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NCSBN to Expand Number of International Testing Sites for NCLEX(R) Examinations

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) www.ncsbn.org, will expand the number of sites that offer the NCLEX® examinations abroad for domestic nurse licensure purposes. NCSBN's Board of Directors affirmed the decision at its December 2005 meeting upon recommendations from the NCSBN Examination Committee.

The current international sites for NCLEX examinations in London, England; Seoul, South Korea; and Hong Kong have been operational since January 2005. It is planned that the new sites will begin to offer the exam sometime in the next year. The new testing sites will be located in Australia, India, Japan, Mexico, Canada, Germany and Taiwan. The exact location(s) within each country is yet to be determined and, at this time, no schedule of implementation has been set.

"We have been extremely pleased with the successful launch of NCLEX testing abroad and because of this success the decision was made to increase the number of sites where the examinations will be offered internationally," comments Donna Dorsey, president of NCSBN Board of Directors. She continues, "Adding additional sites with wide geographic dispersal helps to reduce barriers for qualified candidates who intend to apply for licensure in the United States and can potentially lessen the financial burdens and time constraints on applicants."

Intended for the purposes of domestic nurse licensure in U.S. states and territories, additional sites were chosen based on the same rigorous criteria that the three current sites were evaluated on. The evaluation included security and geographic representation outside of the current member board of nursing locations. All security policies and procedures currently used to administer the NCLEX examination domestically will be fully implemented at these international locations.

"NCSBN providing NCLEX examinations abroad has allowed for greater customer service to nurses from other countries in support of the role of state boards of nursing without compromising the paramount goal of safeguarding the public health, safety and welfare of patients in the United States," remarks Kathy Apple, executive director of NCSBN.

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN) is a not-for-profit organization whose membership comprises the boards of nursing in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five United States territories -- American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Mission: The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), composed of Member Boards, provides leadership to advance regulatory excellence for public protection.

Technical inquiries about the NCLEX examination may be directed to the NCLEX information line at 1.866.293.9600 or nclexinfo@ncsbn.org.

NCSBN Web site http://www.ncsbn.org/

Pearson VUE Web site http://www.pearsonvue.com/

National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc.
111 E. Wacker Drive, Suite 2900
Chicago, IL 60601-4277

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