As you are probably aware, in order to find employment as a registered nurse, you will first need to obtain a license to practice in the field. Licensure by Examination is the process of applying to become a registered nurse via a national exam, otherwise known as "taking the NCLEX." Upon passing the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination), the state to which you applied will grant you licensure to practice as a registered nurse in that state.
The information on this page is designed to help current students and upcoming graduates navigate the process of applying to take the NCLEX. If at any time you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to
nursing@depaul.edu for assistance.
Start by Determining the State in which You Want to Work
RN licensure is granted on a state-by-state basis, and you may only sit for one state examination at a time. So, the first thing you should do is consider where it is that you would like to work immediately upon graduation. For some, this is an easy question, but others may feel divided. You are welcome to reach out to us for guidance.
Once you obtain RN licensure in one state, there is a process to receive licensure in another state, called Licensure by Endorsement. This typically requires the completion of paperwork and a small processing fee, but does not require sitting for another examination. It is important to understand, however, that there can be a significant time-delay between obtaining licensure in your first and second state, which is why we caution students to think carefully about which state they want to apply for.
Finally, it is also important to note that 25 states are currently part of the
Nurse Licensure Compact. For all practical purposes, a nurse with licensure in one of those 25 states would automatically be able to practice in the other 24 states. At this time, Illinois is not part of the compact (see here for a map of states). To obtain a compact (multi-state) license, you must legally reside in a NLC state and declare that state as your primary state of residence. So, again, you do need to determine the appropriate state for which to sit for your NCLEX examination.
In the documentation below, you will note that we divide the process into two tracks: in-state vs. out-of-state.
General Timelines for Getting Started
In general, students do not need to begin the process of applying to take the NCLEX until the final quarter of their program.
We recommend that in-state testers submit a fully completed application two weeks prior to graduation. For out-of-state testers, because an official transcript is needed, most will aim to complete all application paperwork by one month following graduation.
To determine an appropriate timeline, please read over processes below carefully.
Frequently Asked Questions