REx-PN

Overview

The Regulatory Exam - Practical Nurse (REx-PN) is the entry-to-practice exam for practical nurses in two Canadian provinces: licensed practical nurses (LPNs) in British Columbia and registered practical nurses (RPNs) in Ontario. The test plan says it was developed by the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) and the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) together with the US-based National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). Candidates register with the regulator in the province where they want to be licensed. They then register for the exam itself on the exam site and pay a separate exam fee.

The exam checks whether a new practical nurse has the knowledge, skills and judgment to care safely for clients in the first year of practice. This page is written for the Ontario route, which CNO documents, with the exam facts that apply in both provinces.

Who can apply

You open an application with your regulator first. In Ontario, you open an RPN application in the CNO online portal and pay the application fee, then CNO sends instructions through the portal when you are eligible to write. Only then do you register for the exam with the testing company, Pearson Professional Assessments. The name on both registrations must match the identification you bring to the test centre.

The REx-PN site tells BC applicants to register through BCCNM, which is where you find the BC steps.

Exam pattern

You must answer each question before moving on, and you cannot go back to a previous question once you confirm an answer. There is no time limit per question, and the test plan suggests about one to two minutes per item.

Syllabus

The test plan is organised by client needs. The percentage of items in each category is as follows.

Because the exam is adaptive and varies in length, the content split in an individual exam can differ by up to 3% in each category. Processes such as the nursing process, caring, and communication and documentation are woven through all categories. The test plan lists detailed topics under each category.

Marking and results

• The exam stops when the computer is 95% sure your ability is clearly above or clearly below the passing standard. This is the most common outcome.

• If your ability is very close to the standard, you get the maximum number of items. You then pass if your final ability estimate is above the standard and fail if it is at or below it.

• If time runs out before a decision, you fail automatically if you have not answered the minimum of 90 operational items. If you have, the final ability estimate decides.

• The length of your exam does not show whether you passed or failed. There is no fixed pass percentage.

• The test plan says that from January 2026, items are scored right or wrong, except select-all-that-apply items, which earn partial credit.

• In Ontario, you get your result through the CNO portal within one week. A failing candidate gets a Candidate's Performance Report showing content areas that were weak.

Fees

The exam registration fee listed on the REx-PN site is $350 CAD, before local taxes. Other fees listed are$150 CAD for an additional international scheduling fee, $50 CAD to change your nursing regulator after registering, and$50 CAD to change the exam language after registering. The licensing and registration fee is separate and set by your regulator, so contact it. Payment is by Visa, MasterCard or American Express.

How to apply

1. Apply to CNO (Ontario) or BCCNM (British Columbia) and wait for permission to test.

2. Register on the Pearson Professional Assessments site and pay the exam fee.

3. You receive an Authorization to Test email, which has an expiry date. Use it to book your appointment.

4. Write the exam at a test centre. CNO says you can write in another province or territory, or outside Canada at Pearson centres, where extra fees may apply.

If you need an accommodation, give CNO the request and documents before you book the exam with Pearson.

After the exam

• In Ontario there is no limit on the number of attempts. You must wait at least 60 days between attempts and can attempt up to six times a year. Your CNO application stays open for two years. If you have not passed by then, you must reapply.

• A retake gives you different questions from your earlier attempts.

• Passing allows your regulator to continue your registration. Other registration requirements apply.

Preparation tips

• Read the test plan, then work through the free exam preview and practice exam on the REx-PN site. The preview has 125 items that will not appear on current or future exams. It is not scored and does not predict your result.

• Take the REx-PN tutorial and read the candidate bulletin to learn the interface and testing-centre rules.

• CNO does not require or endorse prep courses. It notes that outside providers have no access to the REx-PN question bank.

• If English or French is not your first language, CNO suggests a language course that covers both written and oral skills.