If you want to become a licensed nurse, you must take the NCLEX, which stands for Nurse Council Licensure Examination. Currently, there are two versions of the NCLEX: the NCLEX-PN and the NCLEX-RN. NCSBN (National Council of State Boards of Nursing), which is a non-profit corporation, created and currently administers the official NCLEX tests.Registered nurses are required to pass the NCLEX-RN, while vocational or practical nurses must pass the NCLEX-PN. The purpose of this exam is to gauge the knowledge, skills, and abilities that are related to the practice of nursing of the students.NCSBN designed the NCLEX to see whether students could taking critically, so this test is not based on the memorization of facts. Currently, the NCLEX is heavily testing students on their infection control skills and if they are capable of prioritizing and delegating.As of 2010, the NCLEX is focusing a lot on prioritization as well as infection control. The test has questions that are based on memorization, application, analysis, and knowledge, so you must really know the material to pass this exam. Most of the exam compromises of multiple choice questions. However, some questions may require you to mathematically calculate the answer, fill in the blank, or arrange a few steps in order.Benefits of the NCLEXObviously, the main advantage of NCLEX is nurse certification. If you don't pass the test, you won't be able to become certified. By doing well on the NCLEX, you'll have a better chance of getting a good nursing position that pays well, even if you don't have much experience as a nurse.The NCLEX takes five to six hours, depending on whether you're taking the PN or RN. After two weeks to a month, you will receive your results in the mail. You will only receive your score if you passed the NCLEX, but if you failed the NCLEX, you will receive a detailed results sheet.If you failed the NCLEX, you'll probably want to take it again in the future. Before you can apply to take the NCLEX again, you must wait three months. To register for the NCLEX, you must pay $200, and $150 for the Additional International Scheduling Fee. As you can see, you should vouch to take the NCLEX as little times as possible due to the cost.Check out ncsbn.org if you want to learn more about the NCLEX exam. There, you can also register for testing to become a licensed nurse.