Texas Board of Nursing NCLEX: Steps, Fees and Timelines

A plain-English walkthrough of the Texas Board of Nursing's NCLEX steps for RN and LVN candidates: application, fingerprints, Pearson, the NJE, the ATT, results and retests.

Who applies to the Texas board (and who this guide is for)

The board defines licensure by exam as applying to someone who has graduated from an approved nursing program and needs to take the NCLEX to obtain their first U.S. license. So if you were wondering whether you can simply sit the NCLEX without going through a nursing program, the board's page describes the exam route as one for graduates of approved programs. This guide does not cover endorsement (moving an existing license to Texas).

NCSBN also states that each nursing regulatory body has its own eligibility requirements and does not keep a list of them. The Texas board is the body that decides whether you are eligible in Texas.

RN and LVN candidates: which application you choose

You choose the application in your Texas Nurse Portal that matches your program. The board names them like this:

1. LVN/LPN graduates: select "NCLEX-PN Application - U.S. Graduates".
2. RN graduates: select "NCLEX-RN Application - U.S. Graduates".
3. Previous testers: who already received an ATT with Texas use the retest application instead (covered below).

Both tracks follow the same sequence of steps. Only the application title, the exam and the Affidavit of Graduation form differ (the board lists separate RN and LVN forms for out-of-state programs).

Graduates of Texas programs and of other U.S. programs

The difference shows up at the Affidavit of Graduation step. Texas programs submit it electronically through the Texas AOG Portal. Programs in other U.S. states and territories (excluding Puerto Rico) use a paper form sent by the program itself. Details are in step 5 below.

Internationally educated applicants: where to look

Internationally educated applicants have a separate application, "NCLEX Application - International Graduates (Including Puerto Rico)", and extra documents. The board lists a Nursing Jurisprudence Exam, fingerprints, a credential evaluation report, an English proficiency result if your program was not taught in English, and verification of licensure from any place you hold or have held a license. Those documents must come directly from the issuing authority, not from you. Read steps 9 and 10 on the board's Examination page for the full list; this guide does not go further.

The Texas steps in order

The board lays out its steps for first-time U.S.-educated applicants as steps 1 through 7. Here they are in plain English. Remember the board's rule that an ATT review does not start until it has received every required item, so none of these steps is optional.

Step 1: Submit the NCLEX application in your Texas Nurse Portal

Start by completing the NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN application for U.S. graduates in your Texas Nurse Portal. The board lists the application and its fee among the items it needs before reviewing your file for an ATT. nclex.com describes the same order: apply to your nursing regulatory body first, because that is how you obtain eligibility, then register with Pearson. If you are testing with accommodations, nclex.com says to request them through your regulatory body, so raise that with the Texas board at this stage.

Step 2: Fingerprints and the criminal background check

Since 2004, all applicants for Texas licensure submit fingerprints for a criminal background check. It is completed through the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and each agency sends results directly to the board. A few rules from the board matter here:

1. No self-submission: because results cannot be sent in by you, reused from a check done for another facility or agency, or transferred by another licensing agency, employer or school.
2. No repeat if already done: because if you already completed a check for the Texas board, as a student or in a previous application, you do not resubmit unless board staff instruct you to.
3. Rejected prints: can happen when DPS or the FBI says the prints were unusable. The board says you will be notified and need another set.

The board gives separate instructions for Texas residents, non-residents and applicants without a U.S. Social Security number. Use the version that fits you.

Step 3: Register with Pearson VUE

The board says Pearson VUE registration costs $200, recommends completing it at least 30 days before graduation, and requires it before an ATT can be issued. On nclex.com you can register online with a credit, debit or prepaid card, or by phone through Pearson Candidate Services at 866.496.2539. Registering is not the same as scheduling. You schedule your appointment later, after you receive your ATT email.

Step 4: Complete the Nursing Jurisprudence Exam

The Nursing Jurisprudence Exam (NJE) has been required before an ATT for all NCLEX applicants since September 2008. It is 2 hours long and based on the Texas Nursing Practice Act and the Texas Board Rules and Regulations, which the board recommends you review beforehand. You register for it on the board's website. If you completed it before and the results are on file, you do not repeat it, and staff update your application when it is first reviewed.

Step 5: Your program submits the Affidavit of Graduation

After you graduate, your program dean or director completes an Affidavit of Graduation (AOG) and sends it to the board. You cannot submit it yourself, and the board says forms submitted by applicants are rejected. How it travels depends on where you studied:

1. Texas programs: submit it electronically through the Texas AOG Portal, and the dean or director cannot do so unless you put the correct NCSBN/Pearson VUE Program Code on your NCLEX application.
2. Other U.S. states and territories (excluding Puerto Rico): use a paper form with an original seal and signature, emailed by the program to licensing@bon.texas.gov. Mailed forms are rejected.

Ask your program for the correct program code before you submit your application, not after.

Step 6: The board's ATT review

The board will not review your file until it has received the application and fee, the fingerprint and background check results, your Pearson VUE registration, your NJE completion and the AOG. After the last item arrives, the timeline is:

1. Review: takes place within 15 business days of the last item being received, and the NCLEX checklist item in your Nurse Portal changes to "Eligible".
2. ATT email: arrives within 5 business days after staff finish the review and mark you eligible.
3. GN/GVN permit: (if you are eligible) is posted in your Nurse Portal account and the Texas Verification Portal within 5 business days of the ATT email.

On validity, the sources differ in wording. The board says the ATT and GN/GVN permit are valid for 75 days and cannot be extended. nclex.com says each regulatory body sets the ATT validity period, that the average is about 90 days, and that dates cannot be extended for any reason. Do not rely on either number. Read the expiration date printed on your own ATT and plan around it.

What it costs: board fees, Pearson fee and the 2027 change

There are two payments in this process: one to the Texas board with your application, and one to Pearson VUE when you register. nclex.com says the cost of taking the NCLEX depends on where candidates take the exam. Fees checked: [date to be filled at publish].

What the board's Examination page states

The board's Examination page lists the "NCLEX Application and fee" as something it needs before an ATT review, and it states the Pearson VUE cost. In the text we reviewed, it does not state the amount of the board's own application fee. Check the board's current fee information or the application in your Nurse Portal before you pay. We are not going to guess a number.

The Pearson VUE registration fee

The $200 figure is the one the Texas board gives for Pearson VUE registration. Separately, nclex.com announces a change: effective Feb. 1, 2027, the NCLEX registration fee will be $350 in the United States and Australia. Registrations completed before that date are charged the current fee, and the date you register, not the date you take the exam, decides which fee applies. The same fee applies to retakes. Confirm the current amount on nclex.com when you register.

Fee changes and refunds

Two policies on nclex.com are worth knowing before you pay. First, there are no refunds of NCLEX fees for any reason. Second, the registration fee is forfeited if you cannot cancel outside 24 business hours of your appointment, or if you miss it or do not test within your authorization period. In those cases you have to re-register, pay again, and be made eligible again by your regulatory body, and you receive a new ATT.

After you test: results, permits and your Texas license

Only your nursing regulatory body gives official results. nclex.com says Pearson and NCSBN do not provide exam results, so your answer comes from the Texas board.

How fast the board gets your result

The board says it receives your pass or fail result from Pearson VUE within 24-48 hours of your exam date. The update posts to the NCLEX checklist item on your application status page in the Texas Nurse Portal. Your permanent license is issued within 15 business days after the board receives your passing result.

Quick Results: does Texas participate?

nclex.com describes a Quick Results Service for U.S. candidates. Where a regulatory body participates, you can see unofficial results two business days after your exam, for a fee. The sources we reviewed do not say whether Texas participates, so this guide does not either. Check the participation list on nclex.com and ask the board before you pay for anything.

When the permanent license is issued

The 15 business days run from the date the board receives your passing result, not from your exam date. If you do not pass, nclex.com says candidates who fail receive a Candidate Performance Report, which is meant to help direct remediation. A result is information about one exam attempt, and you can plan your next step from it.

If you need to retest in Texas

A retest in Texas follows a shorter path because several items are already on file. The retest application is its own application, not a copy of your first one.

The retest application and what you do not repeat

U.S.-educated retakers select "NCLEX RETEST Application - U.S. Graduates" in the Texas Nurse Portal and register with Pearson VUE again (the board states $200). Your Affidavit of Graduation, fingerprint results and NJE results are on file and do not need to be repeated. The board reviews a retest application for an ATT within 15 business days of receiving the last required item.

nclex.com adds that each exam attempt is independent. On a new attempt the adaptive process starts again, and item selection is based on your responses during that attempt.

The four-year rule

Under Board Rule §217.2(c)(d), applicants retaking the NCLEX must be within four years of their graduation date. Past four years, the board will not issue an ATT, and you would need to re-educate by completing a new nursing program and graduating with a new graduation date. The board is explicit that a refresher course does not count as re-education.

Where to read the retake limits

The Examination page we reviewed states the four-year window but no numeric cap on attempts, so this guide does not state one. Confirm current attempt limits with the board and the nclex.com policy pages. Internationally educated retakers have their own retest application and rules in step 10 of the board's page. For related ATT, fee and retake explainers, browse our more NCLEX guides on exam logistics and study planning.

Common snags and how to avoid them

Most delays come from one missing item rather than anything dramatic. These are the points the sources flag.

Account and portal problems

For portal login or payment problems, use the board's Nurse Portal help pages or contact the board. We do not give troubleshooting beyond that. If you need to correct your registration with Pearson after the board has declared you eligible, nclex.com says to contact your regulatory body first, then Pearson for a revised ATT if needed.

Missing items on your checklist

The board will not start its review until every item has arrived, so check the checklist in your Nurse Portal. Common causes of a stall:

1. Program code: because the AOG cannot be submitted by a Texas program unless your application carries the correct NCSBN/Pearson VUE Program Code.
2. Rejected fingerprints: because the board notifies you if another set is required.
3. Applicant-sent forms: because the board rejects an AOG that you submit yourself or that is mailed.
4. No ATT email: because the email goes to the address you gave Pearson; nclex.com suggests contacting the board to confirm all materials were received.

nclex.com also says to call Pearson Candidate Services at 866.496.2539 if you think your ATT was lost or you were made eligible and have not received it.

Name and ID mismatches

Only the first and last names must match between your ID and your ATT. The address does not have to match. Your ID must be physical (not digital), government-issued, not expired, and include your name in Roman characters, a recent photograph and your signature. If it does not meet these requirements, you are turned away and must re-register and pay another fee. You can also test at any Pearson Professional Testing location, regardless of where you applied for licensure.

Study planning while the paperwork moves

The paperwork has its own clock, and your study calendar works better when you plan around it.

Use the board's timelines to plan your test date

Work backwards. The board reviews within 15 business days of the last item, then sends the ATT email within 5 business days of that review. Because your program submits the AOG after graduation, it may be the last item to arrive, so ask your program when it plans to send it. Your ATT window is limited and cannot be extended, so avoid scheduling your first study push to begin only after the ATT arrives, and do not book a date you are not ready for if you can choose a later one inside your window.

Study by test plan category, RN or PN

RN candidates can start with The 2026 NCLEX-RN® test plan, explained to see how the exam is organized. LVN candidates preparing for the NCLEX-PN can use NCLEX-PN test plan categories, weights and study plan. Studying by category lets you see which areas need the most attention instead of re-reading everything.

We are building a study aid for this stage. It is designed to coach from your own missed-question history, it is not yet in the App Store or Google Play, and it is a study aid, not a guarantee.

Check these with the board before you rely on this page

Last checked: [date to be filled at publish]. This guide is general information, not legal, immigration or scope-of-practice advice, and it does not guarantee any outcome. Confirm these points directly with the Texas Board of Nursing and nclex.com:

1. Application fee: is the amount of the board's own fee, which the Examination page we reviewed does not state.
2. Quick Results: participation for Texas, which you can check on the nclex.com list and with the board.
3. Attempt limits: and any current retake rules beyond the four-year window.
4. ATT validity: printed on your own ATT, since the board and nclex.com describe it differently.
5. Rule changes: that have happened since the date this page was checked.

PreceptIQ, an NCLEX® coach that studies your mistakes, is coming to iPhone and Android at https://preceptiq.app. Until then, take the paperwork one checklist item at a time.

Common questions

NCLEX®, NCLEX-RN® and NCLEX-PN® are registered trademarks of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN®). PreceptIQ is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by NCSBN.