NCLEX Requirements for International Nurses: The 2026 Guide
Quick answer: an international nurse applies to a US state board of nursing, not to NCSBN. The usual sequence is a credential evaluation, the board application, a Pearson VUE registration, an Authorization to Test (ATT), then the exam. Boards differ on which evaluator they accept, whether an English test is needed, fingerprints and fees, so pick the board first. The fixed costs for a Texas, Illinois or New York route come to roughly $900 to $950 before English tests, fingerprints and document fees.
Last checked against NCSBN, nclex.com, TruMerit and the New York, Texas and Illinois boards on October 30, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm them with your board before you pay.
Fee change on February 1, 2027. NCSBN will raise the NCLEX registration fee from $200 to $350 in the United States and Australia, and to CAD $570 in Canada. The registration date sets the fee, not the exam date, and the change covers retakes. The international scheduling fee stays the same. If you register on or after February 1, 2027, add $150 to the totals below.
In this guide
- What the NCLEX is and who has to take it
- Step-by-step: how to apply for the NCLEX in the USA
- Credential evaluation and English proficiency
- Documents boards ask for
- What it costs
- New York, Texas and Illinois compared
- Canada and Australia in brief
- After you pass: endorsement and renewal
- Common mistakes
- How NEAC helps
- Frequently asked questions
What the NCLEX is and who has to take it
The NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) is the licensing exam for nurses in the United States. Canada's RN regulators and the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia also use the NCLEX-RN. A nurse trained outside the US takes the NCLEX-RN for registered nurse licensure, or the NCLEX-PN for practical nurse licensure. Most Filipino and other internationally educated nurses take the RN exam.
The Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) format has been in use since April 2023. The RN exam is adaptive: it runs from 85 to 150 questions within a five-hour limit, and it ends once the computer is confident you passed or failed. The NCLEX is the same exam wherever you sit it. What differs is the board that decides whether you are eligible.
The exam is hard for first-time internationally educated candidates. NCSBN's 2025 statistics show 24,999 of 52,827 passed (47.3%), against 86.7% for first-time US-educated candidates. Philippines-educated candidates passed at 45.8% (22,793 tested). Plan your review for the NGN question types, not only for recall.
Step-by-step: how to apply for the NCLEX in the USA
Step 1: Choose a state board of nursing
Each state board sets its own rules, fees and documents. Your NCLEX registration is tied to the board you pick, and changing boards after you register costs $50. Compare boards before you pay anything. Our guides on the fastest NCLEX states for Filipino nurses, states and the Social Security number and New York vs Texas vs Illinois go deeper.
Step 2: Get your credentials evaluated
Most boards want an evaluation of your nursing education and license. The route depends on the board (see the next section). TruMerit says 70% of its Credentials Evaluation Service (CES) reports are issued within 7 business days of a complete file. Your school and licensing authority can take far longer to send their documents, so start those requests first.
Step 3: Apply to the state board
Apply through the board's online portal for licensure by examination and pay its fee. Boards also ask for things like fingerprints, license verification from every place you have been licensed, and an English test when your program was not taught in English. Documents must come from the issuing school, agency or licensing authority, not from you.
Step 4: Register with Pearson VUE
Register for the NCLEX with Pearson VUE and pay the registration fee and the international scheduling fee if you will test outside the US. You can register while the board reviews your file.
Step 5: Receive your Authorization to Test (ATT)
Once the board declares you eligible and your registration is complete, Pearson VUE emails the ATT. You need it to book a seat. Each board sets the validity window, and the average is 90 days. Texas uses 75 days. The dates cannot be extended for any reason. Miss them and you register and pay again. Read more in our ATT guide.
Step 6: Schedule and sit the exam
You can test at Pearson Professional Centers in many countries, and the Philippines is on NCSBN's list of international locations. Where you test does not change which board you applied to. If your board takes part in the Quick Results Service, you can pay for unofficial results 48 hours after the exam. Official results come from your board.
Step 7: Receive your license
After you pass, the board issues the license. How long that takes depends on the board, so check its site rather than relying on a general figure.
Credential evaluation and English proficiency
TruMerit (CGFNS) and the other evaluators
TruMerit, formerly CGFNS, sells the CES Professional Report that many boards accept. The application fee is $485, which covers one report recipient, two license or registration verifications and two academic credentials. TruMerit also has a state-by-state lookup of which boards require the CES Professional Report. Some boards accept other evaluators, such as ERES. Read our TruMerit explainer for the Philippine side.
- Texas asks for a CES Full Education Professional report from an accepted provider, dated within one year of issue, sent to the board by the provider.
- Illinois asks for a credentials evaluation report from TruMerit (CGFNS) or ERES.
- New York accepts either TruMerit's Credentials Verification Service for New York State ($425) or Forms 2F and 3F sent directly by your school and licensing authority. TruMerit's CES Professional Report is a different product. Buying it for New York can cost you a second purchase.
English proficiency
Whether you need an English test depends on the board and on how your nursing program was taught. Texas asks for a test only if the program was not taught in English, and accepts IELTS (6.5 overall, at least 6.0 in each module), TOEFL iBT (83 minimum) or OET. Illinois asks applicants whose first language is not English for TOEFL or IELTS. TruMerit tells applicants directly when an exemption applies, and scores must reach TruMerit from the testing agency and be under two years old. At-home test versions are not accepted. Do not assume a Philippine degree exempts you. Ask your board.
Documents boards ask for
The list changes by board, so treat this as the common core and check your board's checklist.
- Credential evaluation or verification report, sent by the evaluator to the board
- Official transcripts, sent by your school to the evaluator or board
- Verification of your nursing license from the licensing authority, with its seal. Texas requires it from every country, state, province or territory where you hold or have held a license, and it must not come from you
- English test scores, when required, sent by the testing agency
- Fingerprints for a criminal background check (required by Texas and Illinois; Illinois requires them within 60 days of applying)
- A Social Security number, or an affidavit where the board allows one. Illinois asks for the number if you have one, and an affidavit if you do not. See our SSN guide
- The Nursing Jurisprudence Exam, for Texas
License validations carry an age limit. TruMerit requires the validating signature to be dated within the last three years, and some boards want it within nine months of the report date.
What it costs
| Item | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| TruMerit CES Professional Report application | $485 | TruMerit fee schedule |
| TruMerit Credentials Verification Service for New York | $425 | TruMerit fee schedule |
| NCLEX registration fee | $200 (becomes $350 for registrations on or after Feb 1, 2027) | NCSBN |
| International scheduling fee | $150 | NCSBN |
| State board fee, New York | $143 (license plus first registration) | NYSED |
| State board fee, Texas | $75 (includes the jurisprudence exam) | Texas Board of Nursing |
| State board fee, Illinois | $98 (paid through the board's testing vendor) | IDFPR |
| VisaScreen, if you need it for immigration | $740 | TruMerit fee schedule |
Fixed costs for a route through each board, using the current $200 registration fee: Texas $910 (485 + 350 + 75), Illinois $933 (485 + 350 + 98), New York with TruMerit's verification service $918 (425 + 350 + 143). Add $150 to each if you register on or after February 1, 2027. These totals leave out English tests, fingerprints, transcript and license-verification fees charged by your school and the PRC, and translation. Our NCLEX cost calculator covers those.
New York, Texas and Illinois compared
| New York | Texas | Illinois | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Board fee | $143 | $75 | $98 |
| Foreign credentials | TruMerit CVS, or Forms 2F and 3F from your school and licensing authority | CES Full Education Professional report | CES report from TruMerit (CGFNS) or ERES |
| English test | Check with NYSED | Only if the program was not taught in English | If English is not your first language |
| Fingerprints | Check with NYSED | Yes | Yes, within 60 days of applying |
| ATT validity | Set on your ATT | 75 days | Set on your ATT |
| Other | Form 3F license verification | Jurisprudence exam; must have worked in the last 4 years or be within 4 years of graduation | SSN or affidavit; 3 years to complete the application |
Processing times move with each board's workload. Our state comparison tracks them.
Canada and Australia in brief
Canada. Provincial regulators decide eligibility, and the NCLEX-RN is the entry exam for most of them. Many provinces start with an assessment by the National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS), but not every regulator uses it, so confirm with your province before you pay. The Canadian NCLEX registration fee rises from CAD $360 to CAD $570 on February 1, 2027. See our NCLEX USA vs Canada comparison and the NCLEX Canada application service.
Australia. The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia assesses your qualifications first. Nurses whose qualifications are relevant but not substantially equivalent complete the Outcomes Based Assessment: the NCLEX-RN as the multiple-choice stage, then an OSCE. The NCLEX registration fee for Australia becomes $350 on February 1, 2027. See our Australia OBA guide and the NCLEX Australia application service.
After you pass: endorsement and renewal
A US license covers the state that issued it. To work in another state you apply there by endorsement, and the new board verifies your license, usually through Nursys when the first state takes part. New York, for example, requires Nursys verification for nurses licensed in a participating state. Each board sets its own endorsement fee and extra requirements. Texas charges $150 for endorsement, and some boards also ask for a fresh credential evaluation, so check before you apply. Start with our USRN endorsement service.
Renewal cycles differ too. New York registers a license for three years and charges $73 to renew, while Texas renews every two years for $68. Continuing education and other conditions vary by state. Letting a license lapse can block endorsement later, so track the date. Our USRN license renewal service handles renewals.
Common mistakes
Sending documents yourself
Boards and evaluators want documents from the issuing school or licensing authority. Texas states that verifications received from an applicant are not accepted. Ask your school and the PRC to send them directly.
Letting the ATT expire
The window is fixed and cannot be extended. Texas gives 75 days and the average elsewhere is 90. Book your seat as soon as the ATT arrives, and do not trigger the ATT until your review is far enough along.
Buying the wrong evaluation
New York wants TruMerit's verification service or direct forms. Texas and Illinois want a CES report. Check the board's page before you pay TruMerit.
Letting a license verification go stale
TruMerit requires the validating signature to be dated within the last three years, and some boards set a shorter limit. Texas verifications are valid for one year after signing.
Skipping the English requirement
A missing English score holds the file. Check your board's rule early, because scores must be under two years old at TruMerit.
Missing the fee date
Registering on or after February 1, 2027 costs $350, not $200, and retakes included. If you are close to ready, registering before that date saves $150.
How NEAC helps
NEAC (NEAC Medical Exams Application Center) is a Philippines-based application processing service for internationally educated healthcare professionals. It has served more than 100,000 applicants since 2007. For NCLEX applicants, NEAC helps with board selection, forms, document coordination with schools, the PRC and TruMerit, status tracking, ATT follow-up, exam scheduling and, after licensure, endorsement and renewal.
| Service | Link |
|---|---|
| NCLEX application, USA | NCLEX USA Exam Application |
| NCLEX application, Canada | NCLEX Canada Exam Application |
| NCLEX application, Australia | NCLEX Australia Exam Application |
| USRN license endorsement | USRN Endorsement Application |
| USRN license renewal | USRN License Renewal Application |
Frequently asked questions
Can international nurses take the NCLEX outside the United States?
Yes. NCSBN lists the Philippines among its international locations, and you can test year-round at Pearson Professional Centers there. You still apply to a US state board for eligibility, and you pay an international scheduling fee of $150 on top of the registration fee.
Do Filipino nurses need IELTS for the NCLEX?
It depends on the board. Texas asks for an English test only when the nursing program was not taught in English. Illinois asks applicants whose first language is not English for TOEFL or IELTS. TruMerit decides exemptions case by case and tells the applicant directly. Check your board before you book a test.
What is the NCLEX pass rate for internationally educated nurses?
In 2025, 47.3% of first-time internationally educated candidates passed the NCLEX-RN (24,999 of 52,827), according to NCSBN. For first-time candidates educated in the Philippines the rate was 45.8% (22,793 tested). First-time US-educated candidates passed at 86.7%.
Can I apply to more than one state at the same time?
Your NCLEX registration is tied to one nursing regulatory body. NCSBN charges $50 to change the board after you register. Pick one board for your first license, then endorse to others after you pass.
What happens if I fail?
NCSBN requires 45 test-free days between attempts and allows up to eight attempts a year. You register again, pay the registration fee again and wait for a new ATT. Some boards add stricter limits or extra steps, so read your board's retake rules. Registrations made on or after February 1, 2027 cost $350, including retakes.
How long is the ATT valid?
The board sets the window. NCSBN says the average is 90 days, and Texas uses 75. The dates cannot be extended for any reason. If you do not test in time, you register and pay again.
How much does the NCLEX application cost for an international nurse?
Fixed fees run about $910 for a Texas route, $933 for Illinois and $918 for New York with TruMerit's verification service, using the current $200 registration fee. Add $150 if you register on or after February 1, 2027, plus English tests, fingerprints and document fees.
Is the NCLEX the same exam for the USA, Canada and Australia?
Yes. NCSBN runs one NCLEX-RN, delivered by Pearson VUE. The registration fee and the approving body differ by country.
How do I move my license to another state?
Apply to the new board by endorsement. It verifies your license, usually through Nursys, and charges its own fee. Some boards, Texas among them, have extra requirements, so check first.
Related resources
- How to apply for the NCLEX in the Philippines
- NCLEX cost calculator: Philippines to USA
- Fastest NCLEX states for Filipino nurses
- VisaScreen certificate for Filipino nurses
- NGN format for Filipino nurses
Sources: NCSBN 2025 NCLEX Examination Statistics and fee schedule (ncsbn.org); nclex.com FAQs and results page; TruMerit fee schedule and CES Professional Report page (trumerit.org); NYSED Office of the Professions (op.nysed.gov); Texas Board of Nursing licensure and fee pages (bon.texas.gov); IDFPR RN user guide (idfpr.illinois.gov); Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia fact sheet (nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au).
