Accommodations process

This section describes the steps involved in the accommodations process and the tasks Nursing Regulatory Body users, NCSBN users and Pearson VUE Accommodations Coordinators perform.

Note It’s important to enter the accommodations requests BEFORE a candidate’s status is set to Eligible, whenever possible. When a status is set to Eligible, an ATT email is automatically generated and sent to the candidate. However, if the record has any pending accommodations requests, an ATT email will not be sent until those requests are resolved. Although the system allows accommodations to be entered after a candidate has been made eligible, this may require canceling a candidate’s exam appointment registration. It also means the candidate will receive multiple ATT emails, which can be confusing.

1. A candidate contacts a Nursing Regulatory Body to request accommodations.

Candidates who require special accommodations register for the NCLEX exam using standard procedures, but also submit an accommodations request in writing to the Nursing Regulatory Body in the jurisdiction in which they are seeking licensure/registration. Once the registration is entered in the system, the registration appears on the NCLEX Administration website and is assigned the New Registration status.

1. The Nursing Regulatory Bodyadds the accommodations request to the candidate’s registration.

When the Nursing Regulatory Body receives a candidate’s accommodations request, use the NCLEX Administration website to add the request(s) to the candidate’s registration. After candidate registrations are processed, they are displayed on the NCLEX Administration website and accommodations requests can then be entered. Select the accommodation type, choose options or provide additional information (if required) and enter comments or recommendations to NCSBN.

1. The Accommodation Place Holder accommodation is revoked.

You MUST revoke this accommodation after entering a candidate’s accommodations request(s). (If the Nursing Regulatory Body doesn’t revoke it, the ATT email will not be sent to the candidate.)

1. The Nursing Regulatory Body marks the candidate eligible.

The registration can be marked eligible any time after the accommodations request is added. The candidate will not receive his or her ATT email (and cannot schedule an appointment) until all pending accommodations requests have been granted by NCSBN in the NCLEX Administration website.

1. An NCSBN user reviews the request.

Immediately after an accommodations request is saved, NCSBN can review the request on the NCLEX Administration website, including the Nursing Regulatory Body’s recommendations and comments. NCSBN may work with the Nursing Regulatory Body to reach a mutually agreeable decision regarding the request.

NCSBN then either:

1. Grants the request in the NCLEX Administration website.
2. Denies the request: If NCSBN determines the accommodations request should not be granted, they will contact the Nursing Regulatory Body to deny the request in the website. It is the Nursing Regulatory Body’s responsibility to inform the candidate that his or her accommodations request has been denied. Information about which accommodations have been granted or denied does not appear in the candidate’s ATT email.
3. Replaces the accommodation: If a Nursing Regulatory Body and NCSBN determine that an alternate accommodation should be granted rather than the one originally requested, the original request must be revoked and a new request should be entered. It is the Nursing Regulatory Body’s responsibility to inform the candidate that his or her accommodations request has been replaced.
4. The ATT (Authorization to Test) email is sent to the candidate.

Once NCSBN has granted all accommodations requests for a particular registration and the registration is marked eligible, the ATT email is generated and sent. (If a registration has pending accommodations requests, the ATT email cannot be sent and the exam cannot be scheduled.) The ATT email specifies that candidates with granted accommodations must schedule an appointment by calling the Pearson VUE Accommodations Coordinator at NCLEX Candidate Services. (The candidate will automatically be prevented from scheduling via the NCLEX Candidate website.)

1. The candidate schedules an appointment with the Pearson VUE Accommodations Coordinator.

The Pearson VUE Accommodations Coordinator schedules appointments for all NCLEX registrations that have accommodations. The coordinator is trained to handle special condition testing situations including scheduling multiple-day appointments. If necessary, he or she also works with the testing center the candidate chooses to ensure that the accommodation is set up properly before the candidate arrives for the exam.

Some accommodations require special personnel to assist the candidate during exam delivery. For example, sight-impaired candidates may require a reader to assist them during the exam. Pearson VUE is responsible for scheduling personnel according to guidelines provided by Nursing Regulatory Bodies and NCSBN. A Pearson VUE Accommodations Coordinator sends assistive personnel a packet of pertinent information, including the Assistive Personnel Agreement and a confirmation email.

1. The candidate takes the NCLEX exam with accommodations.

The test administrator checks the center’s exam schedule in the Pearson VUE Testing System to find out which candidates have approved accommodations. Accommodations for extra time and adjustable font size and contrast are built into the exam delivery software, and the administrator doesn’t need to intervene. The Pearson VUE Accommodations Coordinator will have already informed the administrator about any nonstandard accommodation and provided instructions if necessary. If an assistive person was approved for the candidate, the test administrator follows a standard procedure for checking in the person.

When the test administrator starts the exam for the candidate, the software displays a list of the accommodations for which the candidate has been approved, as an additional reminder.

Note Test administrators are not permitted to rescind or change accommodations for NCLEX exams at the testing center.

 

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