NCLEX now offered in three countries

Nurses from neighboring countries may now take the nurses licensure exams nearer to their home countries. This, after the National Council of State Boards of Nursing selected three countries for the NCLEX testing.

NCLEX testing will begin starting January next year in Seoul, South Korea, London, England, and Hong Kong. The examination committee had a crucial process of deciding where to initially begin the testing. “NCSBN utilized rigorous selection criteria in making this decision on what countries to pilot the initiative,” said Kathy Apple, NCSBN executive director. She also believed that the committee has made excellent choices.

According to Chai Tudela, associate director for nursing services at the Commonwealth Health Center, aspiring licensure examinees from other countries can now benefit from this decision.

“They can apply, let say to the Board of Nursing here or California or whichever board they want,” she said, “and their applications once got approved, they can take the exam in those three selected countries.”

She explained further, “For example I’m in Saudi Arabia and I applied with the board on Saipan, then I can take the exam in London.” She also illustrated that nurses from Manila can submit application to the nursing board in California through correspondence and these nurses can take the exam here on Saipan. Though the examinees she clarified would have to deal with those countries’ immigration processes.

The three countries were chosen as testing sites because security and geographic representation outside of the current member board of nursing locations and the countries passed this major criterion.

Pearson VUE, NCSBN’s contracted partner in delivering NCLEX, helped in the selection process. Pearson VUE is one of the largest education company, that assured the possibility of implementing the test in these countries based on timeline and criteria.

NCSBN piloted this undertaking to offer the NCLEX abroad so that nurses who have potentials and are very interested to become a licensed nurse here and in the US can save travel time and expenses just to take the exam.

This is NCSBN’s goal “to respond to the global community in which health care is increasingly being delivered and to be progressive regarding issues surrounding the mobility of nurses without compromising public protection for U.S. patients.”