All Nursing Exams

Retake rules side by side

NCLEX: up to 8 attempts a year, 45 test-free days apart. AANP board: FNP 3, AGNP 2 per calendar year. ANCC: 3 in any 12 months, 60 days apart.

Checked November 10, 2026

Short answer: NCSBN allows up to 8 NCLEX attempts a year with at least 45 test-free days between them, and every retake costs the full registration fee again. The AANP board allows family nurse practitioner (FNP) candidates 3 attempts and adult-gerontology primary care (AGNP) candidates 2 attempts per calendar year with no fixed wait, while ANCC allows no more than 3 attempts in any 12 months, 60 calendar days apart.

NCSBN is the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. The AANP board is the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB), which now operates under the name NPCB. ANCC is the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

The retake rules in one table

Exam Attempts allowed Wait Retake fee What you must do first Source body
NCLEX-RN Up to 8 a year under NCSBN policy. Some boards set a stricter yearly limit At least 45 test-free days between attempts. Some boards require a longer wait The full registration fee again: US$200 (United States, Australia) or CA$360 (Canada) now; US$350 or CA$570 for registrations completed on or after February 1, 2027 Tell your board you plan to retest, meet its requirements and fees, reregister with Pearson and pay, then wait for a new Authorization to Test (ATT) NCSBN, and your nursing regulatory body
NCLEX-PN Up to 8 a year under NCSBN policy. Some boards set a stricter yearly limit At least 45 test-free days between attempts. Some boards require a longer wait The full registration fee again: US$200 now; US$350 for registrations completed on or after February 1, 2027 (the NCLEX-PN is for U.S. licensure only) The same steps as the NCLEX-RN NCSBN, and your nursing regulatory body
AANP board FNP (FNP-C) Up to 3 per calendar year (January 1 to December 31), since January 2026 Not published. You may reapply after your official score notification arrives by email US$315, or US$240 for AANP members Submit a re-examination application and payment. The eligibility rules in force on that day apply. A 15-hour continuing education requirement: confirm with the board AANPCB (NPCB)
AANP board AGNP (AGNP-C) Up to 2 per calendar year (January 1 to December 31) Not published. You may reapply after your official score notification arrives by email US$315, or US$240 for AANP members Submit a re-examination application and payment. The eligibility rules in force on that day apply. A 15-hour continuing education requirement: confirm with the board AANPCB (NPCB)
ANCC FNP-BC No more than 3 in any 12-month period 60 calendar days from the date you last tested Required, but the amount is not published Wait 5 days after the exam, then submit a retest application online. Meet the eligibility rules in force on that day. Apply within 5 years of your degree conferral ANCC
ANCC AGPCNP-BC No more than 3 in any 12-month period 60 calendar days from the date you last tested Required, but the amount is not published The same steps as the FNP-BC ANCC

"Not published" means the board does not print that rule or amount on its public pages. "Confirm with the board" means the board's own pages disagree with each other, so ask the board before you rely on it.

How each body counts your attempts

The three bodies count in three different ways, and this is where candidates make mistakes.

  • NCSBN states its limit as "eight times a year". It also tells candidates that some boards have stricter limits on the number of NCLEX exams a year. Your board's rule is the one that applies to you, so ask your board for its retake policy.
  • The AANP board counts by calendar year, from January 1 to December 31. The FNP limit rose to 3 attempts in January 2026. The AGNP limit is still 2. The two exams at the same board have different limits, so check the one for your exam.
  • ANCC counts any 12-month period, not a calendar year. Before you book, count back 12 months from your planned test date and add up your attempts in that time.

When the wait starts

For the NCLEX, the wait is counted between exams. Your board may declare you eligible again, but NCSBN states that your new ATT is not valid until the required number of days between exams has passed. NCSBN offers repeat candidates an appointment starting 45 days after the last attempt.

For ANCC, the 60 days start on the date you last tested. You can file the retest application earlier, from 5 days after the exam.

For the AANP board, there is no count in days. The trigger is the official score notification, which the board emails within 3 to 5 business days after testing.

What you receive after a fail

Use the report you receive to plan your study before the next attempt.

  • NCLEX: your board sends a Candidate Performance Report (CPR), a two-page document. It rates your performance in each test plan content area and in clinical judgment as below, near or above the passing standard. If you answered fewer than the minimum number of items, you receive a shorter version without this detail.
  • ANCC: the score report shows your scaled score and high, medium or low performance for each major content area.
  • AANP board: you can ask for a rescore by email. A rescore checks only that the score was calculated correctly. A review fee applies, and the board does not publish the amount.

A new NCLEX attempt starts from the beginning. NCSBN states that each attempt is independent, and the computer does not show you any item you saw in an earlier exam. At ANCC, you retake the entire exam.

What to do next

  1. Find your exam in the table and note how your body counts attempts.
  2. Ask your board or regulator whether it sets a stricter rule than the one in the table.
  3. Budget for the full fee of each attempt. Every fee is in the Nursing exam fee tracker.
  4. Read the detail for your exam: How many times can you retake the NCLEX? or How many times can you retake an NP board exam?.

Common questions

Will the NCLEX retake fee rise in 2027?

Yes, if you complete the new registration on or after February 1, 2027. NCSBN charges the same fee for every registration, including retakes, based on the date the registration is completed.

Can I keep my old NCLEX registration open and register again?

No. NCSBN does not allow two open registrations for the same exam type. A second registration is denied, and its fee is not refunded.

Can I retake only the part of the NCLEX I failed?

No. NCSBN states that the NCLEX is not graded in sections, and your overall performance decides the result. On a new attempt, the adaptive test begins again.

All Nursing Exams, NCLEXPace and NPractitioner are run by the same team.

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