Important update about the exam
BCCNM and the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) is partnering with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) to develop a new regulatory exam for practical nurses. The new exam will come into effect Jan. 4, 2022.
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The Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Examination (CPNRE®) is the national exam for all applicants who want to become LPNs in Canada. Yardstick Assessment Strategies (YAS) administers the exam.
Writing the CPNRE® is the final step in the registration application process. If you applied for registration as a graduate of a BCCNM-recognized practical nursing (PN) education program in B.C.; as a graduate from a recognized PN education program in another Canadian jurisdiction; or as an internationally educated nurse, you will be required to successfully complete this exam before you can hold practising registration. You may be eligible for provisional registration, which allows you to work as an LPN while you are waiting to write the exam. Read more about
provisional registration.
CPNRE® is a computer-based test (answer questions on a computer screen instead of paper) and can be taken at any of the approved Pearson VUE test centres across Canada (except Newfoundland & Labrador, Quebec, and Yukon).
2020 Exam Dates
Please note: Exam dates may be postponed or cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.