Nursing Entrance Exam Information for NEX Exam | HCC

    Nursing

    Nursing Entrance Exam Information for NEX Exam

    Anyone who plans to apply to HCC’s PN track, Traditional RN track, or Medic To RN track (for 68W military medics).

    Please visit the National League for Nursing (NLN) website for current information about the content of the NEX exam.

    https://www.nln.org/education/assessment-services/assessments/nex-assessment

    Please visit National League for Nursing's (NLN) main website at www.nln.org.  Click Education & Assessment, then look for the Assessment Services header and select Student Resources.  A Student Guide is available along with icons that provide guidance for purchasing/scheduling a virtual exam or registering for an onsite exam.

    To set up your testing account, please go to NLN's testing portal at www.nlntest.org. While entering your information, type Hopkinsville Community College under Select Your School or Enter School Code. Click Search then check the box by 392687-01 Hopkinsville Community College-Hopkinsville. This will allow for your test results to go to Hopkinsville Community College Nursing Department.

    Once your NLN testing account is set up, you have two options for how to test.  Please follow the Student Guide for assistance.

    Option 1 - On-site testing at the HCC Workforce Assessment Center

    • Select "Register for Exam"
    • For "Site", enter Hopkinsville and leave all other fields blank. Click Apply.
      • This field may already be populated with Hopkinsville Comm College - Hopkinsville but you must delete everything except the single word Hopkinsville.
    • Be sure to look only at the NEX Session dates and not NACE Session dates.  Once you select an exam date and place in your shopping cart, you will pay for the exam through NLN's registration website.
      • Please note the NEX exam start times listed are for Central Time zone. If your device is set for a different time zone, please be aware of the time difference.
    • On the day of the exam, please arrive 30 minutes before the scheduled start time. Report to the Workforce Assessment Center, located in the Technology Center, Room 109. This will allow time to log in to the computer and confirm you have access to the exam before the exam begins.
    • Allow time prior to reporting to the Workforce Assessment Center to pay the $25 proctor fee in the Workforce Solutions Office, located in the Auditorium Building, Room 13. They will give you a receipt to show to the proctor before your exam.

    Option 2 -Remote-proctored exam (test on personal computer with camera and microphone in a quiet, uninterrupted space while being monitored by Proctor 360's live proctor)

    Depending on which exam option you choose, costs are listed below. These are subject to change at NLN's discretion.

    1. On-site exam (at HCC Hopkinsville campus):  $52.50 exam fee (when you register) plus $25.00 proctor fee (pay day of exam)
      • The proctor fee may be paid in the Workforce Solutions office, located on the Hopkinsville campus, Auditorium Building, Room 13.  Acceptable forms of payment:  cash, debit/credit card, and checks.
    2. Remote-proctored exam (your device):  $68.50 (total for both exam and remote proctor fee)

    Please contact NLN Customer Service (800-732-8656) if you have questions about their refund policy or fees associated with rescheduling an exam prior to the exam date.

    On-site testing is offered approximately two times per month in the Workforce Assessment Center on the Hopkinsville campus. Exam dates are usually Thursdays at 9am. Alternate dates or times may be offered if the Workforce Assessment Center has capacity.

    Note: All times are Central Time zone. Seating is limited to 8 people per test session.  Registration closes 2 days prior to exam date or when all seats have been taken.

    Remote-proctored testing must be scheduled through the Proctor360 service utilized by NLN.

    • One (1) form of identification with the name on the ID matching the name on the exam registration
    • Your NLN username and password that you created when you set up your NLN account
    • Receipt showing payment of the $25.00 proctoring fee (if taking exam at Workforce Assessment Center)
    • Basic Calculator (optional) - exam portal should have online calculator built-in to exam
    • For on-site testing, the Workforce Assessment Center will provide an erasable note board, pen, and basic calculator
    • For remote-proctored exam, be sure to review any guidelines from NLN when you register on how to prepare for taking the exam.

    NLN advises score reports should be available within 4 hours after completion of the exam.  Students can log in to their NLN account to view a score report.

    The HCC Nursing Department's retest policy for the NEX exam is once every six (6) weeks.  If you take the exam more than once, you must allow 6 weeks between exam dates in order for us to consider your score reports as valid.  When applying to the program, we will use the highest NEX score from the exams you have taken as long as you abide by the 6-week retest policy.

    For Spring 2025 admission, if you will be using PAX exam scores taken prior to June 1, 2024, you must still allow for the 6-week retest policy between any previous PAX exams.  If you took the PAX exam prior to June 1, 2024 and now plan to the take the NEX exam, you must abide by the 6-week retest policy between your PAX and NEX test dates.

    We consider scores to be good for three (3) years from the exam date.

    For the Spring 2025 admission cycle, the minimum scores to be eligible are:

    RN Program:  PAX composite score of 111 or NEX composite score of 149.

    Medic To RN Program: PAX composite score of 111 or NEX composite score of 149.

    PN Program:  PAX composite score of 99 or NEX composite score of 88

    NOTE: Scores are subject to change for future admission cycles pending additional data from NLN.

    NOTE: The PAX exam scores are not guaranteed to be accepted beyond the Spring 2025 admission cycle.