About the California NCLEX exam
California Board of Nursing. Like every state, California adopts the federal standards as a baseline and adds state-specific requirements, fees, and procedures.
- NCLEX + state licensing fee: approximately $200 NCLEX fee + $150 CA state fee.
- State nursing board: California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN).
- California is NOT an NLC member state; nurses relocating from NLC states must apply separately for a California licence. California also issues a separate LVN licence through the BVNPT.
To get started, read the official California handbook (linked above), practice with the tests on this page until you consistently score above 70%, and then schedule your exam with the California Board of Nursing.
What's in the California exam: Practice questions modeled on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) and Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN), organized by client need category as defined by the NCSBN test plan.