Do I have to take my nclex in the same state as the nursing school I attend?

HeySis, BSN, RN · Jul 12, 2016

You can sit for the NCLEX in any state....(went to school in Maryland, can sit for NCLEX in New Jersey, but still getting licensure in Maryland)

But whether a different state will except your schools degree as a requirement for licensure is up to them...... they can be bugaboo's

I did my LPN in NYS, our instructors told us to to get our license in NYS then transfer to Penn. if we wanted to work there. It was way less expensive to test in Penn, so some of my classmates did that,then got jobs in NYS (I lived right on the border). They then had to take another 200 hour class and re-sit to get a NYS license. (early 90's)

Each state decides how many hours of class time, and clinical time they require for you to be eligible for licensure. Your school may or may not meet those requirements.

You need to check with the nursing board of the state you want licensure in.

smc26448 · Jul 12, 2016

Thank you so, so much for the prompt reply. I really appreciate it . I will plan to do some research about those specific states licensing requirements.

mrsboots87 · Jul 13, 2016

Yes. You can take NCLEX in any state and have the results forwarded to any state since NCLEX format and difficulty is identical across all states. In order to get a license directly from another state instead of the one you completed school in, you just apply for licensure in the state you wish to be licensed in, forward all required documents to that state's BON, and if approved, when you pay Pearson cue and make your account, you set you desired state for where to send you results. AZ is a compact state and I don't remember if Virginia is. But if the state you are currently attending school is also a compact state, then it's very likely that AZ would accept your application for initial licensure.