How to Register for the NCLEX: Every Step From Board Application to Test Day

Registering for the NCLEX takes two separate applications: one to your nursing regulatory body, which decides whether you are eligible, and one to Pearson, which runs the exam. Here is the full sequence, with the deadlines and fees that catch candidates out.

The registration steps

1. Apply to your nursing regulatory body (NRB). Request a licensure application from the board in the state, province, or territory where you want your license, and pay its fee. Each NRB sets its own eligibility requirements.
2. Register with Pearson online or by phone (866-496-2539). You need your nursing program code, an email address, and a Visa, Mastercard, or American Express card, or third-party payment from your school or employer. The U.S. fee is $200, rising to $350 for registrations on or after February 1, 2027 (see the fee increase).
3. Match your name to your ID. The first and last name you register with must match the ID you bring on exam day exactly.
4. Watch for your confirmation email, which should arrive within two days. Pearson communicates only by email.
5. Get your Authorization to Test (ATT). When your NRB makes you eligible, Pearson emails your ATT. You cannot schedule without it.
6. Schedule your exam within the ATT's validity dates, online or by phone.

Your Authorization to Test (ATT)

• Your registration stays open for 365 days while your NRB decides eligibility. If you are not made eligible in that time, you lose the registration and fee.
• ATT validity periods average 90 days and cannot be extended. If your ATT expires before you test, you must register and pay again.
• If your ATT does not arrive after your NRB says you are eligible, contact your NRB; for a lost ATT, call Pearson.
• You cannot hold two open registrations for the same exam type.

Scheduling and rescheduling

• NCSBN says first-time candidates are offered an appointment 30 days after they request one, and repeat candidates starting 45 days after their last attempt. You can decline the offered date and choose a later one, but waiting may limit your options as your ATT nears expiration.
• You can test at any Pearson Professional Testing center, including outside the state where you seek licensure. International centers charge an extra $150 scheduling fee.
• To reschedule or cancel, give at least one full business day (24 hours) of notice. For Saturday, Sunday, or Monday exams, change it by Friday. A voicemail does not count.
• Missing your appointment, or changing it too late, forfeits your fee and invalidates your ATT.

Exam day

• Arrive at least 30 minutes before your appointment.
• Bring a physical, non-expired, government-issued ID with a recent photo and signature, such as a passport or driver's license. Only the first and last names need to match your ATT, and the addresses do not need to match.
• You have five hours, including breaks, for 85 to 150 questions (see how many questions are on the NCLEX).
• The exam ends with a short survey. Results come later; see NCLEX results.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• NCSBN. Registration.
• NCSBN. NCLEX FAQs.
• NCSBN. Fees & Payment.
• NCSBN. Scheduling.
• NCSBN. Exam Day.