Section 338.10204. Examinations; eligibility; reexaminations.

(1) To assure eligibility for the examination, an applicant shall submit a completed application on forms provided by the department, together with the requisite fee.

(2)   To be eligible to sit for the  NCLEX-RN, an applicant  shall establish that he or she has completed a registered nurse  education  program that  is acceptable to the board.

(3)   To be eligible to sit for  the  NCLEX-PN,   an applicant  shall establish that he or she has completed a practical nurse education program that is acceptable to the board.

(4)   To be eligible to sit for  the NCLEX-PN,  an  applicant whose nursing education was taught in a language other than English shall demonstrate a working knowledge of the English language in addition to meeting the other requirements of this rule. To demonstrate a working knowledge of English,  an  applicant  shall   document  that  he or she has obtained a scaled score of not less than 550 on the paper-based test or a scaled score of not less than 213 on the computer-based test of English as a foreign language that is administered by  the   educational  testing service and obtained a score of not less than 50 on the test of spoken English that is administered by  the educational testing service.

(5)   An applicant shall complete the NCLEX-RN within 12 months of his or her first attempt at the test in this state or another state. The  first attempt at the  test  shall occur within 2 years of graduation from a registered nurse education program. An applicant who has not achieved a passing score on the examination within the 12- month period shall not be eligible to sit again for the NCLEX-RN until the applicant has completed a registered nurse education program that is acceptable to the board. Thereafter, an applicant may sit for the examination an additional cycle of 3  times after  repeating  the   required  registered  nurse   education program.  An applicant may sit  for the NCLEX-RN a maximum of 6 times total.

(6)   If an applicant is a graduate of a Canadian registered nurse program that is approved by a province in Canada and is taught in English and the applicant holds a current license in Canada, the first attempt at taking the NCLEX-RN will not have to occur within 2 years of graduation.

(7)   An applicant shall complete the NCLEX-PN within 12 months of his or her first attempt at the test in this state or another state. The first attempt at the test shall occur within 2  years  of  graduation  from  a practical  nurse education program.  An applicant who has not achieved a passing score on the examination within the 12- month period shall not be eligible to sit again for the NCLEX-PN until the applicant has completed a practical nurse education program that is acceptable to the board. Thereafter, an applicant may sit for the examination an additional cycle of 3  times after  repeating   the  required  practical   nurse  education program.  An applicant  may sit  for the NCLEX-PN  a maximum  of  6  times total.

History: 1990 AACS; 1994 AACS; 1996 AACS; 2003 AACS.