Waiting on an Authorization to test

Editorial Team / Admin · Jan 23, 2016

There are several required components that must all be submitted before your ATT can be sent. Not only do you need to apply to your state BON and Pearson View, your school must also send in verification that you've completed the necessary requirements and graduated. That means that several people/agencies (state BON, PV, your school, and you) have to get everything submitted and processed.

Chrissygraduatenurse, LPN · Jan 23, 2016

@Rose-McQueen, I contact Pa board of nursing and they received my education verification and my application for licensure. I paid the money to Pearson Vue on the same day I applied for licensure. I am very anxious, I really want to take NCLEX. I have a really cool job lined up. :shy:

EmilysMama · Jan 23, 2016

I called my state board of nursing, who checked the computer and "something just got lost somewhere". She marked me eligible in the comptuer and in 30 minutes I had my ATT. Good Luck!

heb06004 · Jan 23, 2016

All my classmates got their ATT 3 weeks before I did. Turned out I needed the school to send more paperwork and I had to call and bug the licensing people a few times before anybody would actually put my paperwork in the database. By the time I got my ATT I had classmates already posting that they passed the NCLEX which was just frustrating. I get it. Hang in there and definitely call your state every week if everybody else you know for that state has already heard and you haven't (some states also just take longer, unfortunately).

Chrissygraduatenurse, LPN · Jan 24, 2016

Thanks so much for the feedback, I'm going to contact them again next week. I really need my ATT

mrsboots87 · Jan 24, 2016

3 weeks isn't that long for a lot of states. Your school has something like 10 business days to send your transcript and course completions info. Then the BON has an additional 10 days from acknowledgement of receiving that info from the school. Acknowledgement can take a few days from the time the school send the paperwork over. Then Pearson vue can send your ATT the same day or within a few days. So realistically, it could be a month or longer. Just because the board has received your info, doesn't mean they have processed it yet.

The wait sucks. I get it. It took almost a month for me to get my ATT and I know of at least one person who still hasn't gotten theirs at almost 6 weeks post graduation.

Some me states process thug faster then others.

Chrissygraduatenurse, LPN · Jan 24, 2016

I'm in PA, what state are you in? I heard that California takes awhile too

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Jan 24, 2016

I took NCLEX 3 1/2 weeks from when I graduated from nursing school back in 07 but, as others have said, there are a lot of variables and it depends on your school, your BON and Pearson Vue.

Jaykalkyn, BSN, RN · Jan 24, 2016

3 weeks isn't that long for a lot of states. Your school has something like 10 business days to send your transcript and course completions info. Then the BON has an additional 10 days from acknowledgement of receiving that info from the school. Acknowledgement can take a few days from the time the school send the paperwork over. Then Pearson vue can send your ATT the same day or within a few days. So realistically, it could be a month or longer. Just because the board has received your info, doesn't mean they have processed it yet.
The wait sucks. I get it. It took almost a month for me to get my ATT and I know of at least one person who still hasn't gotten theirs at almost 6 weeks post graduation.
Some me states process thug faster then others.

Not true about the school having 10 days...at least not in my state. I graduated December 11, 2015 and just last week the first people are just now getting ATTs. This was a school thing, they didn't even send them out until almost a month post graduation.

Before the semester ended, I had expressed to one of my teachers that I wanted to be taking NCLX by the end of January, she literally chuckled in my face and said good luck with that. I know that now to have been a true statement.

The BON may have 10 days but the schools don't necessarily have that rule, again, depending on your state and/or school. Its just not the rule.

Chrissygraduatenurse, LPN · Jan 24, 2016

PA BON received the required information from my school on Dec 18th. I'm curious why this process is taking so long. It's getting me anxious, I'm very anxious about NCLEX and I really want to test

mrsboots87 · Jan 24, 2016

Not true about the school having 10 days...at least not in my state. I graduated December 11, 2015 and just last week the first people are just now getting ATTs. This was a school thing, they didn't even send them out until almost a month post graduation.
Before the semester ended, I had expressed to one of my teachers that I wanted to be taking NCLX by the end of January, she literally chuckled in my face and said good luck with that. I know that now to have been a true statement.
The BON may have 10 days but the schools don't necessarily have that rule, again, depending on your state and/or school. Its just not the rule.

Timeframe is of course state specific. I am in a compact state. The guidelines are generally similar between them, but the BON may vary in time frame between them.

But keep in mind when I say 10 days, I mean business days. If you graduate before Chriatmas you have to take out Christmas and New Years days. I am not sure about the eves, but those may be included as well. Also, the day of graduation is not always the start of the 10 days. The 10 days would start after the instructor for the final block submit final grades to the registrars office. That can sometimes be a couple days.

My school sent paperwork off at like business day 12. Someone probably could complain about it, but it's one of those things that I'm sure would go nowhere. Then the BON acknowledged receipt of the paperwork 3 days later. My cohort was lucky in that the BON processed our education 4 business days later by luck of the draw on which paperwork they grabbed first that day. Then Pearson vue sent ATTs the next afternoon. So it was almost a month from graduation that we got our ATTs.

Some me states may be faster, and some may be slower. I was just trying to give a middle time frame to base if it truly is taking too long. It never hurts to call the BON and check on things in case something was missed.