EXAMINATIONS

NCLEX EXAMINATION REGISTRATION & APPLICATION PROCESS

1. Submit to the Board of Nursing an examination application. Submit an official transcript with graduation date and degree conferred directly from your school of nursing. Incomplete transcripts will not be accepted.

2. Register for the NCLEX Examination with Pearson Vue (www.vue.com/nclex).

3. Register for and complete a Criminal Background Check (CBC).

4. The Board of Nursing will make you eligible to take the NCLEX after completion of steps 1 and 2 as indicated above.

5. You will receive Authorization to Test (ATT) directly from Pearson Vue by email or U.S. mail; not the Board of Nursing.

6. If you pass the NCLEX, the Board of Nursing will display your license information on our web site via the Online License Verification System within 5-7 business days of receiving your results from NCLEX (times vary depending on volume and on CBC process). Wallet cards will not be distributed.

7. If you do not pass the exam, you will be notified within 5-7 business days in writing after taking the exam, and a diagnostic profile will be included.

8. YOU MUST SUBMIT A COMPLETED BOARD OF NURSING EXAMINATION APPLICATION IN ORDER TO REGISTER FOR A CBC. ALLOW AT LEAST 7 TO 10 BUSINESS DAYS FOR EXAMINATION INFORMATION TO BE UPLOADED TO THE STUDENT STATUS INQUIRY TO REGISTER FOR A CBC. Information may be uploaded quicker, therefore, you may periodically check the site as you choose. Your information will not be found if you do not submit a completed Board of Nursing examination application. If your Board of Nursing examination application is not received and submitted at least 7 to 10 days prior to your scheduled CBC appointment, you may experience unforseen difficulties. To avoid unforseen difficulties, do not delay the submission of your Board of Nursing examination application, as this will also affect your ability to register for a CBC.

Note: This process will take longer than the times mentioned above if your application and/or criminal background check indicates if your application is incomplete, you have been convicted of or pled no contest to a felony or misdemeanor or if charges are pending against you by any board of nursing or law enforcement agency, or if a board of nursing has denied or placed restrictions on your licensure.

Click Here to Go to CBC Instructions

APPLICATION for examination

Applicants for RN or LPN licensure by examination must apply to both the Board of Nursing, and must register for the NCLEX examination with Pearson VUE .  The Mississippi Board of Nursing's application may be downloaded from the Applications section of this site. For information on how to register for the NCLEX examination please click on the NCLEX Examination Candidate Bulletin.  

Check the progress of your application and register for a criminal background check with the Board of Nursing by using the Student Applicant Status, Student Status Inquiry. Information must be uploaded and updated in order for you to register for a criminal background check. Allow at least 7-10 days to retrieve and/or access information. Times vary depending on volume.

The Student Status Inquiry is not real time and is not affiliated with Pearson Vue or your school's registrar's office. Meaning that you may have registered with Pearson Vue and/or your school has sent a transcript; however the Student Status Inquiry may show as updated because it is not real time. The Student Status Inquiry only allows you to view the progress of the Board office in completing your application and is not reflection of Pearson Vue or your school.

Please do not call the Board office to check the status of your application and documentation received if you have not allowed at least 10-14 days for information to be received and uploaded to the site.

AUTHORIZATION TO TEST (ATT)

After your Board of Nursing licensure application is complete, official transcript submitted, and you have registered with Pearson VUE for the NCLEX examination, the Board of Nursing will make you eligible to test.  You will receive an Authorization to Test (ATT) directly from Pearson VUE and not the Board of Nursing. You must have an ATT letter to schedule an appointment to take the NCLEX examination. The ATT letter must be presented at test center on the day of your examination in order to be admitted. Candidates will not be admitted to the examination without an ATT letter and will be required to re-register and repay to take the examination at another time.

The ATT letter contains the authorization number, candidate identification number and an expiration date. Once the Board of Nursing declares eligibility and the ATT letter is issued, you will need to test within the validity dates. The ATT validity dates cannot be extended for any reason. If you do not test within these dates, you must re-register and repay the examination fee.

If you provide an e-mail address when registering for the NCLEX examination, all subsequent correspondence from Pearson VUE will arrive ONLY BY E-MAIL. If you do no provide an e-mail address, all your correspondence will arrive ONLY through the U.S. mail.  After receipt of your ATT, you may schedule your examination appointment. 

For more information about the NCLEX examination, go to www.ncsbn.org. 

APPLICATIONS

To download applications for first time candidates or repeat examination candidates click here.
 

NCLEX Examination Candidate Bulletin Registration Information (911KB)

TEST RESULTS

Candidates will not receive results at the testing site.  Results are transmitted electronically to the Board of Nursing after a candidate has completed the examination.  Once the results are received and processed in the board office, they are mailed directly to the candidate if they fail. If the candidate passes a license number will be displayed up on the Board of Nursing Web Site within 10 business days. Results may not be obtained over the phone or in person. 

NCLEX quick results are now available for Mississippi NCLEX examination candidates. The results are unofficial and are do not mean that you are licensed. Candidates will need official licensure and notification from the Board before being privileged to practice as a licensed nurse. Allow at least 7 to 10 business days to receive official licensure and notification from the Board. Times vary for licensure updates depending on volume and the CBC process. Click here for information about Quick Results.

The examination is constructed to measure a candidate’s competence most accurately at the passing standard.  Therefore, only a pass/fail result is provided to each candidate.

A diagnostic profile is provided to candidates who fail the examination.  The profile reports the candidate’s level of performance for each area of the test plan.  Failing candidates can use this information to determine their areas of strength and weakness and plan their study accordingly prior to retaking the examination.

REPEAT EXAMINATION

Per the Mississippi Board of Nursing Rules and Regulations effective January 15, 2011, candidates may take the NCLEX examination a maximum of 6 times and within two (2) years of graduation.  There must be at least 46 days between each examination according to the NCLEX testing service.

TESTING PROCEDURE

The NCLEX examination is administered via computer.  However, you are not expected to know how to use a computer before you take the examination.  Only two keys—the space bar and the enter key—are used to take the NCLEX examination.  Questions are selected for you based on your responses to previous questions.  Once you have taken the minimum number of questions, testing stops when your performance is estimated as being either above or below the passing standard with a predetermined level of certainty, regardless of the number of questions taken or the amount of testing time elapsed.  Thus, depending on your patterns of correct and incorrect responses, you may take a different number of questions and/or use a different length of time than other candidates.  The examination will also stop if you have taken the maximum number of questions or if the five-hour time limit has been reached.

Every candidate will answer at least 60 real (scored) questions.  In addition, RN candidates will answer 15 tryout (unscored) questions and LPN candidates will answer 25 tryout (unscored) questions.  This is the minimum number of questions required to complete the examination. The maximum number of questions to be answered by any RN candidate is 265 (250 real questions and 15 tryout questions).  LPN candidates will answer a maximum of 180 real questions plus 25 tryout questions.  A maximum of five hours for LPN's and six hours for RN's is allowed for a candidate to complete the examination, including the keyboard tutorial and rest breaks.

SPECIAL ACCOMODATIONS

Testing accommodations for otherwise qualified candidates can be provided only by authorization from the Board.

Testing accommodations for candidates with disabilities will be made only with the authorization of the Board of Nursing.  To make sure there is adequate time to evaluate any request for an accommodation, contact the Mississippi Board of Nursing prior to submitting a registration form or application.

It is the policy of the Mississippi Board of Nursing to comply with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Modifications for testing are made on an individual basis and may be granted based on modifications which are given by nursing programs. Documentation of a professionally recognized diagnosis must be supplied. Documentation must include all of the following:

1.      A history of the disability and any past accommodation granted and a description of its impact of the individual’s functioning;

2.      Identification of the specific standardized and professionally recognized test/assessments given (e.g., Woodcock-Johnson, Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale);

3.      The scores resulting from testing, interpretation of the scores and evaluations; and

4.      Recommendations for test accommodations with stated rationale as to why the requested accommodation is necessary and appropriate for the diagnosed disability.

This documentation must be included with the application for examination along with a request for the accommodation as needed.

CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS                                                                                        

TO REGISTER FOR A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK (CBC)

Miss Code Ann. Section § 73-15-19 (1) and 73-15-21 (1) authorizes the Mississippi Board of Nursing (MSBN) to undergo a fingerprint-based criminal background history check of the Mississippi central criminal data base and the Federal Bureau of Investigations criminal history data base on all applicants for licensure. Please follow the instructions below to complete the criminal background check process.

1. You must submit a completed Licensure by Examination application to the board office before registering for a Criminal Background Check (CBC). Allow at least 7 to 10 business days for your examination information to be uploaded to the Student Status Inquiry at www.msbn.state.ms.us.    

2. Access and complete the CBC form at www.msbn.state.ms.us, by selecting Student Applicant Status under Online Services at least 48 hours prior to a scheduled (in-state only) onsite campus visit by the MSBN staff.

3. Complete the CBC form using the exact name as used on the Licensure by Examination application. If an applicant has undergone a name change different from the name on their photo identification, you must present the necessary legal documents (i.e., marriage certificate, divorce decree, or other legal name change document) as proof at the time of fingerprinting. 

4. Pay the $75.00 fee at the time of completion of the CBC form by using a credit or debit card bearing the Visa or MasterCard logo.

5. Applicants who reside in Mississippi and have completed an in-state nursing program should contact their school of nursing for the date and time scheduled for onsite fingerprinting to be performed by the MSBN staff.

6. Applicants who reside in Mississippi but have attended an out-of-state nursing program should contact the board to make arrangements based on MSBN staff availability.

7. OUT OF STATE APPLICANTS who reside in a state other than Mississippi must contact the board for fingerprinting instructions.

8. An applicant must provide two (2) sources of identification, one of which being a government issued current, valid and unexpired picture identification document.  A driver’s license is preferred for the picture identification but in the absence of a driver’s license, a state-issued identification card may be acceptable. Other forms of identification documents may include: School Issued Student ID, State Government Issued Certificate of Birth, U.S. Active Duty/Retiree/Reservist Military Identification Card (000 10-2), U.S. Passport, Federal Government Personal Identity Verification Card (PIV), U.S. Tribal or Bureau of Indian Affairs Identification Card, Social Security Card, Court Order for a Name Change/Divorce, Marriage Certificate (Government Certificate Issued), U.S. Government Issued Consular Report of Birth Abroad, Foreign Passport with Appropriate Immigration Documents, Certificate of Citizenship (N560), Certificate of Naturalization (N550), INS 1-688 Temporary Resident Identification Card.

9. To expedite the licensing process, applicants who have been convicted of, pled guilty or pled no contest to any charge(s), or have charges pending against them for a felony or misdemeanor, other than a minor traffic violation in any state or jurisdiction must provide the board with the following pertinent records including but not limited to:

   • Certified copies of any and all court records

   • Expungements

   • Evidence of fines paid

   • Documents that demonstrate release of probation

   • A written detailed explanation as to the circumstances leading to each

criminal offense

This information may be mailed or delivered to the board at the time the applicant completes the Licensure by Examination application.

10. Applicants with potentially disqualifying events may be required to submit additional information as requested by the board. MSBN staff will contact the applicant either by phone or letter to request as needed.

11. Applicants should NOT CALL THE BOARD REQUESTING THE RESULTS OF THEIR CBC. THIS INFORMATION WILL NOT BE GIVEN OUT OVER THE PHONE, IN PERSON, BY MAIL, and copies of CBC results will not be available through the board office.

12. Allow additional time for the CBC process to be completed because of additional follow-up by board staff. The amount of additional time required is dependent on the applicant’s ability to provide necessary documents and the time required for the board to review the information.  A set timeframe cannot be given.

13. A second set of prints may be requested by MSBN staff if inconsistencies associated with the original fingerprint submission cause the submission to be rejected. (Do not call MSBN to check acceptance of fingerprints. If inconsistencies are noted, board staff will contact the applicant.)

14. If an applicant disagrees with the CBC results, they must contact the Board in writing within 10 business days of notification.

ONLY THE FINGERPRINTS AND CBC PERFORMED BY THE

MISSISSIPPI BOARD OF NURSING WILL BE ACCEPTED

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