NCLEX Exam Cost: $200 Until January 31, 2027, Then $350

The NCLEX exam cost in the United States is a $200 registration fee paid to Pearson VUE, and it rises to $350 for registrations completed on or after February 1, 2027. The date you complete your registration sets the fee, not the date you sit the exam, so a registration finished by January 31, 2027 keeps the $200 price even if you test in March.

nclex.com and NCSBN's announcement both stated those figures when we checked on October 12, 2026. The registration fee is only part of the bill: your state board of nursing charges its own fee, and a retake means paying both again. Below, each piece is priced, with California's fees as a worked example.

How much is the NCLEX? The fees as of October 12, 2026

The NCLEX costs $200 to register today for candidates seeking a U.S. license, and $350 for registrations completed on or after February 1, 2027. NCSBN's Delegate Assembly voted for the change, which NCSBN posted on August 21, 2026. NCSBN says it is "the first adjustment to the NCLEX registration fee since 2000" and reflects "25 years of inflation and rising costs associated with exams, data protection and cybersecurity."

Only the registration fee is changing. NCSBN says international scheduling fees and change fees "will remain the same." Here is the full list for U.S. licensure from the NCLEX fees page:

Three details answer most "how much is the NCLEX exam" questions:

• NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN cost the same. The fees page lists one registration fee, and NCSBN's announcement covers "all NCLEX registrations."
• The fee follows the country of licensure, not where you live. A Canadian resident seeking a U.S. license pays the U.S. fee, per NCSBN's FAQ. Canada's own fee rises from $360 to $570 CAD on the same date.
• You pay by card. Pearson VUE accepts Visa, MasterCard and American Express credit, debit or prepaid cards, and the registration page describes a third-party payment option for nursing schools, agencies and employers.

Your registration date sets the fee, not your test date

The fee you pay depends only on when you complete your Pearson VUE registration. NCSBN puts it plainly: "Those who complete their registration before Feb. 1, 2027, will be charged the current fee. Those who register on or after Feb. 1, 2027, will be charged the adjusted fee. The exam date does not affect the fee."

A registration completed on January 20, 2027 costs $200, even if you become eligible in February and test in March. One completed on February 1 costs $350, however early you graduated.

"Complete" is the word that matters. Pearson VUE takes your card when you register and should email a confirmation within two days. If none arrives, NCSBN tells you to contact Pearson Candidate Services rather than submit a second registration, because a duplicate is denied and its fee is kept.

What makes up your total NCLEX exam cost

Your total NCLEX exam cost has three parts: your board of nursing's application or licensure fee, any fingerprint or background-check fee your board requires, and the Pearson VUE registration fee. The NCLEX fees page lists the licensure fee only as "Contact nursing regulatory body," because each board sets its own.

California shows how the parts add up. The Board of Registered Nursing's fee schedule charges:

• $300 to apply for the exam as a California graduate
• $350 as a graduate from another state, district or U.S. territory
• $750 as an international graduate
• $250 to reapply or repeat the exam

Fingerprints are extra. The BRN's application instructions list a $49 fingerprint card fee for out-of-state applicants. Applicants who use Live Scan instead pay the Live Scan operator, whose fee varies by site.

So a California graduate pays $500 for a first attempt registered by January 31, 2027, and $650 from February 1, as in our California application guide.

Other boards charge different amounts. The calculator covers the Pearson VUE side, which is the same in every state.

What a retake costs before and after February 1, 2027

Each NCLEX retake is a new registration, so it costs $200 if you complete it before February 1, 2027 and $350 on or after that date, plus whatever your board charges to make you eligible again. NCSBN's FAQ says: "The same fee applies to all NCLEX registrations, including retakes, based on the date the registration is completed." In California, a retake adds the $250 repeat fee, so it comes to $450 or $600.

The 45-day wait limits when you can test again, not when you can register. NCSBN's retake policy lets you retest 45 days after your exam; some boards require longer, which shows in the dates on your new Authorization to Test (ATT). NCSBN's post-exam brochure, You've Completed the NCLEX, says you can contact your board to reregister "at any time," but your new ATT "will not be valid until the required number of days between examinations elapses."

So if you test in December 2026 or January 2027 and do not pass, completing the retake registration before February 1 keeps the $200 fee, even if the retake falls in February or March.

1. Exam day

   First attempt

   Official results come from your board within six weeks. Candidates who do not pass also receive a Candidate Performance Report.

2. Any time after

   Contact your board and reregister with Pearson VUE

   Your board tells you its fees and paperwork. A Pearson VUE registration completed before Feb 1, 2027 costs $200; on or after, $350.

3. Day 45 or later

   Earliest retake

   NCSBN requires 45 test-free days between attempts. Your board may set a longer wait, shown on your new ATT.

NCSBN's retake steps start with contacting your board, which tells you its fees and paperwork; then you reregister with Pearson VUE, wait for a new ATT and schedule. If you are racing the date:

• Contact your board early. Boards differ in what they need before they make you eligible again.
• Check for an open registration. You cannot hold two registrations for the same exam, and a second is denied without a refund. If unsure, ask Pearson Candidate Services before you pay.

NCSBN allows up to eight attempts a year; some boards set stricter limits.

How to register for the NCLEX before the price changes

Your board decides when you become eligible, but you decide when to complete the Pearson VUE registration that sets your fee.

Should you register before you are eligible, just to keep the $200 fee? A registration stays open for 365 days while it waits for your board. If your board has not made you eligible within that time, you forfeit the registration and the fee. For that reason, California's BRN "encourages candidates to wait until they are made Board eligible before registering."

Weigh it like this. If you graduate in December 2026 and expect eligibility in the spring, registering in January saves $150 and leaves your board until January 2028 to make you eligible. If anything could hold up your application, such as missing documents or a graduation date that may slip, you are risking $200 to save $150. Ask your board how long it is taking now.

Ways to lose an NCLEX fee and pay it twice

NCSBN's refund policy says "There will be no refund of registration fees for any reason." These are the ways candidates lose a paid registration:

• A duplicate registration. You cannot hold two active registrations for the same exam. The second is denied and its fee is not refunded.
• A late change or a no-show. To change an appointment, you need at least one full business day (24 hours) of notice. For a Saturday, Sunday or Monday exam, that means by the Friday before. Missing the appointment forfeits the fee and invalidates your ATT, according to the scheduling page.
• An expired ATT. If you do not test within your ATT's validity dates, you must reregister and pay again.
• The wrong ID. ID that does not meet NCSBN's requirements means you are turned away and must reregister and pay another fee.
• No eligibility within 365 days. The registration and its fee are forfeited.

Make one registration count

The cheapest NCLEX is the one you pass on the first attempt. With a California retake costing $450 to $600, practice is the best protection for the fee you just paid. Try the question below; it is our own, not an official item.

Frequently asked questions

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