NCLEX Fee Increase 2027: $200 to $350 on February 1

NCSBN announced the new fee on August 21, 2026. From February 1, 2027, registration costs $350 in the United States and Australia and $570 (CAD) in Canada. NCSBN attributes the change to 25 years of inflation and the rising cost of exam delivery, data protection, and cybersecurity.

No other NCLEX fee changes. The international scheduling fee and the fee for changing an exam appointment stay the same. The REx-PN exam fee is not affected. State board of nursing application fees are set by each board and are separate from the NCLEX fee.

Candidates file two separate applications: one to the state board of nursing for a license, and one to Pearson VUE to register for the exam. According to NCLEX, a Pearson VUE registration stays open for 365 days while it waits for the board to confirm the candidate is eligible. Once the board does, the candidate receives an Authorization to Test (ATT) by email. The exam must be taken within the validity dates printed on it.

The fee is charged when the registration is completed. A registration completed on January 31, 2027 is charged the current fee, and one completed on February 1, 2027 is charged the new fee. The date of the exam appointment has no effect on the amount.

According to NCLEX, the registration fee is not refunded when a board does not make a candidate eligible within 365 days. The candidate then has to register again and pay the fee in force at that time, which after January 31, 2027 is the higher one.

The same applies to the ATT. According to NCLEX, a candidate who waits until the ATT is close to expiring may not find a test center seat before it lapses. In that case the candidate must register again and pay another exam fee. Scheduling soon after the ATT arrives protects the fee already paid. Appointments can be rescheduled by calling Pearson VUE at least 24 hours ahead.

The deadline matters most to three groups. The first is nursing students who finish their program in late 2026 or early 2027, provided their board is likely to make them eligible within 365 days of registering. The second is candidates who have applied to a board but have not yet registered with Pearson VUE. The third is candidates planning a retake. Repeat candidates are offered appointments starting 45 days after their last attempt.

A candidate whose board approval is unlikely to arrive within a year gains nothing from registering early, since an expired registration is not refunded. Each state board lists its own requirements on the license pages linked below.

Registration is done with Pearson VUE online or by telephone, paid by Visa, MasterCard, or American Express. Nursing schools and agencies can also pay through third-party payment. NCLEX does not allow two open registrations for the same exam type at once, and a duplicate registration is not refunded.

The board application is a separate step with its own fee. The table lists each state board's official lookup, renewal cycle, continuing education hours, and license application fee.

The NCLEX registration fee is $200 until January 31, 2027 and $350 from February 1, 2027. The charge depends on the day registration is completed. A registration stays open 365 days while the board reviews eligibility. An expired registration or an expired ATT is not refunded. Candidates whose board approval should arrive within a year can save $150 by registering before February 1, 2027 and scheduling soon after the ATT arrives.