Which statement best describes the NCLEX pathways for RN licensure?

• A. 5-Year combined RN-BSN programs
• B. 3-Year ADN only
• C. 4-Year BSN, 2-Year ADN, 3-Year hospital program
• D. No licensure path exists

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is that RN licensure in the United States can be earned through multiple approved education routes, as long as you pass the NCLEX-RN. After completing any recognized nursing program, you’re eligible to take the NCLEX-RN, and passing it grants licensure to practice as an RN.

The best description includes the main pathways many schools offer: a four-year bachelor of science in nursing, a two-year associate degree in nursing, and hospital-based diploma programs that typically last about three years. Each of these programs, if approved by the state board of nursing, prepares you to sit for the NCLEX-RN. This captures the variety of routes to licensure rather than suggesting a single mandatory path.

Other options aren’t as accurate because they imply limited or nonexistent routes to licensure. There are indeed multiple pathways to become an RN, and saying there is no licensure path would be false.