All Nursing Exams

LPN vs RN: license, exam and scope compared

LPNs pass the NCLEX-PN after about 1 year of training; RNs pass the NCLEX-RN, usually after a degree. Both exams have 85 to 150 items in five hours.

Checked November 15, 2026
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Short answer: A licensed practical nurse (LPN) passes the NCLEX-PN after a state-approved program that usually takes about 1 year, while a registered nurse (RN) passes the NCLEX-RN after a bachelor's degree, an associate degree or a nursing diploma. Both exams use the same format (85 to 150 questions in up to five hours, US$200 to register in the United States), but they test different content, and each state decides what an LPN or an RN may do.

Side-by-side comparison of LPN or LVN and RN: NCLEX-PN versus NCLEX-RN, about 1 year of training versus a degree or diploma, a scope set by each state, with the shared exam format of 85 to 150 items in five hours

The two licenses side by side

LPN or LVN RN
License exam NCLEX-PN NCLEX-RN
Typical education (BLS) Postsecondary nondegree award; certificate or diploma programs of about 1 year Bachelor's degree is typical; BLS lists three paths: bachelor's degree, associate degree or diploma
Main role (BLS duties) Basic care, vital signs, comfort, reporting patients' status to RNs, advanced practice nurses or physicians Assessing patients, giving medicines and treatments, setting up care plans
Scope of practice Set by each state's nurse practice act and board Set by each state's nurse practice act and board
Median pay, May 2025 (BLS) US$64,400 per year US$97,550 per year
Projected growth, 2025 to 2035 (BLS) 3% 6%

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) figures are national medians. Pay where you live can differ. In Texas and California the LPN title is licensed vocational nurse (LVN); see What is an LPN?

The exams: same format, different content

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) develops both exams, and every US board of nursing uses them.

What is the same:

  • Both are computerized adaptive tests of 85 to 150 items.
  • Both have a five-hour limit that includes breaks.
  • Both include three case studies (18 items).
  • Both follow test plans that took effect on April 1, 2026.
  • The US registration fee is the same: US$200, or US$350 for registrations completed from February 1, 2027.

What is different: the content. Each test plan is built from a study of what new nurses at that level actually do, so even the category names differ. The NCLEX-PN test plan starts with Coordinated Care. The NCLEX-RN test plan starts with Management of Care. Each plan sets its own share of items for each category; read each one on its own in the test plans listed under Sources.

NCSBN says the RN and PN passing standards "are not directly comparable because they are based on different item pools and different scopes of practice". So do not judge one exam by the other's results. The NCLEX-PN is also used for US licensure only. For a closer look at the exam content, our sister site has a page on NCLEX-RN vs NCLEX-PN.

Scope: decided by each state

What a nurse may do is set by the state's nurse practice act and board rules. BLS gives LPN examples that vary by state: in some states LPNs "can give medication or start intravenous (IV) drips", and "States determine the extent to which LPNs and LVNs must be directly supervised." Use NCSBN's "Find Your Nurse Practice Act" tool and your board's scope pages to check a specific task. This page is not legal advice.

Bridge routes from LPN to RN

  1. LPN-to-RN program. BLS says "an LPN may complete an LPN-to-RN education program to become a registered nurse". Programs set their own entry rules. Some transition programs use Elsevier's HESI Mobility Exams, which Elsevier says help schools check that students "are ready to take the next step in their nursing education".
  2. NCLEX-RN. After the program, you apply to your board for RN licensure and register for the NCLEX-RN. It is a new registration with its own fee. See How do you register for the NCLEX?
  3. RN-to-BSN, later. BLS says RNs with an associate degree or diploma may go back to school to earn a bachelor's degree through an RN-to-BSN program.

Check that the bridge program is approved by the board in the state where you want your RN license.

What to do next

  1. Decide which license fits your plans, time and budget.
  2. Check your state board's approved program list for either route.
  3. If you are already an LPN, ask local programs about LPN-to-RN entry rules and credit for your license.

Common questions

Is the NCLEX-RN harder than the NCLEX-PN?

They measure different levels of practice, and NCSBN says the two passing standards are not directly comparable. Prepare for the exam that matches your license.

Can an LPN take the NCLEX-RN?

Only after finishing an RN program that your board accepts. The LPN license alone does not qualify you.

Do LPNs and RNs work in the same places?

Often yes, but their tasks differ, and each state sets the limits.

Prep from our team

If you are heading for the NCLEX-RN, NCLEXPace has 3,200+ NCLEX-RN practice questions with rationales, Next Generation NCLEX case studies, CAT Readiness Exams and a personal Study Plan. You can try 10 free questions without payment, and plans start from US$59 paid once, with nothing that renews. NCLEXPace has no NCLEX-PN content, so it will not help with the LPN exam. All Nursing Exams, NCLEXPace and NPractitioner are run by the same team. See https://www.nclexpace.com.

Sources