An Authorization to Test, usually called an ATT, is the formal clearance that lets you schedule and sit for a professional licensure exam. Your state regulatory board confirms you meet the eligibility rules, the testing vendor (for nursing candidates, Pearson VUE) confirms your exam registration, and only then is the ATT issued. For most boards it is valid for about 90 days from the date of issuance, and the exam has to be completed inside that window.1North Dakota Board of Nursing. What Is the Authorization to Test (ATT) Letter Miss it and you forfeit your fee.
How You Get an ATT
Two registrations run in parallel, and the ATT is not released until both are complete.
The first is a licensure application to the regulatory board in the state where you plan to practice. Nursing candidates contact their state nursing regulatory body to confirm its specific requirements. The application typically requires official transcripts from an approved program, a fingerprint-based background check, and a fee. Board application fees usually fall between $75 and $300, with fingerprinting and background checks adding roughly $30 to $100.
The second is registration with the testing vendor that administers the exam. For the NCLEX, that is Pearson VUE, and registration starts at the NCSBN website.2National Council of State Boards of Nursing. NCLEX – Register The NCLEX exam fee is $200 in the United States. The legal name you enter during this step is the name that will appear on your ATT, and it must match your government-issued photo ID exactly.
Once the board confirms you meet the educational and legal prerequisites, your eligibility is transmitted to the vendor and the ATT is generated. A delay on either track holds up the whole thing, so submit both applications as early as you can.
What the ATT Contains and What to Check First
The ATT arrives by email at the address you provided during registration. It lists your candidate identification number, an authorization number tied to your exam profile, the specific exam you are approved to take, the start and end dates of the validity window, and any approved testing accommodations.1North Dakota Board of Nursing. What Is the Authorization to Test (ATT) Letter
Read every line the moment it arrives. The name on the ATT has to match your government-issued photo ID character for character. If anything is off, do not schedule the exam. Contact the testing vendor or your board and get it corrected first, because a name mismatch at check-in means you will be turned away and treated as a no-show, with no refund.1North Dakota Board of Nursing. What Is the Authorization to Test (ATT) Letter Verify the exam type and language while you are at it.
Scheduling the Exam
With the ATT in hand, log into the testing vendor’s scheduling portal and pick a center, date, and time. Popular locations fill up fast. In high-demand metro areas, open seats can be gone for weeks at a time, so lock in a date as soon as you are confident in your preparation. You do not want the only available seat near you to fall outside your validity window.
Scheduling triggers a separate Appointment Confirmation email with the testing center address, your check-in time, and any site-specific instructions. Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes early.
The 90-Day Window and What Happens If It Expires
The expiration date is printed on the ATT itself. Your exam has to be completed before that date, not just scheduled. Extensions are generally not granted, even for personal emergencies or scheduling problems.1North Dakota Board of Nursing. What Is the Authorization to Test (ATT) Letter
If the ATT expires before you test, the authorization is void. You have to re-register with the testing vendor and pay the exam fee again. Depending on your board, you may also need to submit a new board application and pay that fee a second time. This is the single most common way candidates lose hundreds of dollars for no reason. Treat the expiration as a hard deadline from day one.
Rescheduling, Canceling, and No-Shows
Plans change. For NCLEX candidates, the rule is simple: reschedule or cancel at least 24 business hours before your appointment. Miss that cutoff and you forfeit the exam fee and have to re-register and pay again.3NCSBN. How Do I Reschedule My Exam Appointment The same penalty applies if you simply do not show up.
Other professional exams set different windows. FINRA qualification exams, for example, require 10 business days’ notice to avoid any charge, impose a reduced fee for changes made 3 to 10 business days out, and charge the full exam cost for cancellations within two business days or no-shows.4FINRA. Reschedule or Cancel Your Appointment Check your own exam’s rules, and when in doubt, reschedule early.
What to Bring to the Testing Center
Pearson VUE requires two forms of identification at check-in, and both must match the name on your ATT.
Your primary ID must be a government-issued document showing your full legal name, a recent recognizable photo, and your signature. A passport, driver’s license, military ID, or state ID card works. It has to be an original (not a photocopy or a digital image), current, and issued by the country where you are testing.5Pearson VUE. Global ID Policy 1S
Your secondary ID must show your first and last name plus either a signature or a recent photo. It does not need to be government-issued, but it must be original and unexpired. Expired IDs are only accepted when you also bring renewal paperwork.5Pearson VUE. Global ID Policy 1S
Accommodations on the ATT
If you have a disability, federal law requires testing entities to provide reasonable accommodations. The Americans with Disabilities Act applies to professional licensure exams, and the range of available accommodations is broad.6ADA.gov. Testing Accommodations Common examples include extended time, a separate distraction-free room, screen-reading technology, large-print or braille materials, a scribe, permission to bring medication for conditions like diabetes, and a wheelchair-accessible workstation.
Accommodation requests normally go to your regulatory board as part of the licensure application. Documentation should be limited to what is needed to establish the disability and the specific accommodation. Proof of past accommodations on similar exams, an Individualized Education Program (IEP), or a Section 504 Plan is generally sufficient, and testing entities should grant the same accommodations you have received before without demanding more.6ADA.gov. Testing Accommodations Never having received formal accommodations before does not disqualify you; testing entities must also consider informal accommodations in your history.
Start the request early. Approval can take several weeks, and approved accommodations will appear on your ATT once it is issued.6ADA.gov. Testing Accommodations One protection worth knowing: scores cannot be flagged to indicate that an accommodation was used.
Getting a New ATT After a Failed Attempt
Failing a licensure exam does not end the path, but parts of the administrative process start over. For NCLEX candidates, the NCSBN sets a 45-day mandatory waiting period between attempts. You cannot schedule a retake until 45 days have passed. You need a new ATT, which means re-registering with the testing vendor and paying the $200 exam fee again. Your board may also require a new application and its fee.
Attempt limits vary by state. Most states set no lifetime cap on NCLEX attempts, but some do, and a handful require remediation coursework after multiple failed attempts, which can add months and tuition to the timeline. The 45-day waiting period is national; everything beyond that is set by your board. Confirm your state’s rules before you assume you have unlimited tries.