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NCLEX-PN: the full guide

The NCLEX-PN licenses US practical and vocational nurses: 85 to 150 items in 5 hours, US$200 (US$350 from February 1, 2027), pass or fail only.

Checked November 15, 2026
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Short answer: The NCLEX-PN is the national licensing exam for practical and vocational nurses (LPN/LVN) in the United States: a computer adaptive test of 85 to 150 items in up to five hours, with a registration fee of US$200 (US$350 for registrations from February 1, 2027). You apply to your state board, register with Pearson, and get a pass or fail result from the board, usually within six weeks.

NCLEX-PN at a glance: 85 to 150 items, 5 hours including breaks, US$200 fee (US$350 from February 1, 2027), 45 test-free days between attempts, results from the board within 6 weeks

NCLEX-PN at a glance

Item NCLEX-PN fact
Who sets it National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)
Who uses it US boards of nursing, for LPN and LVN licenses
Fee US$200 now; US$350 for registrations completed on or after February 1, 2027
Length 85 to 150 items
Time Up to five hours, including the tutorial screen and all breaks
Format Computerized adaptive test (CAT) at a Pearson center; no paper version
Unscored items 15 pretest items on every exam
Case studies 3 case studies of 6 items each (18 items)
Passing standard -0.18 logits, in place through March 31, 2029
Result Pass or fail only, from your board, within six weeks (varies by board)
Retakes Up to 8 times a year, with at least 45 test-free days between attempts; some boards are stricter
Test plan 2026 NCLEX-PN Test Plan, effective April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2029

Who takes the NCLEX-PN

You take the NCLEX-PN if you finished a practical or vocational nursing program and want a license as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) or, in states that use the title, a licensed vocational nurse (LVN). Texas and California, for example, license vocational nurses. The exam measures the knowledge and clinical judgment of an entry-level LPN/VN.

The exam is for US licensure only. The 2026 Candidate Bulletin says: "The NCLEX-PN is used for U.S. licensure only." Other countries that use the NCLEX use the NCLEX-RN, not the PN exam.

Each board sets its own eligibility rules, so your board decides whether your program qualifies you. If you studied outside the United States, your board may also ask for a credentials report: see What is CGFNS?.

What is on the exam

The 2026 PN test plan is built from NCSBN's 2024 PN Practice Analysis, a survey of more than 26,000 newly licensed LPN/VNs about the work they do. It sorts questions into four Client Needs categories, two of them split into parts. Each area has a set share of the exam:

Client Needs area Share of items
Coordinated Care 18 to 24%
Safety and Infection Prevention and Control 10 to 16%
Health Promotion and Maintenance 6 to 12%
Psychosocial Integrity 9 to 15%
Basic Care and Comfort 7 to 13%
Pharmacological Therapies 10 to 16%
Reduction of Risk Potential 9 to 15%
Physiological Adaptation 7 to 13%

The eight NCLEX-PN Client Needs areas shown as range bars: Coordinated Care 18 to 24%, Safety and Infection Prevention and Control 10 to 16%, Pharmacological Therapies 10 to 16%, Psychosocial Integrity 9 to 15%, Reduction of Risk Potential 9 to 15%, Basic Care and Comfort 7 to 13%, Physiological Adaptation 7 to 13%, Health Promotion and Maintenance 6 to 12%

Some processes run through every area: the clinical problem-solving process (nursing process), caring, clinical judgment, communication and documentation, teaching and learning, and culture and spirituality.

On the shortest exam of 85 items, 52 items come from the eight areas above, 18 items form three clinical judgment case studies, and 15 are unscored pretest items. A case study is a set of six items about one client, one item for each step of the NCSBN Clinical Judgment Measurement Model: recognize cues, analyze cues, prioritize hypotheses, generate solutions, take action and evaluate outcomes. You cannot tell which items are pretest items.

The question formats include multiple choice, select all that apply and the Next Generation NCLEX item types. They are explained in Next Generation NCLEX question types. NCSBN also says NCLEX-PN items do not go above a 1200L Lexile reading level.

How the NCLEX-PN is scored

The NCLEX-PN is adaptive. After each answer, the computer re-estimates your ability and chooses the next item to match it. The exam stops in one of three ways:

  1. 95% confidence: once you have answered at least 85 items, the exam ends when the computer is 95% certain you are clearly above or below the passing standard.
  2. Maximum length: if your ability stays close to the standard, you answer all 150 items and the final ability estimate decides.
  3. Run out of time: if time ends first, you fail if you answered fewer than 85 items. If you answered at least 85, your final ability estimate decides.

The passing standard is -0.18 logits. A logit is the unit NCSBN uses to measure ability and item difficulty. The PN exam is scored on its own scale. In NCSBN's words, the RN and PN exams "are scored on separate scales and have respective passing standards". NCSBN reviews the standard every three years. The length of your exam does not tell you whether you passed.

More on this is in How is the NCLEX scored?.

How to register, step by step

  1. Apply to your board of nursing in the state where you want your license, and pay the board's own fee.
  2. Meet the board's eligibility rules. Each board sets its own, and NCSBN keeps no list of them.
  3. Register with Pearson for the NCLEX-PN and pay US$200. Choose the PN exam carefully: changing exam type after you register costs US$50.
  4. Receive the registration acknowledgment email from Pearson.
  5. Your board makes you eligible in the Pearson system.
  6. Receive your Authorization to Test (ATT) email, then schedule your appointment. See What is the Authorization to Test?.
  7. Take the exam at a Pearson center with one acceptable ID. See What to bring on NCLEX test day.

Fee details, including the February 1, 2027 change, are in How much does the NCLEX cost?, and the full order of steps is in How do you register for the NCLEX?. Both pages cover the PN exam as well as the RN exam.

Results and retakes

Official results come only from your board, usually within six weeks. In many states you can buy unofficial Quick Results from Pearson two business days after the exam for US$7.95, if your board takes part. Quick Results do not let you work as a nurse. See When do NCLEX results come out?.

If you do not pass, your board sends a Candidate Performance Report that shows your performance by content area. NCSBN allows up to eight attempts a year with at least 45 test-free days between them. Your board may set a longer wait or a lower limit. Each retake needs a new registration and the full fee. See How many times can you retake the NCLEX?.

NCLEX-PN pass rates in 2025

NCSBN's 2025 statistics for the NCLEX-PN show these year totals:

Candidate type Tested Passed Pass rate
First-time, US-educated 54,818 47,470 86.6%
Repeat, US-educated 13,342 5,558 41.7%
First-time, internationally educated 397 213 53.7%
Repeat, internationally educated 439 121 27.6%
All candidates 68,996 53,362 77.3%

The gap between first-time and repeat candidates is large. Preparing well for the first attempt matters more than planning a quick retake.

What to do next

  1. Read the free 2026 NCLEX-PN Test Plan on nclex.com from start to finish.
  2. Take the free official tutorial so the exam software is familiar.
  3. Ask your board how long it takes to make candidates eligible, and plan your registration date around the February 1, 2027 fee change.
  4. Start daily practice: see NCLEX-PN practice questions: official and free sources.

Common questions

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

They are different exams for different scopes of practice, with different test plans and separate scales. Prepare for the PN test plan on its own terms.

Can I take the NCLEX-PN in another state from where I applied?

Yes. NCSBN says you can test at any Pearson Professional Testing location, whatever board you applied to.

Do I need a nursing license from my home country first?

Your board sets the rules for internationally educated applicants. Ask the board before you register with Pearson.

Prep from our team

NCLEXPace, our sister site, covers the NCLEX-RN only and has no NCLEX-PN product. All Nursing Exams, NCLEXPace and NPractitioner are run by the same team.

Sources