NCSBN Examination Candidate Rules – You must thoroughly read this document prior to being seated for the examination. Violations of the NCSBN Examination Candidate Rules or not following the instructions of the Test Administrator (TA), may result in your examination result being withheld and/or canceled, and your examination fee will not be refunded. NCSBN and your nursing regulatory body may take other action, up to and including license revocation and referral to law enforcement for criminal prosecution.

On exam day at check-in, you are directed to read the Candidate Statement and provide an electronic signature, agreeing to the terms and conditions of the NCLEX. In addition and to ensure a high level of security, you will be monitored at all times and recorded by both audio and video.

Examples of prohibited, irregular behavior include, but are not limited to, the following:

Do Not Access Electronic Devices

All electronic devices (cell/mobile/smart phones, smart watches, MP3 players, fitness bands, jump drives, cameras, etc.) must be placed inside a Pearson VUE provided plastic bag.

  • Candidates who refuse to store their cell/mobile/smart phones or other electronic devices in the Pearson VUE provided plastic bag upon check-in will not be allowed to test. They will be required to reregister and pay another exam fee for any additional exam appointments.
  • Return the bag unopened: After the exam, you must return your unopened, Pearson VUE bag to the administration desk to be opened and examined by the TA. Any tampering of the bag before checkout will result in an incident case report.

Personal Items Policy

All personal items must be stored in your locker. Pearson Professional Centers are not responsible for lost, stolen, or misplaced items. For any questions regarding what you can and cannot access outside the testing room, ask the TA.

  • Do not access the following during your exam: Study notes (any educational and/or test preparation materials).
    • Cell/mobile/smart phones, smart watches, MP3 players, fitness bands, jump drives, cameras, or any other electronic device.
    • Weapons of any kind.

The following items are not allowed in the testing room, but may be accessed while on break:

  • Bags/purses/wallets/watches (smart watches must be placed in the plastic bag.)
  • Coats/hats
  • Medical aids/devices
  • Food or drink, gum/candy
  • Lip balm
  • Scarves/gloves

Examination Confidentiality

Disclosure of examination items before, during, or after the examination is prohibited and may result in referral to law enforcement for criminal prosecution.

  • You may not remove examination items and/or responses (in any format) or notes about the examination from the testing room.

NCSBN Examination Candidate Rules

  • You may not disclose or discuss with anyone, including instructors, information about the items or answers seen in your examination (this includes posting or discussing questions on the Internet and social media websites).
  • You may not reconstruct exam items using your memory of your exam or the memory of others.
  • You may not seek help from any other party in answering items (in person, by phone, text or by email) during your examination (including breaks).
  • You may not copy or reconstruct exam items during or following your exam for any reason. Do not copy exam items word-for-word onto the note boards provided.
  • You must comply with any investigation that needs to be conducted.
  • Note: If you witness any of the above behavior, or any irregular behavior that is in violation of the Candidate Rules, you are required to report it to NCSBN and comply with any follow up investigation.

Testing Room Policy

  • The TA will provide you with an erasable note board and marker before you enter the testing room.
  • You may not use the note board to cover any part of the screen during your examination.
  • A clean note board can be requested during your examination by raising your hand. The erasable note board and marker may not be removed from the testing room during the examination except by the TA, and these items must be returned to the TA after the examination.
  • Writing on any materials other than the note board is strictly prohibited and will result in an incident case report and results will be placed on hold (do not make notes to yourself on your hands or anywhere on your body about items you see on the exam).
  • If you experience hardware or software problems during the examination, notify the TA immediately by raising your hand.
  • Earplugs are available from the TA upon request; it is not acceptable to bring your own earplugs.
  • You may not take the examination for somebody else.

Break Procedures

You will be given the opportunity to take a scheduled break after approximately two hours, and again after approximately three and a half hours of examination testing time. Instructions will appear on your computer screen at the appropriate times. All breaks count against testing time. The exam clock will not stop while you are on a scheduled or unscheduled break.

  • To request a break at any other time, or to exit the testing room for any other reason, you must raise your hand and wait to be escorted out of the testing room. A palm vein scan will be taken when you leave, and again when you re-enter the testing room. The TA will resume the exam for you upon your return.
  • Lanyard policy: The TA will attach a lanyard to your locker key. The lanyard must remain visible during the break.

Reporting Examination Concerns

If you have any problems or complaints regarding the examination or its administration, please call Exam Candidate Services toll free at 1-866-496-2539, or External Linksubmit an inquiry, within 14 days of your examination.

Exam data is encrypted and transferred electronically to your nursing regulatory body. Please refrain from asking the TA about exam content and/or results. If you have questions about the examination, please External Linkcontact NCSBN.

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