What’s happening with the single Nurse Practitioner (NP) classification framework, what’s next and an opportunity for feedback.
What’s changing
CNO, along with the Canadian Council of Registered Nurse Regulators (CCRNR), will streamline NP registration to one classification. This new national framework is designed to improve patient access to care by enabling NPs to work more easily across Canada and across patient populations. It’s also one way we’re strengthening our registration processes to make them more evidence-informed, fair, inclusive and effective.
Currently, there are three population-specific certificates for NPs in Ontario: Primary Health Care, Adult and Pediatric. On July 1, 2026, this will change to a single NP classification. NPs may still work as specialized care providers, but removing the need for a population-specific certificate will allow them to work more flexibly with different patient populations, if desired, improving patient access to qualified heath care providers. We want to ensure NPs are empowered to provide care when and where they are needed.
We want to hear from you: Updating our by-laws
Now that government has approved the NP regulation, which will come into effect on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, CNO’s by-laws need to be updated to remove references to population-specific certificates (also known as specialty certificates). Whenever we change our by-laws, we always collect feedback from nurses, as well as other important system partners, before making a change.
You can read a high-level summary of the changes, as well as a detailed, red-lined version of the by-law edits, on our consultation page. The consultation is open from Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, to Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. We will share the results of the consultation with Council at their March 2026 meeting.
Coming soon: A new, national exam for prospective NPs
To become registered with CNO as an NP, applicants must meet several registration requirements, including the successful completion of a Council-approved registration exam. Registration exams ensure that new NPs, at the time they enter practice, have the foundational knowledge, skill and judgment to practice safety and effectively.
At their December meeting, Council approved the new, national Canadian Nurse Practitioner Licensure Examination (CNPLE) as an exam for registration as an NP, effective Wednesday, July 1, 2026. Council reviewed the evidence and found that the new CNPLE exam is secure, reliable, valid and fair.
The CNPLE will be a national, entry-level exam that will assess NP applicants based on the revised entry-level competencies and education programs that educate across patient populations and practice settings.
To learn more about Council’s decision, you can review background for this decision on our Council page. The new exam, which will launch in 2026, will be available in English and French and offered four times a year. You can see a blueprint of the exam here. We will share more information about the new exam in 2026.
Let’s connect!
Changes are on the horizon, and we want to keep you in the loop. Our last townhall on the topic of NP single classification was a huge success, with over 140 people tuning in, so we’re planning another event in early 2026. We’ll use this event to connect directly with you about the new exam, transition to a single classification and the new regulation framework.
We’ll share more details about this upcoming event over the winter, so stay tuned!