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Canada has two practical-nurse registration exams, and which one you write depends on your province. Here is how the REx-PN and the CPNRE differ in format, content, and where each is used.
By The ngnsimulation team
REx-PN and the CPNRE are the two entry-to-practice examinations for Licensed Practical Nurses (Registered Practical Nurses in Ontario) in Canada. They test similar competencies but differ in format and in where each is required.
The CPNRE — the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Examination — is the long-standing national exam, written as a fixed-form test. The REx-PN — the Regulatory Exam – Practical Nurse — is a newer, computer-adaptive exam introduced in 2022.
British Columbia and Ontario use the REx-PN. The remaining provinces and territories use the CPNRE. Your regulatory college determines which exam applies, so confirm with the college where you intend to register.
Because the REx-PN is adaptive, practice that mirrors the adaptive format and builds clinical judgment matters more than rote memorisation. To prepare for the CPNRE, see Lumina AI. For how the practical-nurse role is localised across provinces, see licensed practical nurse.
Try a real clinical-judgment question and see the reasoning coached step by step.