Resource Center

• Shifting Faculty Perspectives: Encouraging the Use of More Inclusive Technical Standards in Nursing School Admissions
• 2024 Nursing Workforce Survey Findings
• School Spotlight: Integrating Technology, Student-Centered Spaces and Student Success in Our Newly Renovated Building
• Coming Soon: Dashboard on NCSBN’s Annual Report Program
• The Art of Asking Better Questions

The Examinations Department is pleased to offer the next quarterly webinar for NRBs on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at 1:00pm (Central Time). As the peak exam season is fast approaching after nursing students’ graduation, this webinar will provide a comprehensive review of key features in the NCLEX Admin system and important processes that would help the exams operations staff process the high volume of candidate registrations more smoothly and efficiently. The presentation will cover:

• Walking through how to best utilize NCLEX Admin features such as: Search-all for candidates’ complete exams history, seats availability search, how to locate special program codes and other helpful resources.
• Reminding of key operational processes such as how candidates can obtain testing accommodations, what the NRBs can do in the event of a natural disaster impacting candidates in their jurisdiction, and how to request score transfers and re-entry.

We continue to develop the REx-PN examination to support the valid and reliable assessment of the knowledge and abilities required to practice safe and effective registered practical nursing at the entry-level in British Columbia and Ontario. The nurse regulatory bodies remain committed to this aim and have dedicated this session to presenting a few updates to the REx-PN exam.

The REx-PN utilizes computerized adaptive testing (CAT) to produce a psychometrically sound standardized exam for measuring the minimal competency required to practice safe, entry-level nursing. This session will inform the audience how CAT exams work and how they leverage psychometric theory to produce a defensible and reliable score that supports a valid interpretation of a candidate’s ability.

Standard setting is a process developed by psychometricians and used in high-stakes testing to establish a legally defensible and valid passing standard (i.e. cut score). During this session, NCSBN staff will discuss the methodology used for REx-PN as well as the frequency with which the passing standard is re-evaluated.

NCSBN ensures the fair and secure delivery of the REx-PN by administering the exam under strict supervision and security measures. These measures help ensure the validity of the scores remain intact. The first part of this session will highlight the security measures NCSBN has in place for the REx-PN, including incidents that occur at testing centers as well as our confidentiality agreement with candidates. During the second part of the session, you will learn about the testing accommodation process, including the roles of the candidate, NCSBN, Pearson VUE and nursing regulatory bodies. Providing adequate and necessary accommodations to qualified candidates is also crucial for ensuring the validity and fairness of test scores.

NCSBN has several processes to ensure fairness for all groups taking the REx-PN. This ensures candidates with comparable nursing knowledge perform similarly on exam items, regardless of their gender, ethnicity or other factors irrelevant to nursing practice? This session will describe how Sensitivity and Differential Item Functioning (DIF) panels contribute to an exam’s fairness and legal defensibility.

Ever wonder how REx-PN items are developed? This session will explain the processes and steps every REx-PN item goes through before it can be used on the exam. Opportunities for educator involvement will also be highlighted.

Practice analysis studies assist in evaluating the validity of the test plan, which guides the content distribution of the REx-PN. This presentation will provide an overview of the evidence-based methodology NCSBN uses to determine what content should appear on the REx-PN.

We will explore the candidate registration process and the online resources NCSBN offers educators and students. This session will highlight what candidates should expect before, during and after the exam.