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Which exam do you actually write?
This is the most expensive question in Canadian nursing registration to get wrong. Preparing for the wrong exam costs months, and switching designation partway through usually means restarting credential assessment. Two questions settle it.
Answer both questions and your exam appears here.
Why there are three exams
Nursing is regulated provincially, so each jurisdiction chooses its own entry-to-practice assessment. Registered nurse registration converged on the NCLEX-RN across the country. Practical nursing did not: Ontario and British Columbia moved to the REx-PN, while the remaining provinces and territories stayed with the CPNRE. The result is a genuinely confusing landscape that American study material does not acknowledge exists.
Common questions
Is the NCLEX-PN the same as the REx-PN?
No. The NCLEX-PN is the American practical nurse exam and is not used for Canadian registration. Canadian practical nurses write either the REx-PN or the CPNRE depending on province.
Can I write the NCLEX-RN if I trained as a practical nurse?
Not for RN registration. The NCLEX-RN assesses registered nurse competencies, and the regulator will only grant exam eligibility once your education has been assessed as equivalent to a Canadian RN program.
Does passing in one province let me practise in another?
The exam result transfers, but registration does not. You apply separately to each regulator. If your second province uses a different practical nurse exam, you may need to write that one as well.