The Canadian Registered Nurse Exam
The Nursing Entrance Test for Canada

The Canadian Registered Nurse Exam is the nursing entrance test for the nursing profession in Canada. If you want to become a registered nurse in Canada you must pass the CRNE in order to obtain a nursing license.

The exam must be written in Canada. There are no testing offices outside of Canada and the exam is only offered three times per year.

The exam is a paper based test. Multiple choice questions are marked by computer scanning technology.

What is a Nursing Competency? It is defined as the judgement, knowledge, and skill required for professional nursing practice

The Canadian Registered Nurse Exam

Usually a candidate is allowed to sit the exam three times.

After the second failed attempt, the provincial nursing body may require proof of a remediation plan OR enrolment in a re-entry registered nurse education program before your application to take the exam for the third time is approved.

Here are the Numbers for CRNE

There will be 180 - 200 questions on the CRNE that will test the entry level nursing competencies and count towards your mark. There will also be about 20 questions that will be on the exam and not count towards your mark. These are questions being developed and tested for use on future exams.

There are four categories of competencies and each are given a different weight on the exam.

The numbers in this table are based on the percentages given in the Canadian Registered Nurse Exam Prep Guide published by the Canadian Nurses Association.

To become a registered nurse in Canada you must obtain a nursing license through the provincial regulatory nursing body. Writing the Canadian nursing entrance test is usually the last step to obtaining your nursing license.

Except in Quebec it is the provincial (or territorial) nursing organizations who administer the Canadian Registered Nurse Exam in their jurisdiction so you must apply for your nursing license through a provincial nursing regulatory body.

This body determines if your background and preparation meet the requirements for safe, competent, and ethical nursing practice in Canada.

Once that determination is made and the fees are paid, you will be given permission to write the Canadian nursing entrance test (CRNE).

If you have been given permission to write the CRNE and have a waiting period to take the exam, you can get a nursing job with a temporary or interim permit. You must have an employer willing to hire you until you sit the exam and the results are known. When nursing jobs in Canada are plentiful this is not usually a problem.

If you are not successful on the Canadian nursing entrance test (CRNE), some provinces may allow you to continue to work under the interim permit until you take the test again. If you are unsuccessful a second time the interim permit will be revoked and you will not be allowed to practice or call yourself a nurse.

Most provinces will also require you to submit a written plan showing that you are engaging in learning to help you prepare for the CRNE the second time around. Some provinces may require that you successfully complete a re-entry registered nurse educationprogram before you are given permission to take the CRNE again.

View the comparison chart of the American nursing entrance test and the Canadian Registered Nurse Exam

Read about the Substantially Equivalent Competency assessment now being used in British Columbian and Alberta.

Nursing Entrance Exam for Canada (CRNE) - View the structural variables that affect the look and feel of the CRNE.

The Nursing Entrance Test for Canada (CRNE) - History of the exam and explanation of the term "comprehensive".

Go back to Canadian Food and Nutrition Information for IEN's

Go back to A Nursing License in Canada is Required for All Types of Nursing

Go back to the Nursing Profession is Regulated by Nursing Laws in Canada