NCLEX Requirements: Know What's Needed in Your State

NCLEX Requirements

The NCSBN NCLEX is composed of 2 types of nursing certification exams: NCLEX RN and NCLEX LPN/LVN. The former is to be taken by those who want to be registered nurses, while the latter is for those who want to be licensed practical nurses and licensed vocational nurses.

How to register for NCLEX?

To register for NCLEX, the first thing that an applicant can do is to research for the NCLEX requirements. This is because it varies for each state. They have their own conditions for their applicants. It’s important that they meet the requirements and then apply to the state board of nursing.

To search for your state board of nursing, you can check out the list stated below:

NCLEX Requirements by State

State	Contact Information
Alabama	RSA Plaza, Suite 250, 770 Washington Ave., Montgomery, AL 36104 1-800-656-5318
Alaska	550 West Seventh Avenue, Suite 1500 Anchorage, AK 99501-3567 907-269-8161
Arizona	1740 West Adams, Suite 2000 Phoenix, AZ 85007 602-771-7800
Arkansas	1123 S. University, Suite 800 Little Rock, AR 72204-1619 501-686-2700
California	1747 North Market Boulevard, Suite 150 Sacramento, CA 95834 916-322-3350
Colorado	1560 Broadway, Suite 1350 Denver, CO 80202 303-894-2430
Connecticut	410 Capitol Avenue, MS# 13PHO Hartford, CT 06106 860-509-7603
Delaware	861 Silver Lake Blvd., Cannon Building, Suite 203 Dover, DE 19904 302-744-4500
District of Columbia	899 North Capitol Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 877-672-2174
Florida	4042 Bald Cypress Way, Room 120 Tallahassee, FL 32399 850-245-4125
Georgia	237 Coliseum Drive Macon, GA 31217-3858 478-207-2440
Hawaii	King Kalakaua Building, 335 Merchant Street, 3rd Floor Honolulu, HI 96813 808-586-3000
Idaho	280 N. 8th Street, Suite 210 Boise, ID 83702 208-577-2476
Illinois	IDFPR/Nursing Unit 320 W. Washington St., 3rd Floor Springfield, IL 62786 800-560-6420
Indiana	Professional Licensing Agency, 402 W. Washington Street Indianapolis, IN 46204 317-234-2043
Iowa	RiverPoint Business Park 400 S.W. 8th Street, Suite B Des Moines, IA 50309-4685 515-281-3255
Kansas	Landon State Office Building, 900 S.W. Jackson, Suite 1051 Topeka, KS 66612 785-296-4929
Kentucky	312 Whittington Parkway, Suite 300 Louisville, KY 40222 502-429-3300
Louisiana	17373 Perkins Road Baton Rouge, LA 70810 225-755-7500
Maine	161 Capitol Street Augusta, ME 04333 207-287-1133
Maryland	4140 Patterson Avenue Baltimore, MD 21215 410-585-1900
Massachusetts	Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 239 Causeway Street, Suite 500, 5th floor Boston, MA 02114 877-887-9727
Michigan	Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Bureau of Professional Licensing 611 W. Ottawa Lansing, MI 48933 517-0241-0199
Minnesota	1210 Northland Drive, Suite 120 Mendota Heights, MN 55120 612-317-3000
Mississippi	713 Pear Orchard Road, 3rd Floor Ridgeland, MS 39157 601-957-6300
Missouri	3605 Missouri Blvd., Jefferson City, MO 65102-0656 573-751-0681
Montana	301 South Park, Suite 401, Helena, MT 59620-0153 406-841-2300
Nebraska	301 Centennial Mall South Lincoln, NE 68509-4986 402-471-4376
Nevada	5011 Meadowood Mall Way, Suite 300 Reno, NV 89502 775-687-7700
New Hampshire	121 S. Fruit Street Concord, NH 03301 603-271-2323
New Jersey	124 Halsey Street, 6th Floor Newark, NJ 07101 973-504-6430
New Mexico	6301 Indian School Road, NE, Suite 710 Albuquerque, NM 87110 505-841-8340
New York	Education Bldg., 89 Washington Avenue, 2nd Floor West Wing Albany, NY 12234 518-474-3817, Ext. 120
North Carolina	4516 Lake Boone Trail Raleigh, NC 27607 919-782-3211
North Dakota	919 South 7th Street, Suite 504 Bismarck, ND 58504 701-328-9777
Ohio	17 South High Street, Suite 660 Columbus, OH 43215-3413 614-466-3947
Oklahoma	2915 N. Classen Boulevard, Suite 524 Oklahoma City, OK 73106 405-962-1800
Oregon	17938 SW Upper Boones Ferry Rd Portland, OR 97224 971-673-0685
Pennsylvania	P.O. Box 2649 Harrisburg, PA 17105-2649 717-783-7142
Rhode Island	105 Cannon Building, Three Capitol Hill Providence, RI 02908 401-222-5700
South Carolina	Kingstree Building 110 Centerview Drive, Suite 202 Columbia, SC 29210 803-896-4550
South Dakota	4305 South Louise Ave., Suite 201 Sioux Falls, SD 57106-3115 605-362-2760
Tennessee	665 Mainstream Drive Nashville, TN 37243 615.532.5166
Texas	333 Guadalupe, Suite 3-460 Austin, TX 78701 512-305-7400
Utah	Heber M. Wells Bldg., 4th Floor, 160 East 300 South Salt Lake City, UT 84111 801-530-6628
Vermont	89 Main Street, Floor 3 Montpelier, VT 05620-3402 802-828-2396
Virginia	Perimeter Center, 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300 Henrico, VA 23233 804-367-4515
Washington	20425 72nd Avenue South, Building 2, Suite 310 Kent, WA 98032 360-236-4700
West Virginia	90 MacCorkle Ave. SW, Suite 203 South Charleston, WV 25303 304-744-0900
Wisconsin	4822 Madison Yards Way Madison, WI 53705 608-266-2112
Wyoming	130 Hobbs Avenue, Suite B Cheyenne, WY 82002 307-777-7601

Frequently Asked Questions

What does NCLEX stand for?

NCLEX stands for National Council Licensure Examination. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing administers and regulates the exam for more than 50 states in the U.S.

How many times can you take the NCLEX?

Those who fail the exam may take it again after 45 days. In a year, most states allow applicants to retake it at least 8 times.

How to study to pass my NCLEX on the first try?

Passing the NCLEX on the first try means that it is important to be ready for all of the subjects covered in the examinations. You can do things, such as answering free NCLEX questions or reading NCLEX books. You can also manage your time by making an NCLEX study plan. Thus, mastery of NCLEX requires patience and discipline.

What is a good NCLEX review online?

There are many NCLEX reviews you can check online. UWorld NCLEX is one such example. It is one of the most popular ways that you can prepare. You can also make use of free practice tests at Practice Test Geeks. We offer various online tests that’ll help you get ready for any exam, be it for NCLEX RN or NCLEX LPN/LVN.

What is the difference between an LVN and an RN?

LVN or licensed vocational nurses are those under the supervision of RNs or registered nurses. They require a less formal program compared to the latter. Although they can perform similar duties as that of an RN, they do not have the same responsibilities.

Can you pass the NCLEX without studying?

No, you can’t. It covers a lot of content areas and thus needs to be reviewed and prepared for. You might not be able to remember certain lessons if you do not reread your notes. The nursing state exam will require effort and time. That’s why you need to study to pass. You can try visiting NCSBN for NCLEX reviews, for example.

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NCLEX Requirements