Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. After three failures of the same level of examination (RN or LPN), regardless of jurisdiction, the applicant must successfully complete a Florida Board of Nursing approved remedial course. The course includes classroom and clinical components and proof of completion must be submitted directly from the course provider prior to approval for taking the exam the fourth time.

No, you will need to send in one money order or cashier’s check for the application fee and another to Pearson VUE for the NCLEX testing fee. These fees are mailed to two different places. Please see the application (Examination or Re-examination) for more information

If you either fail to arrive, fail to reschedule, or cancel your NCLEX appointment without giving three business days’ notice to Pearson VUE where you are scheduled, you will forfeit your examination fee and your Authorization to Test will be invalidated. In order to take the NCLEX, you will need to reapply to Pearson VUE and pay the fees again. GN/GPN status is lost when you fail to take your scheduled examination.

Please log into the MQA Online Services System to check your NCLEX results: Login Here

You can determine if you have been issued a license number on our website, after testing, by visiting the Health Provider Lookup Screen. License numbers are generally issued within 1-3 business days after successfully passing the NCLEX examination. License numbers are not available on the same day you take the examination.

Have you ever taken the NCLEX or State Board Test Pool Exam? If you have, you may qualify for endorsement. Please review the Qualifications for endorsement or more information.

If you can obtain verification you have been working in another state, jurisdiction or U.S. territory for two of the last three years you may apply by endorsement.

Nurses licensed by examination, in any state, during the current renewal period are exempt from continuing education requirements for the first renewal period, with the exception of the required 2 hour course in Prevention of Medical Errors, 2 hour course in Laws and Rules that govern the practice of Nursing (beginning with the biennium ending in 2015), and 1 hour course in HIV/AIDS. This exemption is lost if the license is not renewed by the renewal deadline.

Most initial licenses are not valid for the full 2 years. One (1) contact hour is required for each month, or partial month, of the licensure cycle, including two (2) hours on Prevention of Medical Errors and two (2) hours on Laws and Rules that govern the practice of Nursing (beginning with the biennium ending in 2015). HIV/AIDS is now a one-time, 1-hour CE requirement to be completed prior to the first renewal. Domestic Violence (DV) CE is now a 2-hour requirement for every third renewal. For example, if you renew your license on July 31, 2008 and completed DV during the 2006-2008 licensure cycle, you are required to complete the Domestic Violence CE before the July 31, 2014 renewal. Applicants who took the exam during the current renewal cycle should see the FAQ that asks “I passed the NCLEX in the last year. How many contact hours do I need to renew my license?”

The NCLEX or National Council Licensure Examination is the national licensing examination for practical and registered nurses. Quarterly and cumulative passage rates for first time test takers are calculated and published by a contracted testing service and are made available to the Florida Board of Nursing and are posted on the website.

The NCLEX National Average passage rate is the average number of all member first time test takers for a reporting period, calculated by the National Testing Service using the test takers’ scores during the reporting period, to determine the average of the conglomerate scores.

Pursuant to s.464.019, F.S., the Florida Board of Nursing monitors these passage rates to ensure the achievement of Florida approved nursing education program graduates. Approved nursing education programs must achieve a graduate passage rate that is not lower than 10 percentage points less than the average passage rate for graduates of comparable degree programs who are United States educated. An approved nursing education program shall be placed on Approved/probationary status by the Florida Board of Nursing pursuant to s. 464.019 for failure to meet the required passage rates on the NCLEX for two consecutive calendar years (http://laws.flrules.org/2014/92).

For more information on NCLEX passage rates or to view individual Florida nursing education program NCLEX passage rates on our interactive website entitled “Compare Florida Prelicensure Nursing Education Programs”, please visit our Education and Training Programs page.

Applicants who have successfully completed courses, equivalent to practical nursing education in a professional nursing program, may qualify for NCLEX-PN based on practical nursing equivalency (PNEQ). All professional courses (RN) taken must have been successfully completed with a grade of “C-” or better and must have included theory and clinical instruction.

The professional or practical nursing curriculum must document clinical experience and theoretical instruction in medical, surgical, obstetric, pediatric and geriatric nursing. Each curriculum plan must document clinical training experience in appropriate settings that include, but are not limited to, acute care, long-term care and community settings.

Only graduates from an RN program qualify to take the RN NCLEX.