Healthcare licensure exams for nurses and physical therapists

NCLEX-RN is the licensure exam for registered nurses; NCLEX-PN is for practical/vocational nurses (LPN/LVN). Both measure the knowledge, skills and clinical judgment needed for safe entry-level practice, but the RN exam covers a broader scope, including management of care and complex clinical decisions. You take the exam that matches the program you graduated from.

Both NCLEX exams are computerized adaptive tests: the exam adjusts to your answers and stops once it can decide with confidence whether you pass. Candidates answer between 85 and 150 questions within up to 5 hours. Since April 2023, the Next Generation NCLEX also includes clinical judgment case studies and new item types.

The AANPCB Family Nurse Practitioner exam is an entry-level, competency-based exam of clinical knowledge across the lifespan, leading to the NP-C credential. It has 150 questions in 3 hours and covers assessment, diagnosis, planning and evaluation. To sit it you need an accredited FNP master's, DNP or post-graduate certificate and an active RN license.

The NPTE for physical therapists is administered by FSBPT. Candidates must graduate from a CAPTE-accredited physical therapist program and be approved by the jurisdiction where they want to be licensed. The exam tests entry-level competence across body systems - cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, neuromuscular and more - plus areas such as equipment, safety and professional responsibilities.