Update October 2010: Arkansas now requires CES Full report, English exam and SSN for foreign nursing graduates. Read the post and link.

Arkansas NCLEX Application

If you’re a Registered Nurse in the Philippines and wants to be licensed as in Arkansas, you have to submit NCLEX application following these steps:

1. Arkansas NCLEX Application and fee.

  • You can download the Arkansas NCLEX Application forms and instructions from Arkansas Board of Nursing website, or you can request the whole packet, including the fingerprint card thru email. Application form packet is 9 pages, and the Examination Application is on page 3 and 4. Completed application should be notarized, as stated in page 4.

Link to Arkansas NCLEX application for International Nurses

  • Attach application fee of $125 in money order, cashiers check, bank drafts, or if you’re paying thru credit card, complete the credit card information box on page 4. Note: There’s an additional fee for credit card processing, $4.75.

2. Fingerprint card, Criminal Background Check form and fee.

  • If you downloaded the Application form from Arkansas website, you can request fingerprint card thru their online form or by emailing cthomas@arsbn.org.
  • Have your fingerprints done at NBI office or any local police who’s willing to assist. Additional instructions on how to fill up the fingerprint card is on page 8 of the application.
  • Complete the Criminal Background Check form, page 9,  by answering every field. If you don’t have SSN, contact Arkansas for further instructions. Have the form notarized before submitting.
  • Submit the completed Fingerprint card, notarized Criminal Background Check form and fee of $41.25 in Cashier’s check or money order payable to ASBN.

3. Print and complete the Verification of Licensure form, page 6. Fill up the Part 1 and have the licensure agency (PRC) complete the Part II. The PRC will send the form directly to Arkansas, as directed.

4. Print and complete the Nursing Education Evaluation form, page 7. Fill up the upper part and bring it to your school of nursing (Registrar/Nursing Program Director) for completion. The school will then enclose your Transcript of Records and RLE summary together with this form in a school envelope, stamped and sealed, and then send it to Arkansas Board of Nursing. If the school return it to you, make sure that you send this separate from your application; make it appear that the school sent it by mailing it from the same city where the school is located.

5. Register for NCLEX-RN exam at Pearsonvue($200). After the Board has received all the required documents and you have met all of the Board’s requirements for licensure you will be deemed eligible to test. You can now register for NCLEX exam at Pearsonvue.com/nclex. You can check my Pearsonvue Registration Steps post on how to do it. Note: Once registered, your ATT will be issued and you have to schedule AND take the NCLEX exam within 90 days.

5. Schedule the NCLEX exam. You can check available slots by logging in to your Pearsonvue account(my post about it). If you will take it in Pearsonvue Testing Centers outside US, you can only do it by phone and there’s a fee of $150. Check my post about NCLEX Scheduling thru phone here.

6. Take the NCLEX exam. Bring your ATT and passport to Pearsonvue testing center on your scheduled date of exam.

The time frame to be deemed eligible to test for the nurse who has their education evaluation and verification of licensure completed by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing is estimated to be 3 to 6 months. For additional questions about Arkansas NCLEX Application, you can post a comment below or contact Arkansas Program Coordinator: Calvina Thomas, PhD, RN at Phone:  501.686.2786; E-mail: cthomas@arsbn.org.