
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) website at www.nlntest.org. Click “Student Resources” to access a variety of how-to guides, including:
- How to Create Your Account
- How to Purchase and Use Study Materials
- Virtual Exams
- Onsite Exams
- How to Access Your Results
- Refund Policy
To set up your testing account while on the www.nlntest.org website, click on “LOG IN TO THE STUDENT TESTING WEBSITE”. On the next screen, in the upper right corner, you will have the option to either login or sign up. When signing up, please select Hopkinsville Community College in the dropdown box for Institution. This will allow you to see HCC’s onsite exam dates as well as allow us to receive your score reports.
Once your NLN testing account is set up, you have two options for how to test.
- On-site testing at the HCC Workforce Assessment Center
- Remote-proctored testing using NLN’s partner Proctor360 live proctoring service
Depending on which exam option you choose, costs are listed below. These are subject to change at NLN's discretion.
- On-site exam (at HCC Hopkinsville campus): $59 exam fee (when you register) plus
$30.00 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.
- Remote-proctored exam (your device): $80.00 (no additional proctoring 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 for each test session. Registration typically closes 2 business 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.
On-Site Exams: Your government-issued photo ID, your proctoring fee receipt, and account login and password. *Testing center will provide basic 4-function calculator and white board or scratch paper.
Virtual Exams: Your government-issued photo ID, account login and password, basic 4-function calculator, dry erase board (no larger than 8.5”x11”), dry erase marker, and dry erase board eraser.
After completion of the exam, NLN advises score reports should be available immediately in your NLN testing portal account’s My Dashboard.
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.
We consider scores to be good for three (3) years from the exam date.
IMPORTANT: NLN has changed the student score report for the NEX exam to show scores based on two national norming groups (RN and LPN/VN) instead of the previous single norming group. Students may see multiple score columns on their student score report. HCC Nursing will only be using the score column "Your RN Composite Score" for applicants to both the PN and RN program tracks (including Traditional and Medic To RN). All other columns will not be considered for applications.
Minimum pre-admission exam scores to be eligible:
- RN Traditional or Medic to ADN Track
- NEX exam "Your RN Composite Score" of 149
- PN Track
- NEX exam "Your RN Composite Score" of 88
NOTE: Minimum scores are subject to change for future admission cycles pending additional data from NLN.
