candidate’s ability is above or below the
passing standard. Be aware that both passers and failers tend
to answer approximately 50 percent of the items correctly.
This is because the computer presents all candidates with
items that are matched to their ability.
The candidate’s ability estimate is based upon both the
percentage of items answered correctly (approximately
50 percent in most cases) and the difficulty of the items that
were administered. Imagine the items lined up, from easiest to
most difficult. If we asked candidates the easiest items, they
would answer most of them correctly. If we asked them the
most difficult items, they would probably answer most of
them incorrectly. Somewhere between those two extremes is a
point at which the candidate goes from getting more answers
right than wrong. This is the point at which each candidate
answers 50 percent correctly. Items harder than that would
probably be answered incorrectly; items easier than that
would probably be answered correctly. CAT procedures permit
that point to be found for each candidate without having to
ask all the items in the extremes.
JANUARY 2009
Pretest Items
Of course for CAT to work, the difficulty of each item must
be known in advance. The degree of difficulty is determined
by administering the items as pretest items to a large sample
of NCLEX candidates. Because the difficulty of these pretest
items is not known in advance, these items are not included
when estimating the candidate’s ability or making pass-fail
decisions. When enough responses are collected, the pretest
items are statistically analyzed and calibrated. If the pretest
items meet the NCLEX statistical standards, they can be
administered in future examinations as scored items. There
are 15 pretest items on every NCLEX-RN® examination and
25 on every NCLEX-PN® examination. It is impossible to
distinguish operational items from pretest items, so do your
best on every item.
Additional Constraints
In addition to targeting items to the candidate’s ability, the
computer implements two additional constraints. First, it
prevents a candidate from receiving for a second time any item
that they have seen within the last year (on a previous
attempt). Second, it ensures that the items administered to the
candidate meet the test plan specifications with regard to the
proportion of items that must be from the different test plan
categories. Every test must meet the test plan specifications.
Passing and Failing
As mentioned earlier, to pass the NCLEX examination, the
candidate’s performance on the examination must be above
the passing standard. Ideally, NCSBN wants to be at least
95 percent certain of pass-fail decisions. Therefore, after the
minimum number of items has been answered, the computer
will stop when it is 95 percent certain that the candidate’s
ability is above or below the passing standard. If they are
above the standard, they pass; if they are below the standard,
they fail. Candidates with very high or very low abilities tend
to receive minimum length tests.
However, some candidates will have a true ability that is so
close to the passing standard that even 1,000 items would
not be enough to arrive at a decision with 95 percent confi-
dence. It would also be impractical to administer 1,000 items.
Therefore, a maximum number of items has been established
(see Examination Length) for each type of examination.
When candidates answer the maximum number of items,
their ability estimates are rather precise, but not precise
enough to make a decision with 95 percent certainty. Because
the precision is quite good in these cases the 95 percent
certainty requirement is waived. If their ability estimate is
above the passing standard, they pass; if it is at or below the
passing standard, they fail.
If the examination ends because time runs out, it means that
the candidate has not demonstrated with 95 percent certainty
that they are clearly above or below the passing standard, nor
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NCLEX® EXAMINATION CANDIDATE BULLETIN

has the candidate answered the maximum number of items.

Because the primary mission of boards of nursing is to protect
the public, it can be argued that candidates should not pass
when they have not demonstrated that they are competent.
However, the response patterns for some of these people have
indicated that there are candidates that appeared to have a
“true ability” that is above passing and who have been
performing consistently above the passing standard. A
mechanism is provided for these candidates to pass. The key
word here is “consistently.” If a candidate’s performance has
been consistently above the passing standard, then he or she
will pass, despite having run out of time.

Scoring Items
The majority of NCLEX examination items are multiple-
choice, but there are other formats as well. All item types are
scored as either right or wrong. There is no “partial credit.”

Examination Items
During the administration of the NCLEX-RN® and
NCLEX-PN® examinations, candidates will be required to
respond to items in a variety of formats. The majority of the
items are multiple-choice, but there are other formats. All
item formats may include charts, tables, or graphic images.
For more information, please access:
1) the NCSBN Web site at www.ncsbn.org to review the
Information about Alternate Item Formats and
2) the Pearson VUE Web site at www.pearsonvue.com/nclex
to review the Candidate Tutorial.

16