To be able to practice nursing in the United States, one must apply for a license and pass the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses, or simply known as the NCLEX-RN. Administered by the Pearson Professional Centers, this standardized exam is what individual nursing boards use to determine whether or not an individual is prepared for an entry-level nursing practice, as it is specially structured to measure the level, capacity, and/or qualification that are essential in the profession. It is also used to ensure that the quality and standards of professional nursing practice are the same in every state or jurisdiction in the country.
An application for a license may also require you to take the NCLEX-RN exam wherein a state board of nursing will check if you meet the criteria for exam eligibility. When deemed eligible, you can now register and you will be assigned an Authorization to Take the Test (ATT). Registration fee, as of July 2008, is at $200.00.
NCLEX-RN is administered through an interactive process called the Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT). The computer selects the questions that will allow accurate gauging of a candidate. It will continue asking questions until it settles on a pass or fail grade.
The exam may contain 75 to 265 questions, may only be taken for a maximum of six hours and is divided based on the following Client Needs categories and subcategories:
Safe, Effective Care Environment
- - Management of Care
- - Safety and Infection Control
Health Promotion and Maintenance
- - Growth and Development Through the Life Span
- - Prevention and Early Detection of Disease
Psychosocial Integrity
- - Coping and Adaptation
- - Psychosocial Adaptation
Physiological Integrity
- - Basic Care and Comfort
- - Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies
- - Reduction of Risk Potential
- - Physiological Adaptation
The exam questions are set in a multiple choice with four choices, and there are also fill-in-the-blanks and picture or graphic-based questions. But most of the questions on the exam require candidates to read and interpret charts and tables related to the medical field. Unofficial exam results may be obtained after two business days from the exam date, while official results will be delivered by the licensing agency in the candidate’s jurisdiction after a given time frame of the examination period.
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