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REx-PN

Sources

Every number about the exam on the REx-PN path (the categories and their percentages, the length, the time, the pretest items, the item formats, the stopping rules, the passing standard and the scoring) comes from the documents below, published on rexpn.com. Where they are silent, the choice is ours and we say so.

Checked against the issuers' sites on November 13, 2026.

The exam: the Test Plan and rexpn.com

What the REx-PN covers and how it is delivered and scored.

  • 2027 REx-PN Test Plan

    Issued by
    British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM), College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) and NCSBN
    Version
    Effective 1 January 2027
    What we use it for
    The eight Client Needs categories with their percentages, the 155 Related Activity Statements (shown in our own words), the topics, and the administration rules: computerized adaptive testing, 90 to 150 items of which 30 are unscored pretest items, four hours, the three pass/fail rules, the item formats and the terms.
    Read it at the source

  • 2022 REx-PN Test Plan (revised 2025)

    Issued by
    British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM), College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) and NCSBN
    Version
    In force until 31 December 2026
    What we use it for
    The plan in force until the 2027 plan: the same eight ranges.
    Read it at the source

  • REx-PN Candidate Bulletin

    Issued by
    rexpn.com (NCSBN for BCCNM and CNO)
    Version
    Version 3.0, December 2025
    What we use it for
    Four hours including the introduction and all breaks; the on-screen calculator; multiple choice scored right or wrong and select all that apply scored for partial credit.
    Read it at the source

  • Frequently Asked Questions

    Issued by
    rexpn.com (NCSBN for BCCNM and CNO)
    Version
    rexpn.com page, read 13 November 2026
    What we use it for
    The item types (multiple choice, multiple response, fill-in-the-blank calculation, exhibits and graphics), generic drug names, metric units, no skipping.
    Read it at the source

  • Passing Standard

    Issued by
    rexpn.com (NCSBN for BCCNM and CNO)
    Version
    -0.32 logits through 31 December 2026; -0.09 logits from 1 January 2027
    What we use it for
    The passing standard our mock's estimate is compared with, the one in force on the day of the sitting.
    Read it at the source

  • Computerized Adaptive Testing

    Issued by
    rexpn.com (NCSBN for BCCNM and CNO)
    Version
    rexpn.com page, read 13 November 2026
    What we use it for
    How each next item is chosen and the three pass/fail rules, which our mock models.
    Read it at the source

  • Candidate Performance Report and sample CPR

    Issued by
    rexpn.com (NCSBN for BCCNM and CNO)
    Version
    rexpn.com page and sample
    What we use it for
    The eight content areas grouped Below, Near and Above the Passing Standard: the words of our report.
    Read it at the source

  • You've completed the REx-PN (FAQ)

    Issued by
    rexpn.com (NCSBN for BCCNM and CNO)
    Version
    October 2025
    What we use it for
    Results from the regulator within up to six weeks; at least 60 days between attempts.
    Read it at the source

  • About and Test Plan pages

    Issued by
    rexpn.com (NCSBN for BCCNM and CNO)
    Version
    rexpn.com pages, read 13 November 2026
    What we use it for
    The exam was developed for BCCNM and CNO with NCSBN; which plan is in force when.
    Read it at the source

In French

For the French path.

  • Plan d'examen du REx-PN 2027

    Issued by
    British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM), College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) and NCSBN
    Version
    Effective 1 January 2027
    What we use it for
    The official French names of the categories, activity statements and terms.
    Read it at the source

  • REx-PN French Language Lexicon

    Issued by
    rexpn.com (NCSBN for BCCNM and CNO)
    Version
    September 2021
    What we use it for
    The French terms the exam uses.
    Read it at the source

What the sources leave open, and what we do

  • NCSBN calibrates each item's difficulty from pretest data and does not publish its item pool or algorithm. Our mock follows the published rules with our authors' difficulty estimates; it is a practice model and cannot predict a result.
  • Where 30 pretest items fall in the first 90 is ours; the Test Plan does not say.
  • The performance indicators in our report use thresholds of our own: one standard error either side of the passing standard.
  • Items are written so the right answer holds for a practical nurse in both British Columbia and Ontario; where scope depends on the province, employer policy or individual competence, the item turns on consulting, not on one province's rule.

ExamDragon is independent exam preparation. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or reviewed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM), the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) or Pearson VUE. REx-PN and NCSBN are registered trademarks of NCSBN. Every item and guide on the REx-PN path is our own.