A single classification of NP

As of July 1, 2026, Nurse Practitioners (NPs) in Ontario will no longer have a specialty associated with their certificate

CNO, the Canadian Council of Registered Nurse Regulators (CCRNR) and other system partners are collaborating toward the common goal of ensuring that NP regulation continues to protect the public.

Currently, there are three population focused certificates for NPs in Ontario: Primary Health Care, Adult and Pediatric. CNO is working with national partners to change this to a single NP classification, so NPs, employers and government have the flexibility and agility to deliver accessible services across patient populations and practice settings. Under this new framework, NPs will have more opportunities to fill critical and vacant positions in underserved, rural and remote communities that may rely on NP models of primary care.

Our shared vision for a single NP classification is to:

enable the appropriate national level of regulation in the public’s interest
facilitate collaboration among system partners
facilitate labour mobility in Canada

The NP regulation framework is expected to ensure consistency in:

graduate-level education programs aligned with revised NP entry-level competencies (ELCs)
a single national NP entry-level exam for NPs across Canada
one NP registration classification based on core NP ELCs

Working with system partners

CNO is working closely with CCRNR (regulators across the country), government and health sector partners including employers, academics and NPs, to support implementing this new regulatory framework.

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Information for current NPs

Nurses currently registered in Ontario with Primary Health Care, Adult or Pediatric certificates will automatically become registered under the new single classification on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. There is nothing you need to apply for or complete to move to the new classification.

No additional education, examinations or training will be required, and you can continue to work with current patients and within your current scope of practice.

The nursing practice accountabilities in the Nurse Practitioner practice standard and other practice guidelines have not changed. The professional expectations that guide NP practice today will continue to apply.

Quality Assurance requirements are also unchanged. NPs will continue to meet the same QA requirements, including self‑assessment, learning plans, and participation in QA Assessment when selected, just as you do now.

For more information about how the transition to a single classification of NPs will impact NPs, read our FAQs.

Information for applicants

For current NP applicants, the transition to a single classification will happen automatically on Wednesday, July 1, 2026 — there is nothing you need to apply for or complete to move to the new classification. If you have an open application with CNO for registration as an NP, your application will remain open and you should continue to work towards completing your registration requirements as usual.

If you meet all requirements for registration any time on or after July 1, 2026, we will register you under the new single classification. Under the new classification, NPs should continue to practice within their individual knowledge, skill and judgment and ensure they have the competence required to provide safe care.

If you meet all requirements for registration prior to July 1, 2026, then we will register you under the current framework (with a population-specific certificate) and you will automatically be registered under the new single classification on July 1, 2026.

If you have questions about your application status or how this change will impact you, please contact us. We are here to support you through the registration process.

For more information about how the transition to a single classification of NPs will impact NP applicants, read our FAQs.

Meeting the exam requirement

NP applicants entering the profession on or after July 1, 2026, will be required to pass the new Canadian Nurse Practitioner Licensure Exam (CNPLE).

As the CNPLE comes into effect, previous Council-approved exams for registration in a population-specific certificate like NP-Adult, NP-Pediatrics and NP-Primary Health Care will no longer be needed, given these exams no longer align with the move to a single classification of NP. In March 2026, CNO's Council approved a decision to no longer accept NP population-specific exams. These NP registration exams are being phased out with end dates.

To support a smooth transition and fairness for NP applicants and NP students near the end of their program who have been preparing for population-specific exams, the adult, primary health care NP exams will be available for at least 18 months after the last NP program cohort has graduated. Current NP applicants who have successfully completed an NP-Adult, or NP-Primary Health Care education program but have yet to complete the corresponding exam will have the opportunity to write the exam until the end dates.

This approach is part of CNO's commitment to ensure our registration processes are fair. It's also in keeping with fairness expectations set out in legislation governing health regulators.

Exams to be phased out include:

The Canadian NP Exam: Family/All Ages will be end dated on July 1, 2026, at the same time the CNPLE comes into effect.
The American Family/All Ages NP exams will be end dated on January 1, 2027.
The American Adult‑Gerontology NP exams will also be end dated on January 1, 2027.

These phase‑out dates are intended to support a clear, planned transition to a single, national exam, while giving students and applicants time to complete their pathways.

About the Canadian Nurse Practitioner Licensure Exam

The Canadian Nurse Practitioner Licensure Exam (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. The new exam is designed to provide a consistent, Canadian‑based assessment of entry‑level NP competence, aligned with the national regulatory framework.

A blueprint of the exam is available for applicants and educators wishing to familiarize themselves with the exam. To ensure the exam is accessible to all candidates, the CNPLE will be available in both English and French. Accommodations will also be available for NP candidates, if needed.

Scheduled CNPLE exam writing windows will be available four times a year to support NP candidates to write the exam in a timely manner. This is an increase from the current national CNPE: F/AA exam which has two windows to write the exam each year. The exam will be available in-person at test centres around the province. Standardized exam writing sites and policies will support a fair environment for candidates, for example, a physical space without distractions.

Details on the exam windows for 2026 are still being confirmed, and we will share this information when it becomes available.

Project updates:

April 13, 2026: CNO held a virtual webinar to share more information about the transition to the single classification of NP. A recording of the webinar will be posted here in the coming weeks.
March 2026: Council voted to retire previous CNO-approved population-specific registration exams for NPs. On July 1, 2026, the Canadian Nurse Practitioner Licensure Exam becomes the new national NP registration exam.
March 2026: Council reviewed feedback from the consultation about the draft CNO by-law amendments (re: making changes to NP information on CNO’s public register, Find a Nurse, and reallocating NP speciality certificate fees and merging with registration and reinstatement fees.) Council approved these by-law changes.
Dec. 11, 2025: CNO invited nurses and system partners to participate in a 60-day consultation and provide feedback about the draft CNO by-law amendments to support a single NP class. This consultation closed on February 9, 2026.
Dec. 11, 2025: Council approved the Canadian Nurse Practitioner Licensure Exam as the new national NP registration exam, which will come into effect on July 1, 2026
Dec. 2025: The Ontario government approved NP regulation amendments under Ontario Regulation 275/94 with an in-effect date of July 1, 2026.
March 19, 2025: Council approved the proposed NP regulation amendments for submission to the Ministry of Health.
Feb. 11, 2025: The Canadian Nurse Practitioner (NP) Licensure Exam blueprint was made available (in English and French). This blueprint builds on work completed by the CCRNR and nursing regulators across Canada. The NP exam blueprint was a necessary step to develop the Canadian NP Licensure Exam and is part of the new national NP regulatory model.
Sept. 26, 2024: System partners were invited to participate in a 60-day consultation and provide feedback about the draft NP regulation amendments.
Sept. 25, 2024: CNO's Council approved proposed NP regulation amendments for a 60-day public consultation, seeking feedback from registrants and system partners.
Sept. 5, 2024: CNO held a virtual Town Hall where we discussed ongoing plans for moving toward a single classification of Nurse Practitioners (NPs) in Ontario, in keeping with the National Nurse Practitioner Regulation Framework Implementation Plan Project. You can watch the recording of the Town Hall here.
Sept. 1, 2024: Ontario universities have ramped down NP entry-level specialty education programs and begun using the revised national NP entry-level competencies (ELCs) — which were endorsed by Council in December 2022 — in nurse practitioner education programs to educate NPs across patient populations and practice settings.