Requirement 3: Passing the RN or RPN Nursing Exam
The Registration Exam
All applicants must pass the Canadian Registered Nurse Examination (CRNE) or the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Examination (CPNRE) or an acceptable equivalent to become registered in Ontario.
Once you have met the academic and safe practice requirements, you will be eligible to write these exams. If you have already passed the registration examination, or an equivalent, you do not have to re-write the examination.
The RN exam includes about 300 multiple choice and short answer questions, while the RPN exam has 260 multiple choice questions. Each question is designed to measure a specific competency required of entry-level Registered Nurses and Registered Practical Nurses. The examination is divided into four books administered over the course of one day.
You will require knowledge of subjects such as data collection, analysis and interpretation, evaluation, collaboration and coordination, and professional practice. For more information about the examination, visit the Canadian Nurses Association at www.cna-aiic.ca
Preparing for the Exam
The College strongly recommends that internationally educated nurses take supplementary education/preparation and have good English or French language fluency before writing the examination.
The CARE for Nurses Centre, funded by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, may be able to help you. For more information about CARE, click here or visit www.care4nurses.org.
Preparing to Write the RN and RPN National Exam - Fact Sheet (# 45030)
Writing the Exam
When you meet the program (education and practice) requirements, CNO will send you information and an application to write the national examination.
The CRNE is offered four times a year, only in Canada. The CPNRE is offered three times a year, only in Canada. Applications to write the exam must be received by the College 90 days before the date of the exam.
Have you passed the Canadian Registered Nurse Examination (CRNE) or Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Examination (CPNRE)? |
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Exam Grades
Your score will be reported as either “pass” or “fail”. If you pass the exam, you will not receive feedback on your performance. If you fail the exam, you will be given feedback showing how you performed in the different areas.
If you fail the examination, you will be required to rewrite the entire examination. Due to the time required to process examination results, it is unlikely that you would be able to write the next scheduled examination; however you can apply to write at a later date.
As of January 2005, qualified applicants will be allowed three opportunities to write the exam, with no time limit.
Note: You are required to report to the College of Nurses of Ontario any successful or unsuccessful attempts to complete the CRNE or the CPNRE in any other Canadian province.
Examinations Accepted as Equivalent
Any standardised examination that was previously adopted by a Canadian jurisdiction for registration as a RN or RPN in that jurisdiction will be considered as meeting the examination requirement in Ontario.
Quebec: The Professional Exams written by RNs and RPNs in Quebec are accepted as equivalent to the CRNE and CPNRE, respectively.
U.S.: Registered Nurses from the U.S. who wrote the State Board Test Pool Examination before July 1, 1982 have met the Ontario registration examination requirement and do not have to write the examination. Applicants who wrote the National Council of Licensure Examination (NCLEX) after June 30, 1982 are required to write the CRNE.
Please note that you must report to the College any successful or unsuccessful attempts on the nurse registration examination in any other province/jurisdiction. Applicants eligible to write the CRNE in Ontario have three opportunities to achieve a successful result on the examination. Any attempts on the CRNE or an acceptable equivalent in another jurisdiction (i.e., Professional Exam in Quebec or Canadian Nurses Association Testing Services RN examination CNATS) are counted and subtracted from the total of three.
Falsifying or failing to inform the College about your attempts to write the CRNE or an acceptable equivalent in another jurisdiction may result in the cancellation of your application for registration or of any certification that may be issued. The results of any Professional Exam, CNATS or CRNE must be sent to us directly from the professional board.