NCLEX · Fee & cost
NCLEX exam cost: the fee today and from Feb 1, 2027
The number now
$200
NCLEX registration fee — United States
Registrations completed before Feb 1, 2027
Registrations on or after Feb 1, 2027: $350 (announced) — the registration date decides the fee, not the exam date.
Last verified Oct 13, 2026 · Source: NCLEX / Pearson VUE, NCLEX Fees & Payment, Fees table and refund policy.
These are official group figures, copied by hand from the source shown and checked on the date shown. They describe past candidates, not your chances. Always confirm fees and rules with the official organization before you pay.
The fee table, all three columns
| Fee | United States | Canada | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration fee — today Registrations completed before Feb 1, 2027 | $200 | $360 CAD | $200 |
| Registration fee — from Feb 1, 2027 Announced; the registration date decides which fee you pay | $350 | $570 CAD | $350 |
| Additional international scheduling fee Plus value added tax where applicable · non-refundable | $150 | $150 CAD | $150 |
| Change nursing regulatory body after registration | $50 | $50 CAD | not applicable |
| Change exam type (RN/PN) after registration | $50 | not applicable | not applicable |
| Change exam language (English/French) after registration | not applicable | $50 CAD | not applicable |
| Licensure/registration fee Set by the nursing regulatory body | not published — set by the nursing regulatory body | not published — set by the nursing regulatory body | not published — set by the nursing regulatory body |
The Canadian registration fee excludes local taxes. No effective start date is stated for the current $200 / $360 CAD fees — they are simply the fees today.
Last verified Oct 13, 2026 · Source: NCLEX / Pearson VUE, NCLEX Fees & Payment, Fees table and refund policy.
Fee change announced Aug 21, 2026 · verified Oct 13, 2026 · Source: NCSBN, NCLEX Update: NCLEX Fee Changes Feb. 1.
No refunds: registration fees are not refunded for any reason, and the international scheduling fee is non-refundable.
Which fee do I pay? Two worked examples
NCSBN's rule, in its own words: “Those who complete their registration before Feb. 1, 2027, will be charged the current fee.” “Those who register on or after Feb. 1, 2027, will be charged the adjusted fee.” “The exam date does not affect the fee.” And it “applies to all NCLEX registrations, including retakes.”
Register Jan 31, 2027 → $200 (even if you test in March 2027)
Register Feb 1, 2027 → $350 (the adjusted fee applies from this day)
The rest of the bill — set elsewhere, so check your board
The NCLEX fee is not the only cost of getting licensed. These vary by jurisdiction and come with no amounts here on purpose — they are set by each nursing regulatory body, not by the exam vendor:
- Your nursing regulatory body's licensure or application fee.
- Fingerprints or a background check, where your board requires one.
- A credential evaluation, if your nursing education was outside the country you are applying in.
Testing outside the issuer's country adds the $150 international scheduling fee (plus VAT where applicable).
What the official body does not publish
On this topic, the official pages stay silent on purpose too:
- The amount of your nursing regulatory body's licensure/registration fee — it is set by each board and is not published on the NCLEX fee pages.
What changed
Aug 21, 2026
NCSBN announced the first registration-fee change on this fee page: from Feb 1, 2027 the fee becomes $350 in the U.S. and Australia and $570 CAD in Canada. "No other NCLEX fees are changing."
Feb 1, 2027
The adjusted fee takes effect for registrations completed on or after this date — including retakes. Our next verification of this page is scheduled for the same day.
How to read these numbers
The registration fee is the same for first-timers and retakes — a failed attempt means paying the full fee again. If you might test near the February 2027 boundary, the registration date alone decides which price you pay, so the calendar above applies unchanged when you re-register.
Everything here is in your licensure country's currency and excludes the board-set costs listed above. Add those before you decide what the exam “costs” — for most candidates the total is the NCLEX fee plus the board's own charges.