School said can't take NCLEX for 5 months after program done. ?!!?!

[future_nurse11]

I am currently in an LVN program & was told that it'll take approximately 5 months to receive the ATT (authorization to test) after our completion with the program. The reason is supposedly because the board of nursing is backed up with requests to take the NCLEX. My program will be finished the end of this July.. So that means I won't be able to schedule my NCLEX exam til about December (because that's how long it'll take to get the ATT). Is this normal??! Nervous because I have been told continuously to take the NCLEX ASAP after school while info is fresh in my mind.

[LeChien, BSN, RN]

No idea what state you live in.

[NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN]

I don't know what state you are in but some allow you to register and pay for your license application and exam fee before you even finish school. In my state, some students were already licensed prior to our graduation ceremony less than a month later. Also, your school may be slow to send your information to the boards. This can be bypassed by sending a copy of your official transcripts yourself if necessary. Also, to get an accurate idea about how long it will take to get your ATT in relation to how many applicants there are, I called my state BON and got a very accurate description based on how many had been submitted when they received my application. Five months seems a bit long. I waited a little over 3 months 15 years ago for my LPN and everything was done via snail mail then.