What examination is accepted for Registered Practical Nurses?
The REx-PN is the exam accepted for applicants who want to register with CNO as a Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) in the General Class. The examination is administered by Pearson Professional Assessments (formerly Pearson VUE).
Before you can become an RPN in Ontario, you must successfully complete this registration exam that measures the competencies required of RPNs at the beginning of their nursing career in Ontario.
How do I register for the REx-PN examination?
You can schedule an exam appointment at a time and place of your choosing to write the REx-PN. Follow these steps:
- Open an application for RPN registration on the Maintain your Membership (MYM) portal and pay the application fee.
- If you are requesting exam accommodation, submit this request before you register with Pearson Professional Assessments.
- CNO will send you a message in the portal with instructions when you are eligible to write the REx-PN.
- Register for your examination on the Pearson Professional Assessments website.
Note: Be sure to register on Pearson Professional Assessments using the same name you used to apply to CNO. The name you give to CNO and Pearson Professional Assessments must match the identification you present at the test centre when you arrive to write the exam.
- Pay the exam registration fee to Pearson Professional Assessments when you are ready to write the examination.
- After you have registered through Pearson Professional Assessments, you will receive an Authorization to Test (ATT) email from them. The ATT email will be sent to the email address you provided when you registered with Pearson Professional Assessments. You must have your ATT email to schedule an appointment to take the REx-PN. Note that the ATT has an expiry date.
- Schedule your writing time on Pearson Profesional Assessments’ REx-PN sign in page. Book this as soon as you can to ensure there is space in the testing centre you want to use.
- Write your exam in the scheduled location at the scheduled time.
- After you have taken the exam, you will receive a message through the MYM portal about your test result within one week. If you do not receive your result, please contact CNO .
How do I request accommodation for taking the exam?
“Accommodation” can refer to any adjustment made to the testing conditions that helps an applicant overcome the impact of a physical or mental condition/disorder on their ability to write the exam.
Submit any requests for accommodation and supporting documents to CNO before booking your exam time with Pearson Professional Assessments. If you have requested accommodation on your application for RPN registration, you will not receive your Authorization to Test until CNO reviews your accommodation documents. Visit Requesting Accommodation to learn how to submit your request.
Where can I write the REx-PN?
Visit the REx-PN Testing Locations page to see the full range of testing centres. There are both permanent and temporary testing centres where you can write the RexPN, including several locations in Ontario.
If you are outside Ontario, you can also write the REx-PN in a testing location in another province or territory.
If you are outside Canada, Pearson Professional Assessments has testing centres in a number of other countries. Visit the REx-PN Testing Locations page for an updated list of locations. There may be additional fees for using international testing centres.
What if I fail the REx-PN?
There is no limit on the number of times you can write the examination until you pass. Because the REx-PN will be a computerized adaptive test, there are no limits on the number of times you can attempt it. The system knows if you are retaking the exam and supplies you with a different set of questions different from the ones in your previous attempts.
If you fail the examination, you will receive a Candidate’s Performance Report through the MYM portal. This is a breakdown of your results including content areas that had deficiencies on the exam. You can then use this information to determine additional learning you may need to complete to increase your ability and overall competence. For example, this could mean studying more in one area, getting additional academic help, or taking a continuing education course on a specific topic to improve your knowledge.
You must wait at least 60 days before you retake the exam. You can attempt it up to six times per year. Your application with CNO will remain open for two years. If you haven’t passed the exam within that time, you will need to reapply to CNO.
Preparing for the REx-PN
The following are strategies to consider while you prepare to write the REx-PN.
You may choose to use all or some of these suggestions, or you may decide to develop your own strategies for taking the examination. Regardless of how you choose to prepare for your exam, you should evaluate your learning needs and upgrade your skills and knowledge where needed before you attempt the test.
- Review CNO’s practice documents.
- If you are not fully fluent in English or French, take an English or French language course that emphasizes both written and oral skills.
- Consider joining a nursing peer support group. These groups can provide suggestions for preparing to write the exam.
- Review the Test Plan. The Test Plan details the content areas that the REx-PN tests. It also describes how the exam is structured, including length and scoring.
- Review the free exam preview, which can be downloaded in English and French. The preview allows you to review exam items similar to the REx-PN items you’ll see during your examination. The preview is a static exam. It is not scored and it doesn’t predict whether you will pass or fail your actual REx-PN. The 125 items included in this preview will not appear on current or future exams.
CNO resources for REx-PN preparation
Fact Sheet 1: General Information
Fact Sheet 2: Preparing for the REx-PN
Fact Sheet 3: Writing the REx-PN
REx-PN Resources for Practical Nurse educators
REx-PN Webcast for PN Students and Applicants
External resources for REx-PN preparation
Test plan in English and French
Computerized Adaptive Test (CAT) educational video and presentations, in English and French
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), in English and French
The exam preview that allows you to review exam items similar to the REx-PN items you’ll see on test day.
A practice exam, in English and French
REx-PN Tutorial, in English and French
REx-PN Candidate Bulletin, in English and French
REx-PN prep courses
CNO does not require or endorse any preparation courses for the REx-PN. You may find prep courses helpful in preparing to write the exam, but it is up to you to decide what will help you prepare.
An examination preparation course may help you review content and learn techniques for computer adaptive tests like the REx-PN. Third-party vendors may develop and offer REx-PN preparation courses, but it is important to know that they do not have access to the REx-PN question bank. CNO is aware of some prep courses being offered in English but we don’t know whether they have been successful in helping applicants to prepare to write the REx-PN.
For more information about preparing for the exam, visit the REx-PN website.
For more information, visit REx-PN Frequently Asked Questions.