Q: How much does the NCLEX-PN® Examination cost?

$200 — NCLEX registration fee (Pearson VUE, per attempt); $150 — Additional international scheduling fee (testing at a test center outside the U.S.) (Pearson VUE, per attempt); $50 — Change of nursing regulatory body after registration (Pearson VUE, one-time); $50 — Change of exam type (RN/PN) after registration (Pearson VUE, one-time). These are the figures in the bulletin's column for candidates seeking U.S. licensure, the only column that applies to the NCLEX-PN. NCSBN states there is no refund of the registration fee for any reason, including a missed appointment; the international scheduling fee is non-refundable and a value-added tax may be added where applicable. The licensure fee itself is set by each nursing regulatory body, not by NCSBN.

Question 1

Who administers the NCLEX-PN® Examination?

Accepted Answer

National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN) — exam delivered by Pearson VUE

NCSBN develops the examination; Pearson VUE handles registration, scheduling and delivery at test centers. NCSBN's bulletin states that the NCLEX-PN is used for U.S. licensure only. Results are released only by the candidate's nursing regulatory body.

Source: NCSBN — 2026 NCLEX Examination Candidate Bulletin (PDF, April 2026) (2026-09-22)

Question 2

How many questions are on the NCLEX-PN® Examination?

Accepted Answer

85–150 questions. A range, not a number: the NCLEX-PN is a variable-length computerized adaptive test. Every LPN/VN candidate answers at least 85 items and no more than 150, within the same five-hour limit, and NCSBN states the length of an exam is not an indication of passing or failing. Of a minimum-length 85-item exam, 15 items are unscored pretest items (the other 70 are 52 content-area items plus three six-item clinical judgment case studies); NCSBN does not publish the scored/unscored split for longer exams, so no fixed number of scored items is stated here.

Question 3

How long is the NCLEX-PN® Examination?

Accepted Answer

300 minutes. Five hours, whatever the number of items administered. The five hours include the introductory screen and all breaks, which are optional: one is offered after two hours of testing and another after three and one-half hours, and the clock keeps running. If time runs out before the minimum number of items has been answered, the candidate fails.

Question 4

What is the passing score for the NCLEX-PN® Examination?

Accepted Answer

Pass or fail only — no fixed cut score. There is no percentage and no number of correct answers that means “pass”. NCSBN publishes the NCLEX-PN passing standard as -0.18 logits on the NCLEX-PN ability scale; its Board of Directors voted in December 2022 to uphold it, effective through March 31, 2029. The exam ends under one of three rules: the computer stops once it is 95% certain the candidate's ability is clearly above or below the standard (after at least 85 items); at 150 items it decides on the final ability estimate alone; and if time runs out, the candidate fails unless the minimum number of items was answered, in which case the final ability estimate decides.

Question 5

How much does the NCLEX-PN® Examination cost?

Accepted Answer

$200 — NCLEX registration fee (Pearson VUE, per attempt) Source
$150 — Additional international scheduling fee (testing at a test center outside the U.S.) (Pearson VUE, per attempt) Source
$50 — Change of nursing regulatory body after registration (Pearson VUE, one-time) Source
$50 — Change of exam type (RN/PN) after registration (Pearson VUE, one-time) Source

These are the figures in the bulletin's column for candidates seeking U.S. licensure, the only column that applies to the NCLEX-PN. NCSBN states there is no refund of the registration fee for any reason, including a missed appointment; the international scheduling fee is non-refundable and a value-added tax may be added where applicable. The licensure fee itself is set by each nursing regulatory body, not by NCSBN.

Source: NCSBN — 2026 NCLEX Examination Candidate Bulletin (PDF, April 2026) (2026-09-22)

Question 6

What languages is the NCLEX-PN® Examination offered in?

Accepted Answer

Not published by NCSBN. NCSBN does not state which languages the NCLEX-PN is offered in, so no language is listed as a published fact here. Three of its own statements point to English: its FAQ says the French-language exam exists for French-speaking Canadian NCLEX-RN candidates; its bulletin says the NCLEX-PN is used for U.S. licensure only; and its fee table marks “change exam language (English/French)” as not applicable to U.S. candidates. The exam is not offered in paper-and-pencil or oral formats.

Administering body	National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN) — exam delivered by Pearson VUE NCSBN develops the examination; Pearson VUE handles registration, scheduling and delivery at test centers. NCSBN's bulletin states that the NCLEX-PN is used for U.S. licensure only. Results are released only by the candidate's nursing regulatory body. Source: NCSBN — 2026 NCLEX Examination Candidate Bulletin (PDF, April 2026) (2026-09-22)
Questions	85–150 questions A range, not a number: the NCLEX-PN is a variable-length computerized adaptive test. Every LPN/VN candidate answers at least 85 items and no more than 150, within the same five-hour limit, and NCSBN states the length of an exam is not an indication of passing or failing. Of a minimum-length 85-item exam, 15 items are unscored pretest items (the other 70 are 52 content-area items plus three six-item clinical judgment case studies); NCSBN does not publish the scored/unscored split for longer exams, so no fixed number of scored items is stated here. Source: NCSBN — NCLEX-PN® Test Plan, effective April 2026 (PDF) (2026-09-22)
Time limit	300 minutes Five hours, whatever the number of items administered. The five hours include the introductory screen and all breaks, which are optional: one is offered after two hours of testing and another after three and one-half hours, and the clock keeps running. If time runs out before the minimum number of items has been answered, the candidate fails. Source: NCSBN — 2026 NCLEX Examination Candidate Bulletin (PDF, April 2026) (2026-09-22)
Passing score	Pass or fail only — no fixed cut score There is no percentage and no number of correct answers that means “pass”. NCSBN publishes the NCLEX-PN passing standard as -0.18 logits on the NCLEX-PN ability scale; its Board of Directors voted in December 2022 to uphold it, effective through March 31, 2029. The exam ends under one of three rules: the computer stops once it is 95% certain the candidate's ability is clearly above or below the standard (after at least 85 items); at 150 items it decides on the final ability estimate alone; and if time runs out, the candidate fails unless the minimum number of items was answered, in which case the final ability estimate decides. Source: NCSBN — Passing Standard (NCLEX-PN -0.18 logits, effective through March 31, 2029) (2026-09-22)
Fees	$200 — NCLEX registration fee (Pearson VUE, per attempt) Source $150 — Additional international scheduling fee (testing at a test center outside the U.S.) (Pearson VUE, per attempt) Source $50 — Change of nursing regulatory body after registration (Pearson VUE, one-time) Source $50 — Change of exam type (RN/PN) after registration (Pearson VUE, one-time) Source These are the figures in the bulletin's column for candidates seeking U.S. licensure, the only column that applies to the NCLEX-PN. NCSBN states there is no refund of the registration fee for any reason, including a missed appointment; the international scheduling fee is non-refundable and a value-added tax may be added where applicable. The licensure fee itself is set by each nursing regulatory body, not by NCSBN. Source: NCSBN — 2026 NCLEX Examination Candidate Bulletin (PDF, April 2026) (2026-09-22)
Languages offered	Not published by NCSBN NCSBN does not state which languages the NCLEX-PN is offered in, so no language is listed as a published fact here. Three of its own statements point to English: its FAQ says the French-language exam exists for French-speaking Canadian NCLEX-RN candidates; its bulletin says the NCLEX-PN is used for U.S. licensure only; and its fee table marks “change exam language (English/French)” as not applicable to U.S. candidates. The exam is not offered in paper-and-pencil or oral formats. What we read and found nothing in: NCSBN — 2026 NCLEX Examination Candidate Bulletin (PDF, April 2026) (2026-09-22) · NCSBN — NCLEX Frequently Asked Questions (“How is the NCLEX translated?”) (2026-09-22)

NCLEX-PN® Examination — exam facts

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