Can You Take the NCLEX at Home?
Not yet. NCSBN is building NCLEX Online, an at-home version of the exam, but it isn't launching in 2026 and has no launch date. Here's what NCSBN has said so far, and how to rehearse at-home testing now.
Where things stand
- Today: every NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN candidate tests at a Pearson VUE test center.
- Coming: NCLEX Online, which NCSBN says requires extensive research, testing, and validation before launch.
- Timing: NCSBN says it is not launching in 2026 and that it can't give a launch date yet.
What NCSBN has described
Summarized from NCSBN's NCLEX Online information at nclex.com, reviewed October 29, 2026. Plans may change before launch; check nclex.com for the latest.
Rehearse at-home testing now
NCLEXSim's test-day mode has an At home option. Before a full adaptive exam, you agree to the candidate rules, take a check-in photo, and scan your room with your webcam: each wall, your desk, and the floor around it. Then the exam runs in a locked screen with webcam checks and a clock that keeps running on breaks. Your integrity report shows how you did. Webcam checks run on your own device, and no video or images are uploaded.
Set up your space the way a proctor will expect
- Pick a private room with a door you can close, and tell anyone at home not to come in.
- Clear the desk except for your computer. Remove notes, books, and extra screens.
- Put your phone where the 360 app will need it, or out of reach when you practice.
- Test your camera, lighting, and internet at the same time of day as your exam.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take the NCLEX at home?
Not yet. All NCLEX candidates still test at Pearson VUE test centers. NCSBN is developing NCLEX Online, an at-home option, but says it is not launching in 2026 and hasn't announced a launch date.
Who will be able to take NCLEX Online?
According to NCSBN, both domestic and international candidates. When you schedule, you'll be able to choose a test center or the online exam.
What will I need for the at-home NCLEX?
NCSBN lists a technology check and its free 360 phone app, which uses your phone's camera together with your computer's camera so live proctors can see your testing area. You won't be able to use your phone for anything else during the exam.
How will NCSBN protect the at-home exam?
NCSBN lists an environmental scan of your testing area, ID validation, object detection, and live proctors.
Will testing accommodations be available?
NCSBN says accommodations will be available, but they may differ between the test center and the online exam.
How can I practice for an at-home exam now?
Choose "At home" in NCLEXSim's test-day mode. It adds a room scan and workspace checks to a full proctored practice exam, with webcam checks that run on your own device.
Practice the way the NCLEX tests you
1,059 fact-checked questions, a full adaptive exam that stops by the real rules, a proctored test-day mode with an integrity report, 8 NGN case studies, bedside simulations, and ACLS megacodes. Free. Already paying for a question bank? Keep it, and rehearse test day here.