Registering for the NCLEX costs $200 in the United States today, and that fee rises to $350 on Feb. 1, 2027, per NCSBN's fee notice. That is only part of the bill: your state board of nursing charges its own application fee, which ranges from $75 in North Carolina to $750 for an internationally educated candidate in California.
Most pages answering this question quote the $200 and stop. The number that leaves your bank account is the registration fee plus the board fee plus a background check, and for anyone testing in the next eighteen months the date you register now decides which registration fee you pay.
- The NCLEX registration fee is $200 for U.S. licensure, paid to Pearson at registration.
- It becomes $350 on Feb. 1, 2027, a 75 percent rise and the first change since 2000.
- The registration date sets the price, not your exam date. Register on Jan. 31 and test in June and you still pay $200.
- Your state board of nursing bills separately. A first-time candidate pays about $313 in North Carolina and $500 in California.
- A retake means a full fresh $200 registration, plus whatever your board charges to reapply.
- Registration fees are never refunded, and a registration that sits unused for 365 days is forfeited.
What the NCLEX costs right now
Every candidate pays NCSBN the same registration fee through Pearson. The official fee schedule lists these amounts for candidates seeking U.S. licensure:
| Fee | Amount | When you pay it |
|---|---|---|
| Registration fee | $200 USD | At registration, every attempt |
| Additional international scheduling fee | $150 USD | Only if you schedule at a test center outside your licensing country |
| Change nursing regulatory body after registering | $50 USD | If you switch the board you are seeking licensure from |
| Change exam type (RN to PN, or PN to RN) after registering | $50 USD | If you registered for the wrong exam |
The registration fee is the same for the NCLEX-RN and the NCLEX-PN. There is no separate sitting fee, no per-question charge, and no fee for the computerized adaptive format itself.
Two of those line items catch people out. The international scheduling fee applies when you test outside the country of the board you are applying to, so a candidate seeking U.S. licensure who sits the exam in Manila pays the $200 registration fee plus the $150 scheduling fee. The two $50 change fees apply after you have registered, which is why it pays to confirm your board and your exam type before you submit payment.
The registration fee rises to $350 on February 1, 2027
NCSBN's Delegate Assembly voted at its annual meeting to adjust the fee, and the change takes effect on Feb. 1, 2027. From that date the registration fee is $350 in the United States and Australia, and $570 CAD in Canada.
The NCLEX registration fee before and after Feb. 1, 2027. Source: NCSBN and nclex.com.
Three details matter more than the headline number.
It is the first change since 2000. NCSBN attributes the adjustment to 25 years of inflation and to rising costs for exam delivery, data protection and cybersecurity. A fee that held flat for a quarter century is now moving $150 in one step, which is a 75 percent increase.
Your registration date decides the price, not your exam date. NCSBN is explicit that candidates who complete registration before Feb. 1, 2027 are charged the current fee, and candidates who register on or after that date are charged the adjusted fee. The exam date does not affect it. If you are graduating in spring 2027 and your board will make you eligible in time, registering in January rather than February saves $150 outright.
Retakes are included. The adjusted fee applies to all NCLEX registrations, and NCSBN names retakes specifically. A candidate who fails in late 2026 and retakes in March 2027 pays $200 for the first attempt and $350 for the second.
No other NCLEX fee is changing. The international scheduling fee and the two change fees stay where they are, and the REx-PN examination fee is not affected.
Your state board of nursing sends a second bill
NCSBN collects the registration fee. The licence itself is issued by your nursing regulatory body, and that board sets its own application fee. The nclex.com fee table does not list it; it tells you to contact your board. The spread between boards is wide enough to dwarf every other variable on this page.
Here is what a first-time candidate pays today in three boards whose fee schedules we checked this week:
| Board | Board application fee | Background check | NCLEX registration | Total today | Total from Feb. 1, 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | $75 | $38 | $200 | $313 | $463 |
| New York | $143 (licence and first registration) | Billed by the vendor | $200 | $343 | $493 |
| California (California program graduate) | $300 | Live Scan, or $49 by card | $200 | $500 | $650 |
| California (internationally educated) | $750 | Live Scan, or $49 by card | $200 | $950 | $1,100 |
First-time cost of NCLEX licensure by board, October 2026. Source: board fee schedules.
The California Board of Registered Nursing fee schedule charges $300 for a graduate of a California program, $350 for a graduate of another state or U.S. territory, and $750 for an internationally educated graduate. The North Carolina Board of Nursing charges $75 for an initial examination application and $38 for the criminal background check. In New York, the Office of the Professions charges $143 for licensure and first registration, with a $35 limited permit if you want to work while your application is processed.
The board application fee alone runs from $75 to $750, a tenfold spread. For an internationally educated candidate in California the board fee is nearly four times the NCLEX registration fee. If you are choosing between states for your first licence, or you trained abroad, the board fee deserves more attention than the exam fee does.
Boards set their own fees and change them on their own schedules, so check yours directly through NCSBN's board contact directory rather than trusting a figure in a blog post. Fingerprinting is usually billed by a private vendor, not the board, and the price depends on which vendor you walk into.
What a retake costs
There is no discounted second attempt. A retake is a fresh registration at the full fee, plus whatever your board charges to reapply.
| Board | NCLEX registration | Board repeat fee | Retake total today |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | $200 | $75 | $275 |
| California | $200 | $250 (reapply or repeat examination) | $450 |
After Feb. 1, 2027 those totals become $425 and $600. Given that repeat candidates pass well below the first-time rate, the cheapest retake strategy is the one that makes the second attempt the last one. Our NCLEX pass rate breakdown has the numbers by candidate type, and the pass probability calculator estimates where you currently stand.
Two ways candidates lose the fee entirely
The refund policy is strict and the expiry rule is not widely known. Both can cost you $200 with nothing to show for it.
The 365-day expiry. A registration stays open for 365 days while it waits for your board to make you eligible. If eligibility is not granted inside that window, nclex.com's registration rules say you forfeit the registration and the fee, and you must register and pay again. Candidates whose board applications stall on a transcript, a name change or a background check are the ones this catches.
The duplicate registration. You cannot hold two open registrations for the same exam type. If you register a second time before the first expires, the second registration is processed, denied, and the fee is not refunded.
There is no refund of the registration fee for any reason, including duplicate registrations, failing to reschedule or cancel outside 24 business hours, and failing to appear for your appointment. The international scheduling fee is likewise non-refundable.
Costs this page does not include
The fees above cover registration and licensure. Your real total usually includes several things no board publishes:
- Credential evaluation for internationally educated nurses, ordered through whichever agency your board accepts, which is a separate bill before the board fee.
- Fingerprinting, priced by the Live Scan or vendor site you use rather than the board.
- Prep materials. A question bank or review course is the largest discretionary line for most candidates. Our free NCLEX resources cover what you can get without paying.
- Travel to a Pearson test center, which matters more in rural jurisdictions.
One cost you may be able to recover: the NCLEX is on the Department of Veterans Affairs list of qualified licensure examinations, so eligible veterans and their dependents can be reimbursed for the exam fee using VA Form 22-0803, with no limit on the number of attempts.
Once you have tested, the waiting is its own topic. Knowing whether you passed covers Quick Results, the fee for it, and which boards take part. The NCLEX exam hub collects the rest of the logistics.
NCLEX cost FAQs
How much does it cost to take the NCLEX?
The NCLEX registration fee is $200 for candidates seeking U.S. licensure, paid to Pearson when you register. From Feb. 1, 2027 that fee is $350. On top of it your state board of nursing charges its own application fee, which runs from $75 in North Carolina to $750 for an internationally educated candidate in California, so a realistic first-time total today is between $313 and $950.
Does the 2027 fee increase apply if I have already registered?
No. NCSBN charges the fee that applies on the date you complete registration, and your exam date does not change it. If you register and pay before Feb. 1, 2027, you pay $200 even if you test months later. If you register on or after that date, you pay $350.
How much does it cost to retake the NCLEX?
A retake costs a full fresh registration fee, currently $200 and $350 from Feb. 1, 2027, because there is no reduced rate for a second attempt. Your board usually charges a repeat application fee as well, which is $75 in North Carolina and $250 in California, and you cannot test again until the board issues a new Authorization to Test.
Can I get a refund if I cancel my NCLEX?
No. NCSBN does not refund the registration fee for any reason, including duplicate registrations, failing to cancel or reschedule outside 24 business hours, and not showing up for your appointment. The international scheduling fee is also non-refundable. Eligible veterans can claim reimbursement from the Department of Veterans Affairs after the fact, which is the one route to getting the money back.
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