The Exam Blueprint for the new Canadian Nurse Practitioner Licensure Exam (CNPLE) is now available.
The exam blueprint builds on work that began in 2020 when the Canadian Council of Registered Nurse Regulators (CCRNR) commissioned the Nurse Practitioner Regulation Framework Implementation Plan Project (NPR-FIPP), which included work to revise the NP Entry-level Competencies and complete an NP practice analysis. Learn more about this work.
The Exam Blueprint was developed with exam vendor, Meazure Learning, in consultation with NPs from jurisdictions across Canada from a variety of practice settings. The blueprint describes how the new exam should be developed and provides instructions and guidelines on how competencies and practice statements are to be expressed within the exam to ensure they accurately measure a candidate's readiness to practice safely, effectively, and ethically.
Nursing regulators across Canada (excluding Quebec and neonatal NPs), as well as Canadian universities that offer NP education programs, are transitioning to a new national model in how NPs are educated and licensed at entry to practice – toward being educated and licensed to practice across all client ages and practice settings. NP education programs are being updated to reflect the revised NP entry-level competencies. To support this new regulatory model, the Canadian NP Licensure Exam (CNPLE) is currently being developed and will be available in some jurisdictions starting in 2026.
