How to Take the NCLEX-RN
The NCLEX-RN stands for the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse and is currently administered by Pearson VUE. It is a standardized, entry-level computer-based examination taken by a Registered Nurse (RN) wishing to obtain a license which will allow the RN to practice nursing. All U.S. states require this license and RNs cannot take up employment without it. The NCLEX tests the nursing-associated factors such as nursing skills and knowledge, health promotion and maintenance, psychosocial and physiological integrity. Different types of NCLEX exist. For example, while registered nurses take the NCLEX-RN, licensed practice nurses will take the NCLEX-PN.
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Things You'll Need
- Examination Fee
- Examination Registration
- State Board of Nursing License Application
- NCLEX Examination Candidate Bulletin
Instructions
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How to Take the NCLEX-RN
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Check whether you are eligible for a nursing license and apply for one. Contact your State Board of Nursing to determine if you meet its requirements for examination. This may include meeting educational requirements such as a college degree in nursing (Associate or Bachelor of Science), and a criminal background check. Also, if you have recently graduated, your state may make you wait a certain amount of time (45 days, for example) before allowing you to take the test. However since your nursing knowledge will still be fresh after graduation, it is recommended that you be examined as soon as possible.
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Register with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Testing Service. After applying for a license, the NCLEX Examination Candidate Bulletin will be mailed to you. You can then either call the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Testing Service or mail a completed registration form to them.
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Obtain confirmation that you are eligible for examination. This will come from your state nursing board, and they will issue an Authorization to Take The Test (ATT) which will also list the testing centers where you may book an examination. This is only valid for a certain duration, therefore check the expiration date and make sure to take the test within the time available.
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Pay the registration fee. Currently, the 2010 registration fee is $200 and can be paid using a credit card, certified or cashier's cheques or money order.
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Take review courses if necessary. NCELX-RN test preparation courses are run by many private companies, such as Kaplan, the National Council's Learning Extension and NCLEX Excel. Alternatively you can practice on your own by purchasing sample tests, such as the Lippincott's Review for NCLEX-RN, Mosby's Questions and Answers for NCLEX-RN and The Princeton Review: Cracking the NCLEX-RN with Sample Test on CD-ROM.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit operation nurse image by Andrey Rakhmatullin from Fotolia.com
