LPN -> RN at Excelsior

Editorial Team / Moderator · Dec 12, 2007

It really depends on how many courses you have to take besides the core nursing exams, but some people have become CPNE-eligible within just a few months. I took A&P and NC1 through NC7 (including NC2) between May 14 and October 17, and applied for the CPNE at the beginning of November. I still have a couple of CLEPs left, but I'm working on those while waiting for my CPNE date. I already have a couple of Associates degrees, so I didn't have a lot of other classes to complete.

Please be aware that the wait for the CPNE exam is about 6 months (lots of students, not so many test sites), but you can make the wait a little shorter if you accept a cancellation date and you're flexible about where you test.

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Dec 12, 2007

It depends on how hard you push.

The first 3 exams I took took me a year. The next 4 took me two months.

txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN · Dec 13, 2007

i started late august and will take my final test jan 10th...the key for me was paying for the test then scheduling them...kept me on track

caliotter3 · Dec 13, 2007

The easy answer to your question is that you can complete the program as fast as you can make yourself complete the requirements. Part of the equation is how many of the co-requisite courses have you already completed at another school or tested out of prior to enrolling, how long the enrollment process takes (not long-they work with you in a matter of a few weeks even if all your transcripts have not been received), and the wait for the CPNE at the end (currently running from 6 - 9 months. Many years ago, when there was not a 6 to 9 month wait for the CPNE, the record that I heard of was 9 months from start to finish. I was enrolled before in the past, and was taking two of the NC tests per day, so theoretically I was also on that fast pace. I would not recommend taking more than one NC test in a day, now, because for some reason, the tests seem more involved. So, other than waiting on the CPNE, you can finish as fast as you want to. Good luck in the program.

Emmie620 · Dec 16, 2007

i started late august and will take my final test jan 10th...the key for me was paying for the test then scheduling them...kept me on track

how did you prepare for all your exams and how did it take you such a short time to prepare for all of them

txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN · Dec 16, 2007

i am going to be truthful with you here. i had a very solid and hard lvn program that covered all of this stuff i have been tested on. there is nothing that i have seen in these test that i have not been either introduced to in school or encountered on the floor. i have however, been out of nursing school a while but as i started taking these test i seemed to come back to me or i had a really good flow going. i took the practice test and if i scored above a 65 i went and took the real thing. nursing is just common sense to me and even though i kinds freak out before these test i make it though. i have taken nc 1,3,6,7. out of all these nc7 was the hardest for me because it was about the history of nursing . i had to memorize dates..yuck. i studies for that test about 5-6 hours. now i have 2 test left nc 4 and nc5 . i saved these for the last because these for me will be the hardest test. i am looking at nc 4 information and shaking my head cause it is all cardiac ...uhhhggggg:uhoh3: :uhoh3: :uhoh3:. so i will study for this one and nc 5 just cause i hear it is a bugger...another important factor for me was i had all my test paid for from the beginning (except for 3 of them and i got a scholarship for those) . i scheduled my test and therefore had to take them or loose money..a real motivator. when it is all said and done this will take me right at a year because of the cpne wait time. so i really not getting done fast but on schedule.

how did you prepare for all your exams and how did it take you such a short time to prepare for all of them

BetterMeRN · Dec 16, 2007

This question is for those of you who have been through or are going through the nursing program @ Excelsior. I'm planning on enrolling in the future, just wondering if you can tell me how long it took to complete (all the tests) ...The admissions dept. told me 24 months but I plan to study between 12-20 hours a week, so I think I can get it done faster. Anyone else who did this in a shorter time span?
Any other additional info about exclesior would help..sofar it seems like a Godsend & I wish I would hav heard about it sooner!!!!

Did you say that you were an LPN already? If not the sooner you get into the LPN program finish up with that the sooner you can start EC's nursing tests.

I plan on taking my first test in Jan and finishing up all my Nursing tests and Micro by June, by the end of the year I should be going for the CPNE. I guess it's how hard you push yourself and you sound like you really want it so it can be done. I've heard to set the date that way you study for that deadline.

laronda134 · Dec 19, 2007

It took me a year and 2 months to finish the entire program due to having to wait 6 months for the cpne. Which is not that bad at all if you are prepared. I did one test a month sometimes q 2 weeks.