NCLEX at a Pearson VUE test center: where to test, and exam day

Which Pearson VUE test centers offer the NCLEX?

If you’re seeking U.S. licensure, any center in the U.S. and its territories counts as domestic: that includes American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For Canadian registration, centers in Canada and the mainland U.S. count as domestic.

Pearson also runs international centers. As of October 2026, NCLEX.com lists Australia, Brazil, France, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Türkiye and the United Kingdom. Testing at one adds an international scheduling fee, and the list can change without notice. NCLEX.com also posts a quarterly update on international centers and a list of temporary testing locations in Canada.

What ID to bring to the NCLEX

One ID that’s physical (not digital), unexpired and government-issued, with a recent photo, a signature and your name in Roman characters. The first and last names must match your registration exactly. If your ID has no signature, bring a second one that does.

• At U.S. and Canadian centers: a passport book or card, driver’s license, state, provincial or territorial ID card, permanent residence card or military ID.
• At international centers, including Puerto Rico: a passport book or card only.
• If your name has changed since you registered: the original marriage license, divorce decree or court name change document.

Without acceptable ID you’re turned away and have to register and pay again. Name changes go through your nursing board, not the test center.

Check-in and the rules on exam day

• Arrive at least 30 minutes early. More than 30 minutes late and you may lose the appointment.
• You give a signature, a photograph and a palm vein scan before you’re admitted, and you sign the Candidate Statement on screen.
• Phones and other electronics are turned off and sealed in a plastic bag Pearson provides. Everything else goes in a locker.
• You get an on-screen calculator and an erasable noteboard with a marker. Handheld calculators, conversion tables and dictionaries aren’t allowed.
• Earplugs come from the test administrator if you ask. You can’t bring your own.
• Hats, scarves, gloves and outerwear stay outside the testing room. Religious and cultural dress is accommodated.
• Friends and family can’t wait for you at the center.

Breaks during the NCLEX

You’re offered an optional break after about two hours of testing and another after about three and a half hours, and you can ask for an unscheduled one by raising your hand. The exam clock keeps running through every break.

You leave the testing room for any break, and you give a palm vein scan on the way out and back in. You can get food, drinks, lip balm and your coat or bag from the locker, but not your phone, notes or study materials.