REx-PN Exam Fees, Pearson Booking, and Test Day Rules

Most REx-PN exam prep focuses on content: pharmacology, prioritization, delegation. But logistics trip up plenty of candidates too. A mismatched name on your ID, a missed 24-hour rescheduling window or an expired Authorization to Test can cost you a full exam fee, however well you studied.

This guide covers what the REx-PN costs, how to book your appointment, and which rules apply on test day. It also explains how to fit these steps into your study plan.

What Is the REx-PN?

The REx-PN (Regulatory Exam – Practical Nurse) is the licensing exam for practical nurses applying for registration in British Columbia and Ontario. It was developed with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) for the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) and the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO).

It is a computerized adaptive test (CAT), so question difficulty adjusts to your answers. You get a pass or fail result, not a percentage score.

REx-PN Exam Fees (CAD)

These are the fees listed by the exam administrator:

What this means in practice:

• Testing in Canada or the mainland U.S.: budget $350 CAD plus local taxes.
• Testing at an international centre, such as India: $350 plus the $150 international scheduling fee, so $500 CAD before taxes.
• Payment: a Visa, MasterCard or American Express credit, debit or prepaid card.
• Regulator fees are separate. Application, assessment and licensure fees go to BCCNM or CNO, so check their websites for those costs.

The Refund Policy Is Strict

Registration fees are not refunded for any reason. That includes duplicate registrations, failing to cancel or reschedule at least 24 business hours before your appointment, and not showing up. The international scheduling fee is also non-refundable.

If you register and get no confirmation within two days, contact Pearson Candidate Services before submitting a second registration. A duplicate registration is a common and expensive mistake.

How to Book Your REx-PN Exam

You can't book the exam until your regulator approves you. The usual sequence is:

1. Apply to your regulator. Register with BCCNM or CNO, whichever province you want to be licensed in. Internationally educated nurses often need a credential assessment first.
2. Get confirmation of eligibility. Your regulator tells you when you can register for the exam.
3. Register with Pearson and pay the fee. You can do this online or by phone.
4. Receive your Authorization to Test (ATT). It's sent by email and contains your authorization number, candidate ID number and expiry date.
5. Schedule your appointment. Book online through your Pearson account, or call Pearson Candidate Services.

Know Your ATT Expiry Date

Your ATT has a fixed validity period that can't be extended for any reason. If it expires before you test, you must re-register and pay again. Book early. Waiting can limit your date choices, and a test centre may be unable to seat you before the ATT lapses.

How Soon Can You Test?

First-time candidates are offered an appointment within 30 days of requesting one. Repeat candidates are offered one within 60 days. You can decline the offered date and pick a later one within your ATT window.

Where Can You Test?

You can sit the exam at any Pearson Professional Centre, whichever province you're applying to. International locations include India, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, Australia and several other countries. Pearson communicates only by email, so use an address you check often.

Rescheduling Rules

To change your date, time or location, use the Pearson website or speak to a Pearson agent at least one full business day (24 hours) before the appointment. For Saturday, Sunday or Monday exams, you must act by Friday. A voicemail doesn't count, and you need a confirmation email.

If you move from an international centre to a domestic one, you lose the international scheduling fee.

Test Day Rules for the REx-PN

What to Bring: Acceptable ID

Your ID must be:

• Physical (no digital copies)
• Valid and not expired
• Government-issued
• In Roman characters, with a recent photo and a signature

At domestic centres, acceptable examples include a passport, driver's licence, provincial or territorial ID card, permanent resident card or military ID. At international centres, only a passport is accepted.

The first and last names on your ID must match the name on your ATT email exactly. If you arrive without acceptable ID, you'll be turned away and must pay another exam fee. If your name differs because of marriage, divorce or a legal name change, bring the original supporting document. Update your records with BCCNM or CNO beforehand, because it can't be fixed at the test centre.

Arrival and Check-In

• Arrive at least 30 minutes early. If you're more than 30 minutes late, you may forfeit the appointment and your fee.
• Expect biometrics. A signature, photo and palm vein scan are captured before you're admitted.
• Complete security scanning. Refusing without a pre-approved exception means you're turned away and lose your fee.
• Store your devices. Phones, tablets and smart watches go into a sealable bag provided by Pearson.
• Dress for the room. Hats, scarves, gloves and outerwear (including fleece jackets) stay outside, with allowances for religious or cultural dress.
• No visitors. Friends, relatives and children can't wait in the centre or contact you during the exam.

Inside the Exam Room

• You'll have four hours, including breaks.
• You'll get an on-screen calculator and an erasable note board and marker. Personal calculators, conversion tables and dictionaries are prohibited.
• You can't skip a question or return to one after submitting it.
• You'll see a short survey at the end, then raise your hand to be dismissed.
• No score is released at the centre.

You're monitored throughout, and sessions may be audio and video recorded. Giving or receiving help, using prohibited aids, disturbing others or disclosing exam content can lead to dismissal, forfeiture of your fee, withheld results and regulator action.

If Something Goes Wrong at the Test Centre

If a technical problem delays your exam more than 30 minutes, you can keep waiting or reschedule without an extra fee.

After the Exam: Results and Retakes

Official results come only from BCCNM or CNO, about six weeks after your exam. Don't contact NCSBN, Pearson or the test centre for results, because they don't have them.

If you don't pass, you can retake the exam after a 60-day wait, up to six times a year. Some regulators require longer waits, which shows in your new ATT dates. To retake, notify your regulator, confirm any fees or materials they require, re-register with Pearson and pay the fee, then wait for a new ATT.

Turn Logistics Into a Prep Timeline

Good REx-PN exam prep should build in the administrative steps:

• Start paperwork early. Credential assessment and eligibility approval can take months, so start them before or alongside your studying.
• Book your exam once you have your ATT. A fixed date makes your study schedule concrete.
• Do a document check two weeks out. Compare your ID and ATT names, and confirm your passport is valid if you're testing abroad.
• Take a trial run. Visit the test centre or review Pearson's virtual tour so check-in feels familiar.
• Practise under exam conditions. Take a timed REx-PN practice exam in one sitting, with no phone and no skipping, so the four-hour format feels normal.

Choosing REx-PN Exam Prep Courses

When comparing REx-PN prep courses, look for:

• Adaptive-style practice. Static question lists don't reflect how a CAT works.
• Rationales for every answer, including the wrong options.
• Full-length timed mocks that build four-hour stamina.
• Alignment with the current REx-PN test plan.
• Instruction on Canadian practical nursing practice, not only general nursing content.
• Flexible formats such as live classes, self-paced recordings or short crash courses.

Jeet Nursing Prep Center's REx-PN prep courses include live classes, a self-study plan, a 45-day crash course and a two-week pharmacology program, and you can try free REx-PN practice questions before committing. Whichever REx-PN exam prep courses you choose, make sure they match the official test plan, and check any program's claims independently.

Final Thoughts

Your preparation covers the content, and it also covers the paperwork: fees, ATT dates, booking, ID and the day-of rules. Handle those early and your REx-PN exam prep can stay focused on clinical reasoning. Always confirm fees and policies on the official REx-PN website and your regulator's page before you pay, since they can change.