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Nursing and medical licensing exams explained

To work as a nurse, doctor, dentist or pharmacist, you normally pass a licensing exam and then register with a regulator. Those are often two different bodies: one writes the exam, the other decides whether you can practise. If you trained in another country, expect a separate route with its own tests, and talk to the regulator before you book anything.

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United States18 exams Canada7 exams United Kingdom4 exams Australia4 exams

United States

Health in the United States

ARRT RegistryUSSoon
ASWB Social WorkUSSoon
Counselor ExamsUS
DANBUSSoon
EPPPUSSoon
INBDEUSSoon
NAPLEX & MPJEUSSoon
NBCOTUSSoon
NBDHEUSSoon
NCLEXAU, CA, US
NP BoardsUSSoon
NPTEUSSoon
PANCEUSPharmacy Tech ExamUSRD ExamUS
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USMLEUS
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Everything in the United States

Canada

Health in Canada

MCCQECASoon
NCLEXAU, CA, US
NDEBCASoon
PEBC PharmacistCASoon
PEBC Pharmacy TechnicianCA
Physio PCECASoon
REx-PNCASoon
Everything in Canada

United Kingdom

Health in the United Kingdom

GPhC AssessmentUKSoon
NMC CBTUKSoon
ORE DentalUKSoon
PLABUKSoon
Everything in the United Kingdom

Australia

Health in Australia

ADC DentalAUSoon
AMC MCQAUSoon
KAPS PharmacyAUSoon
NCLEXAU, CA, US
Everything in Australia

Who writes the exam and who gives the licence

In the US, the exam is usually national and the licence comes from a state board. Nurses take the NCLEX from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Doctors take the USMLE, which the Federation of State Medical Boards and the National Board of Medical Examiners own together, in three steps: Step 1, Step 2 CK and Step 3. Canada works much the same way. Ontario's registered nurses apply to the College of Nurses of Ontario and then write the NCLEX-RN, practical nurses in Ontario and BC write the REx-PN, and doctors sit the Medical Council of Canada's MCCQE.

The UK and Australia lean on separate tests for people trained abroad. Nurses coming to the UK take the NMC's Test of Competence, a computer test plus a practical OSCE. Overseas doctors in Australia start with the Australian Medical Council's MCQ exam, and overseas dentists go through the Australian Dental Council in stages.

What the exams have in common

Most start with a long multiple-choice exam on a computer at a test centre. As of October 2026, the MCCQE has 230 questions in two sections of up to 2 hours 40 minutes each, and the AMC MCQ has 150 questions in a single 3.5-hour session. The NCLEX is adaptive, so the computer picks each question based on how you're doing.

The written test is rarely the last step. Clinical exams, supervised practice and character checks follow, and a pass doesn't promise a job or even a licence. PEBC, which sets Canada's pharmacy exams, says so plainly.

Questions people ask

FAQ

What is the nursing exam called?

In the US and Canada it's the NCLEX, with an RN version for registered nurses. Practical nurses in Ontario and British Columbia take the REx-PN instead. Nurses trained outside the UK who want to join the NMC register take its Test of Competence.

Is there one national licensure examination for doctors?

Within a country, mostly yes. The US uses the USMLE and Canada the MCCQE. Canada's is taken both by its own medical students and by international graduates applying for residency. Doctors trained overseas who want to work in Australia take the AMC MCQ exam and then the AMC Clinical Exam.

Can I take a medical or nursing licensing exam online?

Usually not from home. The NCLEX is booked through Pearson VUE and taken at a test centre, the MCCQE is given at Prometric centres in Canada and over 70 other countries, and the AMC MCQ is sat at Pearson VUE centres around the world.

Who sets the dental boards exam?

It depends on the country. In Canada it's the National Dental Examining Board, and in Australia the Australian Dental Council, which takes overseas dentists through an initial assessment, a written exam and a practical exam. In the US, dentists and dental hygienists sit national board exams and then apply to a state board for the licence itself.

Does passing the exam mean I'm licensed?

No. You still apply to the regulator in the state, province or country where you'll work, and it can add its own checks. In the US that means a state board, and in Canada the provincial college.

Sources: NCSBN, USMLE, College of Nurses of Ontario and 5 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.