The short answer: the NCLEX registration fee rises from $200 to $350 effective February 1, 2027 — the NCSBN’s first adjustment to the fee since 2000. The detail that saves money: the fee that applies is the one in force on your registration date, not your exam date. Register in January 2027 and you pay $200 even if you test in March. Register on or after February 1 — including for a retake — and you pay $350.
How much is the NCLEX fee in 2027?
| Registration date | U.S. NCLEX registration fee |
|---|---|
| Before February 1, 2027 | $200 |
| February 1, 2027 and after | $350 |
The fee is paid to Pearson VUE when you register, and it is the same registration whether you are a first-time candidate or returning for another attempt — the February increase applies to retake registrations on exactly the same terms.
Does the fee depend on my registration date or my exam date?
Registration date. That single rule creates the planning opportunity: a candidate who will be ready to test in early 2027 can register in January, pay the $200 fee, and schedule the exam itself after February 1 without the increase applying. The reverse is also true — registering a retake across the February 1 line costs the new $350 even if the previous attempt was registered at $200.
What is not changing?
- Your state board’s application fee. Licensure application and background-check fees are set by your state board of nursing, separately from the NCSBN registration fee, and are not part of this increase.
- The exam itself. This is a fee change only — the NCLEX test plan, format, and scoring are untouched by it.
- Optional extras. Unofficial Quick Results, if you choose them, remain a separate $7.95.
Should I register before February 1, 2027?
If your eligibility and preparation timeline put your exam in the first part of 2027, registering in January is worth $150 — real money on a student’s budget. Two cautions keep it honest: register only once your board eligibility is in motion, because a registration you cannot use is not a saving; and do not let a fee deadline rush you into an exam date you are not ready for — a failed attempt costs a second registration fee either way, and at the new rate that second fee is $350.
Prepare while the calendar works for you
The fee deadline is one more reason to have your preparation finished rather than started in January. Our NCLEX-RN Exam Prep program opens with free sample questions, and the NCLEX-RN exam guide lays out the full cost picture — board fees, registration, and retakes — alongside eligibility and scheduling. NCLEX-PN candidates face the same registration-fee change on the same date.
More exam changes to know about
Exams change on announced dates, and preparation should change with them. PassProfessor tracks the announced changes across the catalog: