CPNRE vs REx-PN: Which Provinces Use Which Exam

Since January 2022, Canada has had two different practical-nurse licensing exams. Which one you write depends entirely on the province where you register — and prep material for one is not built for the other.

Updated August 29, 2026 By the Lumina AI team · 6-minute read

A signpost at a fork with diverging routes across a stylized map of Canada, representing the CPNRE and REx-PN paths

TL;DR: Alberta uses the CPNRE — as do Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the Atlantic provinces and territories that license through it. British Columbia and Ontario switched to the REx-PN in January 2022. If you will register with Alberta's CLHA, the REx-PN is irrelevant to you — and REx-PN prep material is training you for a computer-adaptive exam you will never sit.

The side-by-side

	CPNRE	REx-PN
Where	Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland & Labrador, and the territories that license through it	British Columbia and Ontario (since January 2022)
Regulator (for Alberta readers)	The CLHA licenses Alberta LPNs via the CPNRE	BC and Ontario practical-nurse regulators
Format	Fixed form: 160 scored multiple-choice questions, 4 hours	Computer-adaptive, variable length
Scoring	Criterion-referenced pass/fail	Adaptive pass/fail
Question style	Independent + case-based sets on a fixed blueprint	Adaptive item selection
2025 result (Alberta)	96% of 1,508 Alberta writers passed (CLHA-published)	—

The pain point behind this page: search for "practical nurse exam Canada" and the results mix both exams freely. Students in Alberta buy REx-PN prep books (or vice versa) and practise an adaptive-format strategy for a fixed-form exam — pacing, flagging, and guessing tactics that simply do not transfer. Check which exam your province uses before spending a dollar on prep.

Moving between provinces?

Trained in BC/Ontario, moving to Alberta: registration goes through the CLHA. Labour-mobility rules generally recognise nurses already registered in another province — contact the CLHA before assuming you must rewrite anything.
Trained in Alberta, moving to BC/Ontario: the mirror case — those regulators set the requirements, and an existing CLHA registration is the starting point of the conversation.
Still in school, undecided province: your program's location usually decides your first exam. Alberta program → CPNRE.

Writing the CPNRE in Alberta?

Lumina AI is free CPNRE prep built for exactly this exam: full 160-question fixed-form simulations validated against the CPNRE Blueprint, 6,000+ nurse-reviewed questions, and Alberta legal context throughout.

Start free CPNRE prep →

Frequently asked questions

Does Alberta use the CPNRE or the REx-PN?

The CPNRE. Alberta practical-nurse graduates write the CPNRE and register with the CLHA. The REx-PN is used in British Columbia and Ontario only.

Why did BC and Ontario switch to the REx-PN?

Their regulators adopted a jointly developed computer-adaptive exam in January 2022. The other CPNRE provinces, including Alberta, did not switch.

Can I use REx-PN prep for the CPNRE?

The clinical knowledge overlaps, but the exams differ in format, item style, and blueprint. For exam practice, use material built for the CPNRE's fixed 160-question form and case-based sets.

If I pass the CPNRE in Alberta, can I work in BC or Ontario?

Registration in another province goes through that province's regulator, and inter-provincial mobility rules generally apply to already-registered nurses. Ask the destination regulator — do not assume an automatic rewrite either way.

Exam assignments by province reflect publicly available regulator information as of August 2026. Lumina AI is Alberta-focused; for BC or Ontario requirements, consult those provinces' regulators directly.