All United States nurses must pass the NCLEX licensing examination.
Before becoming licensed to practice, nurses must pass the National Council Licensure Examination. The NCLEX is designed to assess the knowledge, critical thinking abilities and skills that are necessary for safe nursing practices. As of September 2010, the fee for taking the NCLEX is $200; however, there are two circumstances in which you may be able to avoid paying the exam fee or be reimbursed. If you are a veteran of the United States Armed Forces then you may be eligible for reimbursement of the NCLEX fee through your regional Department of Veterans Affairs. You may also avoid paying the fee yourself if you qualify for a workforce exception through your employer or nursing school.
Instructions
Veterans Affairs Reimbursement
1. Contact your local board of nursing for a registration form. Each local board of nursing maintains its own registration procedure.
2. Fill out the registration form and enclose a certified check, cashier's check or money order for the current exam fee.
3. Mail the registration form and payment to the address specified in your local nursing board's registration board.
4. Take the NCLEX examination.
5. Obtain and fill out a copy of VA Form 22-1990, the application for VA education benefits. Fill out all personal information required on the form, information about your military experience and information regarding your test.
6. Type and print a document containing the following information: the name of the test taken, the date that you took the test, the name and address of your local board of nursing and the cost of the test.
7. Attach to Form 22-1990 a copy of your test results, a receipt for the cost of your examination and the letter that you typed.
8. Mail the completed form and attachments to the VA board that handles claims for your region. You can find the appropriate address on page three of Form 22-1990. Your region's Department of Veterans Affairs will process your claim and will send you a check for the exam fee.
Workforce Exception
9. Contact your local board of nursing for a registration form.
10. Obtain a check covering the exam fee from your employer or nursing school. The check should be made out to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
11. Write "Workforce Exception" on a note and affix the note to the check.
12. Mail the registration form and the check to:
NCLEX Workforce Program
Pearson VUE
5601 Green Valley Drive, Room 220
Bloomington, MN 55437
Note that this address only handles third-party payments; all other registrations should be mailed to the location specified on your local board's registration form.
