What was soonest NCLEX date for you?

Kaytayxx · May 9, 2015

It depends on how willing you are to drive to the various testing centers.. I'm in Florida so there were a handful. But depending on how long of a drive you wanted to make, I was able to have the option of taking the NCLEX within 4 days of my ATT. Even though I waited a few weeks.

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · May 9, 2015

It really depends. The time of year you graduate can greatly affect testing slots. Graduate in prime time like May/June and the tests times fill up quickly...graduate in the winter (Dec) it isn't as bad.

Also, I'd suggest signing up for the earliest date you can that works for you. If its farther out than you'd prefer, KEEP checking daily. People reschedule their days/times all the time.

For my NCLEX-RN, the day I got my ATT the closest date I found was a test date that was in August. I kept checking several times a day and was able to move it up (I did this no less than 4 times in one day haha). A few days after getting my ATT I checked again and found one for the very next day, in the testing place that is the closest to me and at the perfect time. I jumped on it.

Now, remember, you have only 24 hours to cancel an appointment. And its 24 hrs from the test day/time. So since I had scheduled it for the next day at 8am, and it was past 8am at the time I scheduled, I could not reschedule. If I had to, I'd have to go through the whole thing again of reapplying with the BON, paying the fees etc. So be SURE you can be there if its less than 24 hrs before the test time/day.

Same thing for my NCLEX-RN, I graduate in mid May, and the earliest I could find for testing was actually very close to the 45 day limit of the ATT. I did the whole thing again of checking several times a day and moved my test day up and up. On a Wednesday at 7pm I saw an opening for the next day at 8am..jumped on it and took the test the next day.

scaredsilly, BSN, RN · May 9, 2015

Depends on where you are. My class all got ATTs around the 25th-27th of May last year and one of them took the test before June 1st. Most of us chose to have a month to study. There are only two test centers close to where I live. Other places are scheduled farther out, I think...it all depends on location.

**NICU Guy, BSN, RN** · May 10, 2015

I graduated last August 7th. I tested on Sept. 12th (the earliest was the 11th). One of classmates was able to find a testing site for Sept 2nd. As a previous poster said it depends on when you graduate and the number of testing sites close to you.

SwampCat, BSN · May 12, 2015

Thanks, all. That helped me a ton!

schnookimz · May 12, 2015

I live in a large city. Many testing centers, but all scheduled at least 3 weeks out. I drove to a different state, about an hour away, and took the test two days after getting my ATT.

turtlesRcool · May 14, 2015

It really just depends on how many people want to test in the same area and at the same time that you do.

I graduated in December, got my ATT in January, and couldn't find an appointment closer than three weeks out. I expanded my search to 4 centers, and kept checking back for last-minute openings, but still had to wait.