How to Register for the NCLEX in Manitoba (CRNM): Steps, Fees, Documents

To work as an RN in Manitoba you register with the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba (CRNM). You register with Pearson VUE, apply to CRNM for exam eligibility with three background checks and a course completion letter, write the NCLEX-RN, then apply for RN registration. A Graduate Nurse registration lets you work for four months (renewable once) while you wait. Internationally educated nurses start with a credential assessment and an RN Competence Assessment.

At a glance

The steps, in order (graduates of a Manitoba program)

8 steps

Order the three background checks earlyA nationwide criminal record check with vulnerable sector search (Winnipeg or Brandon police, or RCMP), an Adult Abuse Registry check and a Child Abuse Registry check from the Government of Manitoba. Search every name you have used. They can take several weeks, must reach CRNM within six months of issue, and are valid for one year.Manitoba Abuse Registry checks →
Register with Pearson VUE and pay CA$360Register for the NCLEX-RN at pearsonvue.com/nclex (or 1-866-496-2539) before you apply to CRNM. Use your name exactly as it appears on the photo ID you will show at the test centre.Pearson VUE: NCLEX registration →
Create your CRNM Profile (Alinity) and submit the exam eligibility applicationPay the non-refundable CA$220.50 application processing fee. Upload your photo ID and the three background checks. You can apply before your practicum ends; the application stays open six months for the documents.CRNM: Students and GNs →
Have your school send the course completion letterYour institution emails it directly to registration@crnm.mb.ca with your full name matching your ID, the program, the credential and the completion date. CRNM cannot approve the application without it. Allow about 10 business days for each document to be reviewed.
Receive the Authorization to Test and bookOnce CRNM approves eligibility, Pearson VUE emails the ATT. Schedule your exam with Pearson VUE and tell CRNM the date.What to bring on exam day →
Optional: Graduate Nurse registration while you waitAfter eligibility and a booked exam date, submit the Active GN application (CA$147), complete the Jurisprudence Learning Modules through your profile and buy CNPS liability protection. On approval pay CA$52.50 certificate of registration plus CA$183.75 for a four-month certificate of practice. GN registration can be renewed once; it ends 30 days after your NCLEX result, or at midnight the day after a second unsuccessful attempt.CRNM: Graduate nurse practice →
Write the NCLEX-RNResults come from CRNM by email, never by phone. You may write once every 45 days and have as many attempts as fit in the three years after your program completion date, but only twice while on the graduate nurse register.CRNM: NCLEX-RN exam →
Pass, then apply for RN registrationSubmit the RN application with the background checks, jurisprudence modules and CNPS protection and pay CA$231. On approval pay the registration fee for your quarter: CA$604.16 for a full year from January 1, CA$466.24 from April, CA$328.34 from July, CA$190.42 from October (incl. GST). Check Nurse Check before your first RN shift. Registration runs January to December; renewal opens October 1 and closes December 1.CRNM Nurse Check →

If you were educated outside Canada

The exam is the same; the path to being allowed to write it is longer. These are the extra steps.

7 steps

Get an Educational Credential AssessmentBefore applying to CRNM, have your nursing education assessed by one of the providers accepted in policy AA-9. Nurses educated in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or the US may use the expedited pathway (effective June 1, 2026): a self-paced course at RRC Polytech, the NCLEX-RN, and 250 hours of transitional practice.CRNM: Internationally educated nurses →
Complete the RN Competence AssessmentDelivered with Inspire Global Assessments; CA$281.40 including GST. CRNM emails you booking instructions. The result decides whether you need bridging education before the exam.CRNM: The RN Competence Assessment →
Submit the CRNM application and pay CA$483The internationally educated nurse application fee is CA$483 including GST and is non-refundable. CRNM does not start work on a file until payment has arrived (e-transfer to etransfer@crnm.mb.ca, Visa or Mastercard online, or certified cheque). You must have been registered as an RN in the country where you trained.CRNM: IEN handbook →
Prove your EnglishCRNM accepts IELTS, CELBAN, OET, PTE Academic and CELPIP taken within two years, with minimums set in policy AA-2 (scores may be met across two sittings of the same test). Alternatives: a Canadian RN program taught in English, an international program taught in English with the school's attestation, two years of English-language nursing practice abroad with a supervisor's attestation, or work with a designated Manitoba employer with a supervisor's attestation.CRNM: Accepted measures of language proficiency →
Background checks and identificationCriminal record check with vulnerable sector search, Adult Abuse Registry check and Child Abuse Registry check, each searched in every name you have used, plus a passport or other government photo ID.Manitoba Abuse Registry checks →
Write the NCLEX-RN (unless you already passed it)Register with Pearson VUE (CA$360, plus CA$150 to test outside Canada) and apply to CRNM for exam eligibility. You have the attempts that fit in the three years after your competence assessment or bridging program, whichever was more recent, once every 45 days. A previous NCLEX-RN pass is accepted and you do not write again.CRNM: NCLEX-RN exam →
Apply for RN registrationJurisprudence Learning Modules, CNPS liability protection, CA$231 application, then the quarterly registration fee (CA$604.16 for a full year). The Government of Manitoba's IEN support program can help with assessment and training costs; apply separately.Manitoba IEN support program →

Documents to have ready

Fees

How long it takes

Mistakes that cost people time or money

Search every former name on the abuse registry checks; incomplete checks are the common reason a file stalls.
Your CRNM profile name, your course completion letter and your test-centre ID must match exactly, including both first names if you have two.
Passing in the autumn? Registering from October costs CA$190.42 instead of CA$604.16, but you will renew for the next year within weeks.
Internationally educated: ignore agents who offer to apply for you. CRNM has published a scam warning and only accepts applications from you.

Questions people ask about Manitoba

How do I register for the NCLEX in Manitoba?

Register with Pearson VUE and pay CA$360, then create a CRNM Profile and submit the NCLEX-RN exam eligibility application (CA$220.50) with photo ID and three background checks: criminal record check with vulnerable sector search, Adult Abuse Registry check and Child Abuse Registry check. Your school sends a course completion letter to registration@crnm.mb.ca. After approval Pearson VUE emails the Authorization to Test and you book your date.

How much does it cost to become an RN in Manitoba?

CA$220.50 for exam eligibility, CA$360 for the NCLEX-RN, CA$231 for the RN application and CA$604.16 for a full year of registration (less if you register later in the year), plus the background checks and CNPS liability protection. A Graduate Nurse registration adds CA$147 plus CA$236.25.

Can I work in Manitoba before I pass the NCLEX-RN?

Yes, as a Graduate Nurse once CRNM has approved your exam eligibility and you have booked a date. GN registration lasts four months and can be renewed once. You cannot be in charge of a unit or practise without an RN readily available, and it ends at midnight the day after a second unsuccessful attempt.

How many times can I write the NCLEX-RN through CRNM?

Once every 45 days, as many times as fit in the three years after your program completion date (for internationally educated nurses, after the competence assessment or bridging program). Only two attempts are allowed while you hold Graduate Nurse registration. No remedial course is required after a second fail.

Which English tests does CRNM accept?

IELTS, CELBAN, OET, PTE Academic and CELPIP within the past two years, at the minimums in CRNM's Language Proficiency policy (AA-2); minimum scores may be met across two sittings of the same test. Education or practice in English can meet the requirement instead when the school or supervisor completes CRNM's attestation form.

Is there a faster route for nurses from the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or the US?

Yes. From June 1, 2026 CRNM's expedited pathway asks eligible nurses from those countries to complete a self-paced online course at RRC Polytech, pass the NCLEX-RN and complete 250 hours of transitional practice. Check the pathway page and FAQs for eligibility.

Official links and sources

Rules and fees change. Everything on this page was read on CRNM's and NCSBN's own pages on October 7, 2026; when a detail matters to you, confirm it there:

This guide explains the process; it is not legal or immigration advice. Decisions about your eligibility are made by College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba.

NCLEX-RN exam eligibility applicationincludes GST; non-refundable	CA$220.50
NCLEX-RN exam fee (Pearson VUE)per attempt, non-refundable. CA$570 from Feb 1, 2027.	CA$360 + tax
Graduate Nurse application + registrationincludes GST; CA$183.75 again to renew once	CA$147 + CA$52.50 + CA$183.75
RN application processingincludes GST	CA$231
RN registration, full year (from Jan 1)CA$551.66 certificate of practice + CA$52.50 certificate of registration; CA$466.24 from April, CA$328.34 from July, CA$190.42 from October	CA$604.16
Internationally educated nurse applicationincludes GST; non-refundable	CA$483
RN Competence Assessment (Inspire)includes GST	CA$281.40
Educational Credential Assessment, English test, background checkspaid to each organization	varies

How to register for the NCLEX in Manitoba