NCLEX in Texas: what the Board of Nursing requires first
In Texas, the Board of Nursing controls who is eligible to take the NCLEX, and it adds a step many states do not: you must pass the Texas Nursing Jurisprudence Examination before the Board issues your Authorization to Test. Fingerprints and a graduation affidavit also have to be on file first.
Last checked October 2026. Application fees are reported inconsistently across sources, from $75 to $100 for the examination application. Confirm the current amount in the Board’s fee schedule before you pay.
The path for a new graduate
Create an account in the Texas Nurse Portal and submit the examination application, then pay the application fee.
Make the fingerprint appointment only after you have applied. The Board cannot release your ATT until clean fingerprint results are on file.
Your nursing program normally files an Affidavit of Graduation. If you graduated from a Texas program it does this for you.
You must pass this online exam on Texas nursing law and Board rules before you are issued an ATT. The Board says its cost is included in the application fee.
Register with Pearson VUE and pay the $200 fee. Do not send the NCLEX fee to the Board. The Board registration guidance says to register around thirty days before graduation.
Once everything is on file, the Board authorizes you to test. Book inside your ATT window.
If your fingerprints return a record
Applicants with criminal history, including some arrests without conviction, can be asked to petition the Board for a Declaratory Order of Eligibility, which can delay your ATT considerably. If you have anything on your record, check the Board’s guidance before you spend money on the exam.
The four-year rule
Texas applies a time limit to NCLEX eligibility. The Board says an applicant must have worked within the four years before filing the examination application, and be within four years of the date of eligibility, defined as the issue date of the first Authorization to Test. Check the Board’s page if your graduation was some time ago.
Internationally educated applicants
The Board asks internationally educated applicants for a completed examination application, all fees, a criminal history report and proof of English proficiency if their program was not taught in English.
Common questions
Do I have to pass the Texas law exam before the NCLEX?
Yes. The Board says you must pass the Texas Nursing Jurisprudence Examination before it issues your ATT, so do it early.
Do I pay the NCLEX fee to the Board?
No. Pay the $200 to Pearson VUE. The Board charges its own application fee separately.
What about endorsement from another state?
Texas participates in the national Nursys database, which is how other states verify Texas licenses. This page covers licensure by examination for new graduates, not endorsement.