What ADHD accommodation documentation does the NCLEX-RN require in Canada?

Apply to your nursing regulator, not the test centre

The regulator processing your RN application is the starting point for an accommodation request. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) says to submit requests with your nursing registration application, before registering for the NCLEX with Pearson VUE. (ncsbn.zendesk.com)

Use that regulator’s official accommodation instructions as your primary source for forms. The linked provincial sources below cover Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta, not every Canadian jurisdiction. If another regulator is handling your application, ask its registration or examinations office for its own requirements. (ncsbn.zendesk.com)

Requirements can change. Confirm the current forms and instructions with the regulator handling your application. This page explains exam paperwork; it does not diagnose ADHD or determine eligibility for accommodations.

Ontario, BC and Alberta publish different paperwork

These provincial routes use candidate paperwork plus information from a health professional, but their forms and assessor wording differ. The public sources below do not provide a universal ADHD assessor list. (cno.org)

Practical suggestion: do not assume that “health professional” means every provider is accepted. Before paying for another assessment, ask the regulator whether your existing documentation is usable and whether it needs a particular professional’s opinion.

For Ontario applicants who have already booked, CNO says it cannot grant accommodation until the scheduled appointment is cancelled. Contact CNO and Pearson about the sequence before changing an existing booking. (cno.org)

Clinical evidence must explain the requested exam changes

Your evidence needs to explain the exam barrier and why the requested change addresses it. BCCNM explicitly requires a current condition and that connection, rather than a diagnosis without an explanation of its testing impact. (bccnm.ca)

The Ontario and Alberta forms ask for concrete details. Depending on the form, the published fields include:

• When the condition was first diagnosed or identified, and how long the health professional has known you. (cno.org)
• The condition’s history and functional limitations, meaning the difficulties it causes under usual testing conditions. (nurses.ab.ca)
• Past exam accommodations, including arrangements during the nursing program. (cno.org)
• The accommodation requested and a clinical explanation of why it is necessary. CNO asks for the amount of additional time requested. (cno.org)
• The professional’s designation, registration or practice identifier, contact details, signature and date. (cno.org)

For Ontario, CNO’s mandatory forms mean that a stand-alone nurse practitioner diagnosis letter or healthcare-provider report is unlikely to complete an application; CNO decides whether the provider and documentation are acceptable. (cno.org)

Pearson booking depends on your approved accommodations

Written accommodation confirmation and your Authorization to Test (ATT) are needed before you schedule. The 2026 NCLEX Candidate Bulletin gives these Pearson booking routes. (pearsonvue.com)

• Online: permitted when the only approved accommodations are extra time of 30 minutes, one hour, two hours or three hours. (pearsonvue.com)
• Telephone: required for all other accommodations. Call the number on your ATT and ask for the NCLEX Accommodations Coordinator. (pearsonvue.com)

A separate-room approval alongside extra time therefore uses the telephone route. The bulletin also says accommodations cannot be cancelled at the exam appointment. (pearsonvue.com)

Practical check: keep the approval, ATT and appointment confirmation together. Compare the approved arrangements with the booking details, and ask Pearson about any mismatch before exam day. Check the ATT’s valid testing dates before committing to travel. (pearsonvue.com)

What to do next

Check the regulator’s rules before paying for a new report or committing to an exam date. The steps below combine published requirements with practical preparation; they do not replace the regulator’s instructions.

1. Identify the regulator handling your RN registration and open its official accommodation instructions. Start the request before Pearson registration, as NCSBN directs. (ncsbn.zendesk.com)
2. Ask whether your existing ADHD assessment can be used, which professionals may complete the clinical form, how recent the evidence must be, and whether any extra testing is needed.
3. Complete your candidate paperwork and collect the requested records. Where relevant, ask your nursing program for its accommodation history rather than assuming a school approval transfers to the NCLEX. (cno.org)
4. Give the clinician the regulator’s actual form and submission instructions. Ontario and Alberta require the health professional to send the specified documentation directly to the regulator. (cno.org)
5. Keep a dated copy of what you submit, then ask the regulator to confirm receipt and identify missing information. Distinguish acknowledgement of receipt from approval.
6. After written approval and the ATT arrive, use the Pearson scheduling route matching all your approved accommodations. Check the appointment details and ATT expiry before making plans. (pearsonvue.com)

As a practical organising step, keep separate notes for documents submitted, accommodations approved and the appointment booked. Record who answered your questions and which version of a form they told you to use.