New PN exam reflects practice realities
There is a new entry-to-practice exam for those applying to become a Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) in Ontario or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in B.C. The exam, called REx-PN, launched on Jan. 4, 2022. It replaces the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Examination (CPNRE) for Ontario and B.C. students.
CNO and the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives partnered with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing to develop the exam. It tests the knowledge, skill and judgment that PNs need to practice safely at the beginning of their careers.
“The new exam reflects the realities of nursing practice,” says Shelley Masse, Program Coordinator, PN Program at Fanshawe College in London. She says the format of the exam resembles the profession as it requires writers to repeatedly make decisions about information in real-time.
“I think now more than ever a priority for nurses is to gather information quickly and make decisions,” Masse explains. “The exam provides the opportunity to evaluate students’ ability to think critically and problem-solve in the moment when making decisions about patient care.”
When developing the REx-PN, we had students’ needs in mind. For starters, it is accessible: writers can take the test at any time in permanent or temporary centres of the exam provider, Pearson VUE. As well, writers usually receive their results within two business days. Those who are not successful receive a report with information about how they did, so they know what they need to work on.
One major difference between the REx-PN and CPNRE is the number of writes applicants have to pass the exam. While the CPNRE had a limit of three writes, there is no limit for the REx-PN. This is because the exam’s Computer Adaptive Test format recognizes if a writer is retaking the exam and supplies them with questions that are different from those they had in previous attempts.
“With the set-up of the REx-PN, graduates will have multiple opportunities to write the exam,” Masse adds. “This will help lessen the anxiety that graduates experience when writing this high-stakes exam, especially those requiring a subsequent attempt.”
To ensure applicants can take the exam in their preferred language of English or French, we used a rigorous translation process. A third party translated the questions using best practices and recommended standards. To do this, they used a guide of consistent French terms for current practice settings, which a panel of French PN academics developed. A Canadian Translation Panel, made up of French-speaking Canadian nurses, reviewed all questions.
To help prepare both French and English writers for the exam, we offer a number of preparatory materials in many different formats. These include a test plan, practice exams, newsletters, tutorials, videos, FAQs, fact sheets and webcasts.
“Behind the scenes, there has been a lot of work done to ensure this exam is consistent with practice in Canada,” says Masse, who was the Ontario representative for mapping the entry-to-practice competencies to the test plan. Nurses in Ontario and B.C. developed and reviewed the content, and they will continue to evolve the exam to ensure it continues to meet the needs of the public for safe nursing care.
We are grateful to everyone who helped us develop the REx-PN, including Canadian nurses, French and English nursing students who volunteered their time to field test questions, French and English educators from PN programs in Ontario and the working group of academics that met every month. Thank you for sharing information and guidance with your students, providing our project team with feedback along the way and attending information webinars, sessions and our first annual REx-PN conference. You can read more information about how we developed the exam with our partners at our Updating RPN exam page.
As time goes on, we will continue to engage with stakeholders to evolve the exam. We will post opportunities for getting involved on our website — stay tuned.
