NCLEX-PN requirements: who can sit the exam
To take the NCLEX-PN you generally need to graduate from a state-approved practical or vocational nursing program, apply to your state board, and register with Pearson VUE. The details that vary most are what counts as eligible education, and whether people who started or finished an RN program can take the PN exam instead.
Last checked October 2026. Based on state board instructions and third-party summaries. Rules differ by state, so confirm with your board.
The basics
- Education. A board-approved practical nursing program. A summary of Nebraska’s rules describes roughly nine months to a year of approved-program education before the exam.
- An application to the board. Each state has its own application, fee, background check and, in some states, extra steps such as a jurisprudence exam.
- Pearson VUE registration. The exam fee is $200, the same as the RN exam, and you receive an ATT once your board makes you eligible.
- Pass the NCLEX-PN. Your license is issued after you pass.
LPN or LVN
The license you earn is a licensed practical nurse license in most states and a licensed vocational nurse license in California and Texas. It is the same NCLEX-PN either way, but search for the right title on your state board’s site.
If you studied for an RN but did not finish or pass
Some boards let RN students or RN exam failures take the PN exam, and others do not. These are the rules we found.
| State | What the board says |
|---|---|
| Arkansas | Graduates of approved RN programs who fail the RN exam may be admitted to the PN exam if otherwise qualified, with a transcript and a copy of the failure results. |
| South Dakota | Offers LPN licensure by equivalency for RN applicants who completed an RN program but did not pass the NCLEX-RN, and for some RN students who completed part of a program. |
| Oklahoma | A guide says graduates who finished a full professional nursing program but failed the NCLEX-RN can apply for LPN licensure using an equivalency application packet. |
| Arizona | A guide says candidates who fail the RN exam may also apply for the NCLEX-PN, with a new application and fee but no further program verification. |
| Mississippi | The Board says Mississippi law does not allow LPN licensure based on partial completion of an RN program. |
From the state boards’ own instructions where noted. Rules change, so ask your board before you rely on this.
States with a separate board for practical nurses
- Louisiana. The Louisiana State Board of Practical Nurse Examiners licenses LPNs, with its own steps. Its page says a new application, fee and Pearson VUE registration are required for each testing attempt.
- West Virginia. A guide says a separate Board of Examiners for Licensed Practical Nurses handles LPN licensure, apart from the RN board.
Common questions
Can I use a PN pass to become an RN?
The exams are separate. Passing the NCLEX-PN licenses you as a practical nurse. To become an RN you complete an RN program and pass the NCLEX-RN. Some bridge programs let LPNs move to RN, and you will still sit the NCLEX-RN.
Do the state application steps differ for PN?
The state guides on this site describe the RN application process. Many boards use the same application and fingerprint steps for both, but fees and a few rules differ, so read your board’s PN-specific page and use our cost page for the fees we could verify.