NCLEX changes in 2027: what NCSBN has actually announced

The fee change, in NCSBN's words

NCSBN posted the decision on Aug. 21, 2026, after its Delegate Assembly voted at the 2026 Annual Meeting. It is the first change to the NCLEX registration fee since 2000, and NCSBN gives 25 years of inflation plus the rising cost of exams, data protection and cybersecurity as the reason.

The date that matters is the day you complete your registration with Pearson VUE, not the day you sit the exam. NCSBN says anyone who registers before Feb. 1, 2027 pays the current fee, anyone who registers on or after that date pays the new one, and the rule covers retakes too.

Nothing else on the fee sheet moves. The $150 international scheduling fee (plus VAT where it applies), the $50 fee to change your nursing regulatory body and the $50 fee to switch between RN and PN all stay as they are, and the REx-PN fee is not affected.

Should you register before February 1?

Registering in January 2027 saves $150, but only if your board is close to making you eligible. The April 2026 Candidate Bulletin says a registration stays open for 365 days for your board to decide your eligibility. If that window closes first, you forfeit the fee and must register again at whatever the fee is then.

Take two candidates. A December graduate whose school sends the board its completion letter in January is a good fit for early registration, because eligibility usually follows within weeks. An internationally educated nurse still waiting on a credentials evaluation and an English test result carries more risk, because any delay that pushes eligibility past 365 days wipes out the saving.

The other trap is the Authorization to Test. Once you are made eligible, you must test inside the ATT dates, which average about 90 days and cannot be extended. A missed ATT window means paying again, and after Feb. 1 that second payment is $350.

What is not changing in 2027

The NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN test plans that took effect in April 2026 are the ones in force, and NCSBN states that the NCLEX Examination Committee reviews each test plan every three years. No replacement plan has been announced for 2027, so a study guide built on the 2026 plan is the right one.

Exam length is set in the test plan: every RN candidate answers at least 85 items and at most 150 within five hours, breaks included. The minimum-length exam holds 52 content items, 18 case study items in three sets of six, and 15 unscored pretest items. The retake rule in the bulletin also stands: up to eight attempts a year with at least 45 test-free days between them.

NCLEX test dates in 2027

There is no national NCLEX test date for 2027 or any other year. You pick an appointment at a Pearson VUE center after your ATT email arrives, and the bulletin says first-time candidates are offered a seat within 30 days of asking, while repeat candidates are offered one after 45 days.

In practice, your 2027 test date is set by three things: when your board makes you eligible, how long your ATT runs, and seat availability at the center you want. Book early in the ATT window, because the bulletin warns that centers fill up and waiting can leave no seat before your ATT expires.

Sources

NCSBN: NCLEX fee changes effective Feb. 1, 2027 (Aug. 21, 2026). New fees of $350 and $570 CAD, first change since 2000, registration date rule, retakes included, other fees unchanged

nclex.com: Fees and payment. Current $200 USD and $360 CAD fees, $150 international scheduling fee, $50 change fees, no refunds

NCLEX Examination Candidate Bulletin, April 2026. 365-day registration window, ATT rules, 30 and 45 day appointment offers, retake policy

2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan (effective April 2026). Three-year review cycle, 85 to 150 items, five-hour limit, makeup of the minimum-length exam