Frequently Asked Questions Get Answers to Common REx-PN Questions

New REx-PN items (questions) are written by Canadian nursing educators who teach in Practical Nurse programs across Ontario and British Columbia.

All items undergo:

1. Editorial review to ensure all language is clear and free from errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation.
2. Content (nursing) review to ensure items are accurate and reflect current, entry-level PN practice in Ontario and British Columbia.
3. Regulatory body review to ensure item content reflects only material that falls with the legal scope of PN practice.
4. Sensitivity/bias review to ensure fairness across Canada’s geographically and culturally diverse population of graduates.
5. Translation review (Ontario only) to ensure accuracy and equivalence of all items presented to francophone exam writers.
6. Statistical review to ensure items accurately measure the knowledge, skills and abilities of each graduate.

The cycle takes up to 18 months per question.

Because Canadian healthcare changes rapidly, every five years a Practice Analysis will be conducted to determine current nursing activities being performed by Licensed Practical Nurses/Registered Practical Nurses (LPNs/RPNs) in British Columbia and Ontario. Relevant entry-level competencies will then be assessed to ensure they align with this practice analysis.

The results will inform the REx-PN Test Plan, which identifies what content is eligible for testing and in what percentages this content will appear. Every item appearing on the exam directly links to a nursing activity from the practice analysis study. The activities are found in the Test Plan and can help students and graduates prepare for the exam.

The passing standard is the level at which exam writers need to perform in order to pass. Every five years, the REx-PN passing standard will be re-evaluated to ensure that success on the REx-PN continues to reflect the amount of nursing knowledge needed to practice competently at the entry level.

Several methods are used to ensure the REx-PN reflects Canadian practice:

• The Practice Analysis survey gathers information about what activities entry-level LPN/RPNs are actually performing as part of their jobs. The results of the Practice Analysis in turn lead to the REx-PN Test Plan, which defines the content eligible to be tested. Exam items are then developed to measure knowledge of — but not go beyond —this eligible content.
• The current entry-level competencies for LPNs/RPNs have been reviewed by Canadian regulators and nurse educators to ensure they are reflected in the REx-PN activity statements from the practice analysis.
• All REx-PN items are reviewed by expert committees of Canadian nurses who ensure that all content reflects Canadian entry-level PN practice.
• All REx-PN items will undergo a regulatory body review to ensure content falls within the legal scope of PN practice.

To meet the needs of French-speaking REx-PN writers, the REx-PN will be offered in French (Ontario only). Exam items (questions) are being translated by professional translators with expertise in Canadian French.

Following translation, a Canadian French Translation Review committee, made up of nurses who are proficient in English and Canadian French, reviews each translated item for accuracy and contextual equivalency. When this committee identifies linguistic issues requiring further input, they can refer the matter to a decision body called the Lexicon Panel which meets regularly and considers how to ensure terms and item content will be best understood by all francophone REx-PN writers. The decisions of this body inform a Style Guide that is used by translators and a lexicon of terms. The lexicon will be published as a resource for educators and REx-PN writers.

NCSBN invites nurses from all jurisdictions using the REx-PN to participate as Subject Matter Expert nurse volunteers on the REx-PN Practice Analysis Panel. Because the Canadian health care industry is rapidly changing, practice analysis studies are traditionally conducted on a five-year cycle. Information gathered in the practice analysis studies assists NCSBN in evaluating the validity of the test plan.

More information is available in the REx-PN Practice Analysis.

The periodic performance of practice analysis (i.e., job analysis) studies assists NCSBN in evaluating the validity of the REx-PN test plan. The practice analysis survey is sent to entry-level nurses to rate the frequency, importance, and practice setting applicability of each activity statement. Using this methodology, the practice analysis gathers information regarding variation across nursing practice settings. Prior to inclusion on the survey, a panel of nurse experts representative of various practice settings and geographic areas evaluates the current list of activity statements and edits them as needed. If newly licensed nurses are working in specialty units, this information is reflected in the demographic results from the practice analysis.

More information is available in the REx-PN Practice Analysis.

Over the course of a year, NCSBN invites nurses from all geographic areas and practice settings using REx-PN to participate on REx-PN Item Development Panels (Practice Analysis, item writing, item review, Regulatory Body Review and Panel of Judges [POJ] for Standard Setting Process).

To participate in the item development process, experienced nurse volunteers must educate nursing students in the clinical setting or work directly with entry-level nurses and be familiar with entry-level nursing knowledge. Input from entry-level nurses is sought out in areas of the item development process, such as the Practice Analysis and the POJ for Standard Setting.

While most questions on the REx-PN will be multiple choice, the exam also includes multiple response and fill-in-the-blank calculation. Some questions will also be provided as exhibits and graphics.

The questions provided in the REx-PN will be different for each candidate (please see this short video about computerized adaptive testing for more information about this). Each candidate will receive a unique set of questions. As a result, the frequency and number of each question type will vary for each candidate.

Yes, a calculator will be provided on the computer within the testing environment.

No. If needed to answer the question, a relevant practice setting will be stated.

While there will be a time limit of 4 hours to complete the overall exam, no time limit will be set per question. On similar exams, candidates generally take 60 – 90 seconds per question.

During the REx-PN, candidates should not feel the need to rush, but should focus on showing their competence. For more information on the time limit, please see the REx-PN Test Plan.

Yes, pretest questions (sometimes referred to as pilot or beta questions), will be included throughout the exam, but will not be scored as part of the candidate’s final result.

All REx-PN questions must be tested and evaluated before they can be formally included as a scored question.

Candidates will not know which questions are counted.

Exam results will be provided to the candidate by the nursing regulatory body in the province where the candidate seeks registration. For more information, please visit the nursing regulatory body’s website.

To take the REx-PN, you will need to:

Register with the regulatory body in the province where you are seeking licensure/registration (either British Columbia or Ontario). You can obtain full details by visiting the appropriate website:

• British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM)
• College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO)

When your nursing Regulatory Body states that you are eligible to take the REx-PN, then register with Pearson VUE, the testing vendor, using one of the following methods:

Online - Visit the Pearson VUE registration website. You'll need to pay with a credit, debit or prepaid card

Phone - Call Pearson VUE REx-PN Candidate Services at 866.496.2539 and pay the exam fee by credit, debit or prepaid card

Find out more about the REx-PN registration process.

You can take the REx-PN at any Pearson Professional Center testing location, regardless of where you are applying for licensure/registration.

Domestic test centers are those within Canadian provinces/territories and the mainland U.S. (not including territories). International locations where the REx-PN is offered include Australia, Brazil, England, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Philippines, Puerto Rico, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan and in Turkey.

Candidates can find test center locations by going to the Pearson VUE website.

For more information on where the REx-PN is offered, visit the Testing Center Locations page.

You should register for the REx-PN when you have received confirmation from the nursing regulatory body (NRB) that you are eligible to test. The NRB will confirm your eligibility to take the REx-PN by email. Your Authorization to Test (ATT) email will be sent to the email address you provided when registering. If you have not received an ATT email, contact your nursing regulatory body to ensure all necessary materials have been submitted and received, or to find out why they have not granted eligibility to your registration.

You need the ATT to schedule an appointment to take the REx-PN.

The ATT contains your authorization number, candidate identification number and an expiration date. You must test within the validity dates of your ATT. These validity dates cannot be extended for any reason. If you do not test within these dates you will have to re-register and pay another exam fee. 

Call Pearson VUE REx-PN Candidate Services at 866.496.2539 or at one of the international telephone numbers in the REx-PN Candidate Bulletin to report a lost ATT or if your nursing regulatory body has made you eligible but you have not received your ATT. You can log into your Pearson VUE account and request their ATT to be resent.

No. There are no refunds of REx-PN fees for any reason. For more information, visit the Fees and Payment page.

All forms of identification (ID) must be valid and meet the following requirements. If the ID does not meet these requirements, you will be turned away and required to re-register and pay another examination fee:

• Physical (non-digital)
• Non-expired
• Government-issued
• Include name (in Roman characters)
• Include recent photograph
• Include signature

Examples of acceptable forms of ID for domestic test centers are:

• Passport 
• Driver's license
• Provincial/Territorial identity card
• Permanent residence card
• Military identification card

The only IDs acceptable for international test centers are:

• Passports

Candidates with ID from a country on the U.S. government's sanctioned countries will have to follow the requirements listed to sit for the exam. For more information on IDs, visit the Acceptable Identification page.

Definitions of Domestic and International Test Centers

Yes, the registration fee is forfeited if you cannot cancel outside of 24 business hours from your appointment and/or do not keep your appointment. You will need to re-register and pay another exam fee. Because a test was not administered, you would be able to test after you are made eligible again by your nursing regulatory body and receive a new Authorization to Test. The same policy applies to a candidate who does not test within their authorization period.

Candidates are encouraged to visit Pearson VUE’s website for COVID-19 related testing information. 

The following REx-PN resources are available in French:

• REx-PN Test Plan
• REx-PN Tutorial
• REx-PN Candidate Bulletin
• REx-PN Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

No. Candidates must answer a question in order to move onto the next question. For more information, visit the Computerized Adaptive Testing page.

The REx-PN uses consistent language for every candidate. To achieve accurate, stable measurement, terminology used in exam items can have only one meaning. NCSBN understands most clinicians acknowledge both generic and brand/trade names when referring to drug medications. At this time, the REx-PN will reflect, on most occasions, the use of generic medication names only. We take into account that the use of the medication generic name is more consistent while a brand/trade medication name may vary. Some items may refer to general classifications of medications.

Measurements are provided in metric units.

Some items require the candidate to perform a calculation. In this situation, the item will include client information the candidate will use to perform the calculation. Each item will include directions to submit the answer in a whole number or using decimal places. Answers to calculation items should be rounded at the end of the calculation.

REx-PN exam items are reviewed on a continuous basis prior to being placed in a live exam. In cases where there is an immediate change in nursing practice, such as the discontinuation of a medication, all items relevant to the topic in question will be reviewed to ensure that item content remains accurate. If necessary, items can be pulled from the exam as needed to assure only current content is used in the assessment of entry-level practical nurses.

To better prepare students for the REx-PN, educators can gain familiarity with the current REx-PN Test Plan, its corresponding content distribution and examination delivery methodology. REx-PN resources are available free of charge for educators and students. These resources include:

• REx-PN Tutorial
• REx-PN Candidate Bulletin
• REx-PN Test Plan
• Computerized Adaptive Test (CAT) educational video and presentations
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

NCSBN encourages educators and students to utilize these resources and become familiar with the REx-PN, its delivery, anticipated item types, specific terminology and test site administration rules.

Your scores on the practice exam are not a predictor of whether you will pass or fail the REx-PN exam. The REx-PN Practice Exam is intended to be a tool to help you prepare for the REx-PN so you gain an understanding of the look and feel of the actual exam. While they will be similar in format, style and topics covered, the difficulty of the questions on the practice exam will not be the same as those on the actual exam, nor will you have the opportunity to answer the same number of questions as with the actual exam.

Please contact Pearson VUE at pearsonvue.com/contact.

Each exam is available for a one-time use within 45 days from the date of purchase. When you start your exam, the clock begins and the exam will run continually for 4 hours. After the clock runs out, the exam is no longer accessible. Each exam can only be started once. For that reason, before you begin, it is important to set aside the time needed to take the exam.

On the actual REx-PN exam, which is a Computerized Adaptive Test (CAT), you are required to answer questions in the order they are presented and you are not allowed to go back to previous questions. The REx-PN Practice Exam is designed to provide you with the look and feel of the actual exam. 

The REx-PN Practice Exam is non-refundable for any reason. The practice exam is not intended to be used as a tool to help you study the nursing content covered on the actual exam.

It is important to note that the practice exam will not be scored in the same way as the actual REx-PN exam. The score reports for the Practice Exam are informational only; they provide you with the percentage of questions you answered correctly from the total number of questions on the form. (If you were unable to answer all 80 questions on the form, your score is the percentage of correct questions based on the total number of questions.) 

The practice exam provides a look and feel of the actual REx-PN exam, but is not intended to be used as a nursing content study tool.

To help you most closely replicate the look and feel of the exam, we encourage you to access the REx-PN Practice Exam on a laptop or a workstation computer.

Yes, you can purchase vouchers to give to your students that will give them access to take the practice exam. Visit the voucher store website for the REx-PN Practice Exam. Complete and submit the form. Once your order is completed, the voucher store will email you with the voucher numbers. You can then distribute the voucher numbers to your students to use. Each voucher is good for one purchase.

The REx-PN tutorial helps candidates familiarize themselves with the different REx-PN item types and the computer software.