Registration Exams

Reminder for Registered Nurse Applicants: You have two years from the date of eligibility to pass the exam. The CRNA does not limit the number of times applicants may attempt the exam within the two-year time frame.

You must pass the appropriate registration exam to become a registered nurse or nurse practitioner in Alberta.

Applicants who already passed the exam can submit evidence during their application and will be registered on the registered nurse or nurse practitioner register. Applicants who have graduated from an approved Canadian post-secondary nursing program and have not yet passed the exam may be eligible to obtain a provisional permit.

Successful completion of a registration exam is a mandatory requirement for registration in Alberta.

More information about the following exams can be found on the Canadian Council of Registered Nurse Regulators (CCRNR) website.

Exams Overview

The registration exam used for registered nurses is the National Council Licensure Examination - Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN).

You may meet the exam requirement if you have completed one of these items before you apply:

Have already passed the NCLEX-RN
Hold registration in an equivalent jurisdiction listed in Bylaw 4.15
Were previously registered in Alberta and are renewing or returning to practice

You will need to take the exam as part of your application if you are:

A recent graduate using the initial registration application
Applying using the substantial equivalence application and have not previously passed the NCLEX-RN

Evidence to Satisfy the Requirement

Do not provide evidence until you create your account. The evidence you will use to satisfy the requirement is different depending on who provided you with the authority to test (ATT).

Registration Verification

Application Type: Equivalent jurisdiction
You do not need to submit exam results.

Providing Past Exam Results

Application Type: Substantial equivalence
Have you passed the NCLEX-RN outside Alberta? You will need to submit a copy of your National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) candidate report to the CRNA.

Receiving an Authorization to Test (ATT)

Application Type: Initial registration and substantial equivalence
If you need to take the exam, you will need to complete an exam request within your application.
Registrants who currently hold or have previously held a permit from the CRNA are ineligible to receive ATTs from the CRNA. ATTs must be requested from the jurisdiction in which an individual intends to apply.
Once the CRNA provides authorization to test (ATT), you will be eligible to register and pay fees for the NCLEX-RN with Pearson Vue.
The exam can be written in any global location after receiving the ATT.
You will have two years from the date of eligibility to pass the exam. CRNA does not limit the number of times applicants may attempt the exam within that two-year timeframe. There are requirements set by Pearson Vue for how many times and how often you can take the exam within a year.
- New Canadian Graduates: the two-year exam eligibility period begins on the individual's program completion end date
- International Applicants: the two-year exam eligibility period begins on the date the CRNA makes the individual exam-eligible
Information on preparing for the exam is available from the NCSBN.

The process of writing NP exams varies based on the stream of practice.

For all exam streams, complete the confirmation of program completion form and forward it to the educational institution where you completed your NP program. Nurse practitioner graduates have three years from the date of eligibility to pass the exam. The three-year exam eligibility period begins on an individual's program completion end date.

Contact the CRNA to enroll in one of these exams:

Canadian Nurse Practitioner Examination (CNPE)

The deadlines to contact the CRNA to apply for these exams are: April 22 and Sept. 23
CNPE Candidate Handbook

American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)

NP – Family Examination
Open, year round enrollment
Applicants should contact the CRNA to apply for this exam prior to their desired exam date

American Academy of Nurse Practitioners

Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (A-GNP) Examination
Open, year round enrollment
Applicants should contact the CRNA to apply for this exam prior to their desired exam date. Once the application is complete, you will contact AANPCB to register and, once confirmed, you will have 120 days to book and take the exam.

CRNA / Alberta Health Services / Stollery | Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Examination (NNPE)

2025 exam date: May 28
Exam location: Health Sciences Education + Research Commons (HSERC)
2-263, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy (ECHA)
11405-87 Ave NW
Edmonton, AB
Applicants will be contacted based on the enrolment list received from educational institution.

Request Exam Accommodations

If you require accommodations (a custom testing arrangement) and have a documented need, complete the Special Accommodation Form. Accommodations are considered on a case-by-case basis in partnership with the testing program.