National League for Nursing (NLN) Examinations
What is an NLN Examination?
The National League for Nursing Examinations are available to registered nurses who do not have individual course credit for Pharmacology, Nutrition, Anatomy & Physiology I & II, and Microbiology. Students who successfully complete an NLN Examination with a score of 50 Overall Percentile Ranking or higher will receive transfer credit for the examination that they completed. After receiving a passing score of a 50 Overall Percentile Ranking or higher on a NLN exam the registrar will be notified for students degree audits to be updated. Please allow up to 30 business days after the exam date for your degree audit to reflect a passing score and to receive your scores via your UMB student email account.
All NLN exams offered at the University of Massachusetts Boston are computerized exams. If you would like to create an account with NLN prior to your exam date please visit NLN's testing website. Students are allowed 151 minutes to complete each NLN exam. Calculators are NOT allowed for any NLN exam. All NLN Exams are in multiple choice format. For more information on NLN Exams please visit the National League of Nursing's main website.
How do I know if I need to take an NLN Exam?
Not all students need to complete an NLN examination. If you successfully completed (with a grade of C+ or higher) any of the following courses at an accredited academic institution, you may not need to complete an NLN Examination in that subject:
4-credit course in Anatomy & Physiology I
4-credit course in Anatomy & Physiology II
4-credit course in Microbiology
3-credit course in Nutrition
3-credit course in Pharmacology
If you are unsure if you need to take an NLN Exam please check your degree audit through WISER. You can log on to WISER here.
Please note: When performing a degree audit, always select "Run New Audit" for the most current information available. Please click here for a tutorial on running your UMB degree audit.
NLN Examination Dates
| Registration Deadline | Exam Dates | Exam times |
|---|---|---|
| 04/26/13 | Wednesday, May 1, 2013 | 9:30AM-12:30PM |
| 05/03/13 | Monday, May 6, 2013 | 9:30AM-12:30PM |
| 05/08/13 | Saturday, May 11, 2013 | 11AM-2PM |
| 05/31/13 | Monday, June 3, 2013 | 1:30PM-4:30PM |
| 06/17/13 | Thursday, June 20, 2013 | 9:00AM-12:00PM |
| 06/28/13 | Tuesday, July 2, 2013 | 9:00AM-12:00PM |
| 07/19/13 | Tuesday, July 23, 2013 | 2:30PM-5:30PM |
| 08/07/13 | Friday, August 9, 2013 | 9:00AM-12:00PM |
| 08/16/13 | Monday, August 19, 2013 | 3:00PM-6:00PM |
Future exam dates to be posted each semester. Please check back later for additional future dates.
Schedule an NLN Exam
NLN Exam Cancelation Policy
The following is the College of Nursing and Health Sciences' Cancelation Policy for NLN Exams:
- Cancelations must be received via email to Belinda Clanton, Program Assistant at belinda.clanton@umb.edu at least 48 business hours prior to your scheduled exam otherwise Students will be responsible for the $100.00 fee.
- Students who miss their exams will be marked as a "no show" and will be required to pay the full fee amount of $100.00
- Any student attempting to register for an NLN Exam with an outstanding balance for missed exams will be dropped from the roster until all fees are paid in full.
- Students who register multiple times for NLN Exams will be subject to the same cancelation policy stated above.
What if I do not obtain a passing score on my NLN Exam?
If a student does not receive an Overall Percentile Ranking of 50 or greater they will not receive credit for that exam. Students are allowed to take each type of NLN Exam up to two times. If you do not pass the exam on the second attempt with a Overall Percentile Ranking of 50 or greater, the student will then be required to take the course. The National League of Nursing asks that students wait at least three months before retaking an NLN Exam but it is up to the student’s discretion.
Please note: There will be no reimbursement of the $100.00 NLN Exam fee after a student has taken the exam.
CNHS offers Pharmacology online in the Summer, Fall and Spring only for RN-BS students. There are also online options for the other science prerequisite courses. Please contact your Program Adviser Stephanie Lineman at stephanie.lineman@umb.edu for more information.
Study Guide Information for NLN Exams
There is no official study guide offered by the National League of Nursing for any type of NLN Exam. Students who have successfully completed the Pharmacology and Nutrition NLN Examinations indicated that the questions included on the examinations are similar to those on the NCLEX examination. It may be useful to obtain an NCLEX review textbook, a Nursing Pharmacology review textbook or a Diet Therapy/Applied Nutrition review textbook. Students have also found this review quiz helpful for the Pharmacology NLN Exam. Please note that the College of Nursing and Health Sciences is not responsible for the content of information on third party websites.
ADA Special Accommodations
Any student requiring disability-related accommodations for a NLN Exam should contact belinda.clanton@umb.edu at least 3 weeks prior to the NLN Exam date registration deadline. Please fill out the form found here and email, fax or mail to:
College of Nursing and Health Sciences
C/O: Belinda Clanton
University of Massachusetts Boston
100 Morrissey Blvd
Boston, MA 02125
Fax: 617-287-7527
