In this article, I’ll answer everything you need to know about whether or not you can take the NCLEX at home.
In the end, I’ll also include some helpful tips on how you can be successful during the NCLEX.
*Disclosure: This article on can you take the NCLEX at home may contain affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a commission. For more info, please see my disclaimer.
Can You Take the NCLEX at Home?
You can not take the NCLEX at your home. The NCLEX is administered by Pearson VUE and can only be taken at Pearson Vue testing centers.
NCLEX Prep Academy
Check out the comprehensive NCLEX prep review that I recommend. Don’t bother with other NCLEX preps that over promise and under deliver. Did I mention they have a 99.86% NCLEX pass rate?
Reasons Why Testing at Home Would Be a Problem
There are a couple of reasons why testing at home would have been a problem.
1. Poor Internet Connection and Hardware
With the way the NCLEX is scored, if nursing students were allowed to take the test at home, they would need two things.
- Good internet (or at least an adequate one)
- A good laptop (or at least a halfway decent one)
The issue is many students struggle to have at least one of those things, let alone both.
Can you imagine the nightmare scenario NCSBN (the group that develops the NCLEX) would have to deal with if they had to field calls for students who were upset because they were having internet issues or laptop issues?
There are so many different laptops out there that troubleshooting would be difficult.
Even if you forced everyone to have the same laptop, you would still run into the issue of what software someone installed on the computer that could cause conflicts.
2. Cheating Would Be a Problem
The second issue, and probably the biggest one, is that because of how hard the NCLEX is, cheating would be rampant if you allowed students to take the NCLEX at home.
Sure there’s test monitoring software out there like remote proctor, but those systems are not perfect, and for something as high staked as a licensing exam, clever students would figure out a way to cheat.
If you’ve taken the NCLEX before, then you’ll understand what I mean when I say testing security is a big deal for this exam.
A really big deal!
If you haven’t taken the NCLEX, then just wait. You’ll understand what I mean when you take the NCLEX for the first time.
How to Be Successful on the NCLEX
I’ve written numerous articles on the NCLEX. You can check out any of those articles for more information on the NCLEX. (Use the site search bar or top menu.)
For instance, I have one on how to pass the NCLEX the first time. So check out that linked article.
The biggest advice I give nursing students who are about to take the NCLEX is for them to make sure and get a good NCLEX prep course.
There are a ton of them out there. Many of them are good, and at the same time, many of them are CRAP!
This is the NCLEX prep course I recommend a the moment. You can also go here to see other NCLEX prep courses I reviewed.
Key Takeaway
Making everyone take the exam in a central testing location helps prevent cheating and promotes a consistent and predictable testing environment for everyone.
NCLEX Prep Academy
Check out the comprehensive NCLEX prep review that I recommend. Don’t bother with other NCLEX preps that over promise and under deliver. Did I mention they have a 99.86% NCLEX pass rate?
