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FAQs: Jurisprudence Examination
Exam Eligibility
Who has to take the jurisprudence examination?
All applicants to the General, Temporary, Special Assignment or Extended classes must pass the jurisprudence examination that is appropriate for the category and class to which they applied. Current registrants of the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) do not have to take the examination unless they are applying to change their class, for example, if a nurse in the General Class applies to join the Extended Class or if an RPN registrant applies to become an RN registrant. The Examination pass result is valid for five years.
Please note that the jurisprudence examination is the same when applying to become an RN or an RPN. Therefore, if a current RPN registrant wants to become a RN registrant (or vice versa) they will not have to write the examination unless they
- have never written it previously, or
- previously wrote it more than five years ago
I graduated from a nursing program in Ontario. Do I have to write the jurisprudence examination?
Yes. All applicants for registration with CNO, including those educated in Ontario, elsewhere in Canada or in other countries are required to pass the jurisprudence examination.
Can nursing students in their third year of their program write the jurisprudence exam?
No. Only applicants to CNO, who have submitted their CNO application online and paid the applicant fee, will receive the link to the jurisprudence examination.
Preparing for the Examination
What resources should I review to prepare for the examination?
You are strongly encouraged to review the laws, regulations and CNO by-laws, practice standards and guidelines that govern the nursing profession in Ontario. It is highly unlikely that applicants can successfully complete the jurisprudence examination without reviewing materials in advance.
There are sample examination questions to give you an idea of the types of questions you can expect to find on the examination.
CNO has prepared a list of recommended study materials, that help you prepare for the examination. Please note that documents on the resource list may be revised as laws, regulations, by-laws and practice standards and guidelines are updated to reflect changes in nursing practice in Ontario. It will be the responsibility of each applicant to monitor the list for any updates and to ensure they review only the most recent versions of the documents.
How do I navigate through the examination on the learning management system?
CNO has developed a virtual ‘walkthrough’ guide of the online examination, to support applicants. This virtual guide provides a picture of the online learning environment and how to navigate successfully to complete the jurisprudence examination. You are encouraged to review the walkthrough virtual guide before taking the examination.
Writing the Examination
How do I access the examination?
Applicants are provided with details about how to access the jurisprudence examination as part of the application process. When you submit your CNO application online and pay the application fee, you receive a message and link in your Maintain Your Membership (MYM) applicant portal, with specific instructions to pay the jurisprudence examination fee. Once payment is received, a follow-up message and link in the MYM portal will give you access to the online examination through a secure website. This is your personal access link and should not be shared with other applicants.
For security reasons, we do not provide a direct link to the testing website from CNO’s website.
Is there a fee for the jurisprudence examination?
Yes. The fee for the jurisprudence examination is $40 (CDN) plus applicable taxes. All fees are in Canadian dollars and are non-refundable. You must pay the fee when you attempt to write the examination. Payment is made online by interac or credit card through a secure payment website. As soon as your payment is processed, you receive an access link on MYM to access the jurisprudence examination.
Applicants will have 30 days from the date of log-in to complete the examination. If an applicant is unsuccessful the first time, they have an opportunity to re-attempt the examination within the 30-day period at no additional cost to the applicant. After the 30-day period, the applicants’ access to the online examination expires.
When can I write the examination?
Once you have received instructions about how to access the jurisprudence examination, you can choose to take the online examination whenever you like. You do not have to wait until after you write your registration examination.
However, applicants are responsible for ensuring their exam results are valid at the point of registration. If you pass the jurisprudence exam but do not get registered within the following five years, you will have to write and pass the examination again before you can register with CNO. If you anticipate that it may take you some time to meet any other registration requirements, then you may prefer to meet those requirements first before proceeding with the jurisprudence exam.
Can I write the exam with other applicants?
No. This examination must be written by you working on your own.
What are the minimum computer requirements to take the examination?
The jurisprudence examination site supports all updated browsers. If one of these browser versions is not installed on your computer, you will see a message inviting you to upgrade when you attempt to access the examination through a secure website.
How long does it take to complete the examination?
There is no time restriction for applicants to complete the RN/RPN Jurisprudence Examination or the RN(EC) Jurisprudence Examination. You will have 30 days from the time you pay the jurisprudence examination fee and log into the online examination to successfully complete it.
You are encouraged to complete the examination at your own pace. The examination allows you to complete it in one sitting or save and return to it at a later time. Upon return, you can begin the examination where you left off.
What is the format of the new examination?
The new examination requires the completion of an interactive “open-book” e-learning module and a multiple-choice exam. “Open book” examination means that applicants may use online or offline resources, such as, laws, regulations or CNO’s practice standards, while writing the exams.
The RN/RPN Jurisprudence Examination and the RN (EC) Jurisprudence Examination consist of 50 multiple-choice questions each.
Can I save the examination and return at a later time?
Yes. You can save and leave the examination to return at a later time. Your completed answers will be saved.
Can I review my online multiple-choice examination answers, or does the examination platform restrict access once an answer is completed?
The jurisprudence examination platform allows you to review your answers by selecting the ‘previous’ or ‘next’ option while taking the examination. At the end of the 50-question examination, you have the option to ‘submit’ your answers. Once your answers are submitted, you have completed your jurisprudence examination. You can close the online examination window and log out of MYM applicant portal.
How do I apply for exam accommodation to complete the jurisprudence examination?
You can apply for examination accommodation before completing the jurisprudence examination by notifying CNO in writing of your specific circumstances, with a request for alternate arrangements. You may be required to provide supporting documentation with your request. For more information about applying for special accommodation, read Requesting Accommodation.
After the Examination
How is the jurisprudence examination scored?
The examination is scored on a pass/fail basis.
When and how will I find out my score?
Your examination result will be available in the message centre on your MYM applicant portal. You cannot receive your result by phone or in person at the CNO offices.
The majority of applicants receive their examination result immediately after they submit their test answers. During periodic reviews of the jurisprudence examination process, some applicants’ results are delayed; however, all will receive their results within 24 hours.
It’s recommended you keep a copy of the message with your examination result for your own records.
Do I have to notify CNO about my results?
No. Your jurisprudence examination results will automatically be submitted to CNO.
If I fail the jurisprudence examination, can I take it again?
Yes. If you receive a “fail” result for the jurisprudence examination, you can rewrite the examination. There is no limit on the number of times you can write the examination. You can attempt to write the examination as soon as one hour after you get your result. You will have 30 days from the date of initial log-in to successfully complete the jurisprudence examination.
If you are re-attempting the examination, you are advised to review the learning module chapters before you attempt answering the examination questions.
