To work as an RN in Ontario you register with the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO). You apply online, CNO makes you eligible for the NCLEX-RN, you pass it and the RN Jurisprudence Exam, and CNO registers you.
✓ Checked against CNO's official pages on October 7, 2026
The steps, in order (graduates of a Ontario program)
Tick each step as you finish it; your progress is saved on this device.
10 steps
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.
8 steps
Documents to have ready
Government ID in the exact legal name you will use everywhere (CNO, Pearson VUE, test centre)
Nursing transcript, sent by your school (Ontario graduates) or through WES / ICAS / ICES / NNAS (internationally educated)
Language test results sent directly by the test centre (internationally educated, if your program was not in English or French)
Proof of citizenship, permanent residency or authorization to work in Ontario
Recent police criminal record check
Evidence of recent nursing practice, if you graduated more than three years ago
Fees
CNO application fee, General Class (2026)+ 13% HST, non-refundable. CA$454 in 2027.
CA$433.00
NCLEX-RN exam fee (Pearson VUE)excludes local taxes; no refunds. CA$570 from Feb 1, 2027.
CA$360
International scheduling feeonly if you write the exam outside Canada
CA$150
RN Jurisprudence Examination (2026)+ 13% HST
CA$40.00
Initial registration fee (2026)+ 13% HST; covers the rest of the calendar year
CA$69.00
Annual renewal (General Class)+ HST, every year after
CA$368.00
Credential assessment (WES / ICAS / ICES / NNAS)paid to the assessment service; internationally educated applicants only
varies
How long it takes
CNO asks for about 15 days to begin processing a new application.
CNO tells you in the portal when you are eligible to write; register with Pearson VUE only after that message.
The ATT is valid for the period CNO sets (around 90 days on average) and cannot be extended.
Results reach your CNO portal within about a week of the exam.
A rewrite is possible after 45 days, up to eight attempts a year.
Mistakes that cost people time or money
Use one legal name everywhere. A mismatch between your ID and the ATT means you are turned away at the test centre and lose the fee.
Book the exam date as soon as the ATT arrives; seats near the expiry date fill up.
Do the Jurisprudence Exam early; it is open-book and online, and waiting for it is a common reason registration is delayed after a pass.
Internationally educated: start the credential assessment first. It is the longest part, and CNO cannot open your file without it.
Questions people ask about Ontario
How do I register for the NCLEX in Ontario?
Apply to the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) through its online portal and pay the application fee (CA$433 + HST in 2026). When CNO reviews your education it sends a message that you are eligible to write. Then register on the NCLEX site with Pearson VUE, choose CNO as your regulator, pay CA$360 plus taxes, receive your Authorization to Test and book a date.
How much does it cost to become an RN in Ontario?
In 2026: CA$433 application fee, CA$360 NCLEX-RN exam fee, CA$40 Jurisprudence Exam and CA$69 initial registration, all plus 13% HST except the exam fee which has its own taxes; about CA$950 before credential assessment or language tests. Internationally educated nurses also pay a credential assessment service and, if testing abroad, a CA$150 international scheduling fee.
Can I write the NCLEX-RN before I move to Ontario?
Yes. Once CNO makes you eligible you can register with Pearson VUE and test at any Pearson centre in the world. Testing outside Canada adds a CA$150 international scheduling fee.
Do I need an English test for CNO?
Only if you cannot show proficiency another way, usually because your nursing education was not in English or French. CNO accepts CELBAN, IELTS (General or Academic), OET, PTE Academic, TEF and TCF, written within the last two years, with results sent directly from the test centre.
What is the RN Jurisprudence Examination?
An online, open-book exam on the laws, regulations and CNO standards that govern nursing in Ontario. Every RN applicant must pass it; CNO sends access details after you apply, and the fee is CA$40 plus HST in 2026.
How many times can I write the NCLEX-RN for Ontario?
Pearson VUE allows up to eight attempts a year with at least 45 days between attempts, as long as CNO keeps you eligible.
Official links and sources
Rules and fees change. Everything on this page was read on CNO'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 Nurses of Ontario.
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