How to Start in Canada

How to Become a Registered Practical Nurse in Ontario

Ontario RPN registration through CNO: an approved practical nursing diploma, the REx-PN exam, the jurisprudence exam, the Temporary Class, and the internationally educated nurse route.

Written October 20, 2026 · 9 min read

Applies in: Ontario

The path in one paragraph

To practise as a Registered Practical Nurse in Ontario you must be registered with the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) — there is no legal way around the regulator. The standard route: finish a two-year Practical Nursing diploma at an approved Ontario college, open an application on CNO's portal in your final year, write the REx-PN registration exam and the online jurisprudence exam, clear the background and documentation checks, and register in the General Class. New graduates can enter the Temporary Class and work while the last requirements land; internationally educated nurses follow a credential-assessment route that CNO streamlined in April 2025.

First: CNO is the gate — the title is protected

Ontario's Nursing Act makes "Registered Practical Nurse" (and "RPN") a protected title: you may not use it, or practise nursing, without CNO registration. The CNO sets the registration requirements, approves the exams, and maintains the public register employers check. Since April 1, 2025, CNO accepts nursing education recognized or approved in any jurisdiction for the category you are applying to, and recognizes several credential assessors — the education and exam requirements, not the country, are what matter.

Step 1: Graduate from an approved Practical Nursing program

For Ontario applicants, this means a Practical Nursing diploma from an Ontario college whose program CNO approves — typically two years (five semesters), blending classroom theory, simulation labs, and clinical placements in hospitals, long-term care homes, and community settings. George Brown's S121, Centennial, Humber, Algonquin, Fleming, and other colleges all run CNO-approved programs. First-year tuition runs roughly $17,000 to $21,000 for domestic students (2026 figures). PSWs moving up the care ladder should read our PSW guide — the PSW-to-practical-nursing bridge is the first rung.

One useful detail for final-year students: your school sends CNO a Verification of Course Completion directly. Schools vary in how fast they process these, so ask yours about timing — it is the most common avoidable delay in a new graduate's file.

Step 2: Apply to CNO and assemble the file

Start your application on CNO's "Maintain your Membership" portal — ideally in your final year. The application steps:

  1. Create your portal account and start a new application.
  2. Fill it in completely and pay the non-refundable application fee (about $452 since the Fees By-Law change — the same fee for all applicants).
  3. Send verification forms to third parties (school, employers, other regulators). CNO must receive documents directly from the source — anything you submit yourself does not count. Ontario graduates mostly need the school's Verification of Course Completion and transcript; the rest depends on your history.
  4. Request anything early. CNO only starts assessing once it has the completed application, the fee, and the school's verification.

From here, CNO messages you through the portal telling you what remains: exam eligibility, and evidence for each remaining requirement.

Step 3: Pass the REx-PN

Every Ontario RPN applicant must pass the registration exam — the REx-PN (Regulatory Exam — Practical Nurse), owned by NCSBN and delivered by Pearson. (RN applicants write the NCLEX-RN instead — register for the exam CNO tells you to.) The mechanics, from CNO's exam page:

  1. Wait for CNO to notify you that you are eligible.
  2. Register with Pearson, using the exact same name as on your CNO application — it must match your photo ID at the test centre.
  3. Pay the exam fee — about $350 CAD per attempt (plus taxes; international testing centres add a scheduling fee).
  4. Receive your Authorization to Test (check its expiry date) and book a Pearson VUE centre promptly.
  5. Write the exam; results arrive through the CNO portal within about a week.

There is no limit on attempts, with a mandatory 60-day wait between sittings and a maximum of six attempts per year. Critical nuance: if you already passed the REx-PN for another jurisdiction (BCCNM uses it too), do not pay and rewrite — have that regulator send your official result to CNO, which decides whether the requirement is met.

Step 4: Pass the jurisprudence exam

Separate from the REx-PN, every applicant must pass CNO's jurisprudence examination: an online assessment of Ontario's nursing laws, regulations, by-laws, and practice standards. After you submit your application and fee, CNO gives you access to the secure testing site; pass results are valid for five years. It is the same exam for RPN and RN applicants, so RPNs who later upgrade through an RPN-to-BScN bridging program do not rewrite it.

Step 5: Clear the remaining requirements

The file is not complete until every box is ticked:

  • Nursing education — the diploma (handled by graduation for domestic applicants; credential assessment for international ones).
  • Transition to Practice (TTP) — new since April 2025. Canadian nursing graduates and currently Canadian-registered nurses meet it automatically; others complete a CNO-approved TTP course (typically 7 to 14 weeks, online, no clinical component).
  • Evidence of practice — recent graduates meet this through graduation; others must show nursing practice within the past 3 years.
  • Language proficiency — English or French, via testing or education/practice in a qualifying system; test reports must be recent (within two years).
  • Criminal record check — through Sterling Talent Solutions, online only; valid for just six months, so time it late in the process.
  • Work authorization — proof you are authorized to practise nursing in Ontario.
  • Past offences, findings, and health/conduct declarations.

Once CNO is satisfied, you pay the initial registration and first-year membership fee (about $455) and join the General Class — the full RPN registration. Note that Ontario Health is currently reimbursing the General and Temporary Class registration costs; check CNO's site for how to claim.

Step 6 (optional but common): Work in the Temporary Class while you finish

New graduates who have the degree but are still waiting on exams or paperwork can register in the Temporary Class and start working. Requirements: completed nursing education (Ontario students included, once the school's verification lands), evidence of practice, the jurisprudence exam, language proficiency, work authorization, clean offences/conduct record — and an offer of employment from an approved facility (hospitals, long-term care homes, psychiatric facilities, public health boards, community health centres, and similar). Two caveats: applicants who have already failed the registration exam twice or more cannot use the Temporary Class, and you must complete all remaining requirements — including TTP — before moving to the General Class.

Step 7: The internationally educated nurse stream

If you trained outside Canada, the April 2025 changes materially improved the route:

  1. Credential assessment — get your nursing education assessed by WES, ICAS, ICES, or NNAS. CNO accepts education recognized or approved in any jurisdiction, provided it meets the diploma level for RPN applicants.
  2. Transition to Practice course — a 7-to-14-week online course from a CNO-approved provider if you do not already meet the requirement.
  3. Evidence of practice within 3 years — verified directly from employers.
  4. REx-PN and jurisprudence exam, as above.
  5. Language proof, Sterling criminal record check, work authorization.

Internationally educated nurses should also read our foreign credentials guide for the broader recognition machinery that sits alongside CNO's process.

What the career pays

Job Bank-derived wage tables put Ontario licensed practical nurses at a median of about $31.00 per hour (roughly $25 at the low end and $32 at the high end). Live postings advertise a wider spread — roughly $24 to $43 per hour — with long-term care and community roles toward the lower end and hospitals and specialized units toward the upper end. Most Ontario hospital RPNs work under collective agreements with seniority steps, shift and weekend premiums, and full benefits — the published hourly rate understates total compensation. Job Bank's national outlook for licensed practical nurses expects about 27,900 openings against 27,800 job seekers through 2033 — a balanced field, with steadier demand in long-term care, community, and correctional settings.

Related guides

The six steps to RPN registration in Ontario

  1. Graduate from an approved practical nursing programA two-year Ontario college diploma (five semesters) from a CNO-approved program; the school sends CNO a Verification of Course Completion
  2. Apply to CNOOpen your application on CNO's portal, ideally in your final year; pay the non-refundable application fee and have third parties send verifications directly
  3. Write the REx-PNWait for CNO to message you that you are eligible, register with Pearson, pay the exam fee (about $350), and book a Pearson VUE centre
  4. Pass the jurisprudence examThe online exam on Ontario nursing law — the same exam RN applicants write; results are valid for five years
  5. Clear the remaining requirementsTransition to Practice (automatic for Canadian graduates), evidence of practice, language proof, a Sterling criminal record check, and work authorization
  6. Register in the General ClassPay the initial registration and first-year membership fee — Ontario Health is currently reimbursing these registration costs

What the RPN path costs (approximate)

Practical Nursing diploma tuition~$17,000–$21,000
CNO application fee~$452
REx-PN exam fee~$350
Jurisprudence exam fee~$45
Initial registration + first-year membership~$455

Questions people ask

How do I become an RPN in Ontario?

The domestic path: graduate from an approved Practical Nursing program (a two-year diploma at an Ontario college), apply to the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO), pass the REx-PN registration exam, pass the online jurisprudence exam, meet the evidence-of-practice, transition-to-practice, language, criminal-record-check, and work-authorization requirements, and register in the General Class. New graduates can register in the Temporary Class to work while finishing the remaining requirements.

What is the REx-PN exam?

The REx-PN (Regulatory Exam — Practical Nurse) is the registration exam every Ontario RPN applicant must pass; it replaced the old CPNRE. It is owned by NCSBN and delivered by Pearson: you wait for CNO to notify you that you are eligible, register with Pearson using the exact name from your CNO application, pay the exam fee (about $350 CAD per attempt, plus taxes), receive your Authorization to Test, and book a Pearson VUE centre. There is no limit on attempts, with a mandatory 60-day wait between sittings and a maximum of six attempts per year. RN applicants write a different exam (the NCLEX-RN) — do not register for the wrong one.

How is an RPN different from an RN in Ontario?

An RPN holds a practical nursing diploma (two years at college) and writes the REx-PN; an RN holds a nursing baccalaureate (four years at university) and writes the NCLEX-RN. Both are registered with CNO, both write the same jurisprudence exam, and both can practise in hospitals, long-term care, and community settings — the RN's scope and education are broader. Many RPNs later upgrade through RPN-to-BScN bridging programs. If you want the full RN path, read our RN guide.

Which schools offer an approved Practical Nursing program in Ontario?

Ontario colleges run two-year (five-semester) Practical Nursing diplomas approved by CNO — George Brown's S121 program, Centennial, Humber, Algonquin, Fleming, and others. The programs are designed to CNO's entry-to-practice requirements and the Ministry of Colleges and Universities' standards, blending classroom theory, simulation labs, and clinical placements in hospitals and long-term care homes. First-year tuition runs roughly $17,000 to $21,000 for domestic students (2026 figures). PSWs should note some colleges offer practical nursing programs with pathways for experienced PSWs — our PSW guide covers the entry rung of this ladder.

What is the CNO jurisprudence exam for RPNs?

An online exam on Ontario's nursing laws, regulations, by-laws, practice standards, and ethics — every RPN, RN, and Temporary Class applicant must pass it, on top of the registration exam. You take it through a secure site CNO gives you access to after you apply, and pass results are valid for five years. It is the same exam for RPN and RN applicants, so RPNs who later upgrade to the RN category do not rewrite it (unless it has been more than five years).

Can I work as an RPN in Ontario before passing the REx-PN?

Yes, through the Temporary Class. It is for applicants who meet all General Class requirements except the nursing education, transition-to-practice, and registration-exam pieces — which covers many new graduates. You need an offer of employment from an approved facility (hospitals, long-term care homes, public health units, and similar), plus the jurisprudence exam, language proficiency, work authorization, and a clean offences/conduct record. Note: if you have already failed the registration exam twice or more, you are not eligible for the Temporary Class.

What is the Transition to Practice requirement?

A CNO requirement introduced April 1, 2025, ensuring RPN and RN applicants are familiar with the competencies specific to practising in Canada. Most domestic applicants meet it automatically by completing their nursing education within Canada (or showing current registration in a Canadian jurisdiction); others complete a CNO-approved Transition to Practice course, typically 7 to 14 weeks online with no clinical component. Your school's Verification of Course Completion covers this for Ontario graduates.

What does the internationally educated RPN path look like?

Since April 2025, CNO accepts nursing education recognized or approved in any jurisdiction, provided it was designed to prepare you for the practical-nurse category and meets the diploma credential. Get your education assessed by WES, ICAS, ICES, or NNAS, then meet the Transition to Practice requirement (a 7-to-14-week approved course if you do not already meet it), show evidence of practice within the last 3 years, pass the REx-PN and jurisprudence exam, and clear the language proof, Sterling criminal record check (valid 6 months), and work authorization. Our foreign credentials guide covers the broader recognition machinery that sits alongside CNO's process.

What does an RPN earn in Ontario?

Job Bank-derived wage tables put Ontario licensed practical nurses at a median of about $31.00 per hour (low around $25, high around $32), and live postings advertise roughly $24 to $43 per hour depending on setting — long-term care and community postings toward the lower end, hospitals and specialized units toward the upper end. Most Ontario RPNs in hospitals work under collective agreements with seniority steps, shift premiums, and benefits. Job Bank's national outlook for licensed practical nurses shows job openings roughly matching the number of job seekers through 2033.

How long does RPN registration take?

For Ontario graduates who apply during their final year, the timeline is usually weeks to a few months after graduation — most of the delay is schools submitting Verification of Course Completion and the exam scheduling queue. For internationally educated applicants, plan on roughly a year, driven by document verification, credential assessment, and exam completion; CNO closes applications with no progress after two years, which restarts the fees and documents.

Keep going

Sources

Get new guides by email

One short email when a new Canadian startup guide publishes. No spam — unsubscribe anytime.

We use your address only for the newsletter. Privacy policy.