Canada · Licensing examWhich Canada nursing exam do you need?
| Nurse | Exam | Where |
|---|---|---|
| RN | NCLEX-RN | Canada, excluding Quebec |
| RPN | REx-PN | Ontario |
| LPN in British Columbia | REx-PN | British Columbia |
| LPN in other regions | CPNRE | Regions listed below |
Your regulator decides. Apply there first, even when another organization writes or delivers the exam. The RN row comes from the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO), which describes the NCLEX-RN as the registration exam for anyone in Canada, excluding Quebec, applying to become an RN.
Where practical nurses write the CPNRE
The CPNRE’s own site lists regulators for these provinces and territories:
- Alberta
- Manitoba
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Northwest Territories and Nunavut, under one regulator
- Nova Scotia
- Prince Edward Island
- Saskatchewan
- Yukon
Quebec isn’t on this list and doesn’t use the REx-PN, so ask the regulator there. If you’re searching for the “CLPNA exam”, that’s the CPNRE: the clpna.com address of the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta opens the site of the College of LPNs and HCAs of Alberta (CLHA), which publishes CPNRE pass rates for Alberta’s programs.
How the REx-PN and CPNRE differ
| Feature | REx-PN | CPNRE |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Adaptive, 90 to 150 items | Linear on the fly: a different equivalent form for each writer |
| Developed by | NCSBN | In collaboration with Yardstick Assessment Strategies |
| Delivered by | Pearson test centres | Online, with remote proctoring by Meazure Learning |
| When | Any time a seat is open | Set windows in January, March, May, July, September and November |
The CPNRE column uses what the Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador regulators publish, so check with your own for its details. Passing one exam doesn’t always settle things when you move: B.C.’s rule on CPNRE results is on the LPN exam page.
Is the REx-PN the same as the NCLEX-PN?
No. NCSBN wrote both, and both use computerized adaptive testing, but the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) says the REx-PN is its own exam, built for BCCNM and CNO, and that candidates won’t write the NCLEX-PN. REx-PN items are written by Canadian nursing educators who teach in Ontario and B.C. practical nurse programs, and they’re reviewed against the legal scope of practice there.
The NCLEX-PN has its own page in the NCLEX course here, which compares it with the NCLEX-RN.
The exam for registered nurses
If you’re looking for the registered nurse exam, you want the NCLEX-RN and not the REx-PN. In Ontario and B.C., the regulator that handles your practical nurse application also handles RN applications, but the exam, the test plan and the fee are separate. The NCLEX-RN has its own course on this site, including how it works in Canada.
Sources: CNO · BCCNM · NCSBN and 7 more. Checked November 2026.
- CNO: Registration Examination ↗
- CNO: Application Fees ↗
- BCCNM: REx-PN FAQs ↗
- NCSBN: About the REx-PN ↗
- NCSBN: REx-PN FAQs ↗
- NCSBN: Exams ↗
- CPNRE: Regulatory authorities ↗
- CLHA: CPNRE statistics ↗
- Nova Scotia regulator: CPNRE ↗
- NL College of Nurses: CPNRE ↗
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.
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