Becoming a licensed practical nurse (LPN) requires a high school diploma or GED, completion of a state-approved nursing program (typically 12 to 18 months), and a passing score on the national licensing exam called the NCLEX-PN. Compared to other nursing paths, the LPN route is one of the fastest ways to start working in patient care.
Education You Need Before Applying
The baseline requirement is a high school diploma or GED. Most LPN programs don’t publish a strict minimum GPA for admission, but competitive programs may weigh your grades in science courses more heavily. If it’s been a while since high school, taking a refresher course in basic biology or anatomy can help you feel prepared and strengthen your application.
Some programs also require a pre-entrance exam, current CPR certification, or proof of immunizations before you can enroll. Requirements vary by school, so check with the specific program you’re applying to.
How Long the Nursing Program Takes
A standard LPN certificate program runs 12 to 18 months of full-time study. You’ll split your time between classroom learning and supervised clinical rotations in hospitals, nursing homes, or clinics. Coursework covers anatomy, pharmacology, nutrition, and the hands-on nursing skills you’ll use on the job.
If you’re looking to finish faster, accelerated programs can compress the timeline to as little as 6 to 12 months. On the other end, associate degree programs that include more general education coursework take 18 to 24 months. The certificate and diploma routes are the most common paths for people who want to start working as soon as possible.
Passing the NCLEX-PN Exam
After graduating from your nursing program, you need to pass the NCLEX-PN, the national licensing exam for practical nurses. This is a computer-adaptive test, meaning the software adjusts the difficulty of each question based on how you answered the previous one. It’s constantly estimating your ability level in real time.
The exam gives you between 75 and 145 questions, with a five-hour time limit. Of those questions, 15 are unscored “pretest” items being evaluated for future exams, so you won’t know which ones count. The test ends once the computer has enough data to determine whether you meet the passing standard, which means finishing with fewer questions is not a bad sign. Many test-takers finish well within the time limit.
If you don’t pass on your first attempt, you can retake the exam after a waiting period set by your state board of nursing.
Background Checks and Licensing
Every state requires a criminal background check as part of the licensing process. You’ll submit fingerprints, either electronically through a live scan service or on a physical fingerprint card, which are then run through state and federal databases. Criminal convictions can result in a license being denied, suspended, or revoked, though the specifics depend on the nature of the offense and your state’s policies.
Most states also require you to submit your licensing application before completing the fingerprint step. The full process, from submitting your application after passing the NCLEX-PN to receiving your license, can take a few weeks to a couple of months depending on your state board’s processing times.
What LPNs Actually Do
LPNs provide direct patient care under the supervision of a registered nurse (RN) or physician. Day-to-day tasks include collecting patient data like vital signs, carrying out nursing interventions outlined in a care plan, administering medications, changing wound dressings, educating patients and families, and documenting everything in the medical record. LPNs can also delegate certain tasks to unlicensed assistive personnel, like nursing aides.
There are limits to the role. LPNs don’t independently perform comprehensive patient assessments or interpret clinical data on their own. The complexity of tasks you’re assigned depends on your experience, the stability of the patient, and the setting you work in. LPNs work in a wide range of environments: hospitals, long-term care facilities, outpatient clinics, doctor’s offices, and home health.
The level of supervision you’ll need varies too. A newer LPN caring for a patient whose condition is changing rapidly will work more closely with an RN than an experienced LPN managing stable patients in a long-term care facility.
Salary and Job Outlook
The median annual wage for LPNs was $62,340 as of May 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Your actual pay will depend on your location, employer, and experience level. LPNs in metropolitan areas and specialized care settings tend to earn more than the median.
Employment for LPNs is projected to grow 3 percent from 2024 to 2034, roughly in line with the average for all occupations. Demand is steady in long-term care and home health settings in particular, driven by an aging population that needs ongoing nursing support.
Moving Up: LPN-to-RN Programs
Many LPNs eventually pursue registered nursing through bridge programs designed specifically for licensed practical nurses. These programs give you credit for the clinical knowledge you already have, letting you skip some foundational coursework and finish an RN degree faster than starting from scratch.
Admission requirements for bridge programs are more rigorous than entry-level LPN programs. A typical program expects a GPA of 2.7 or higher from your LPN training, at least two college-level science courses with labs (one being biology), and passing scores on standardized nursing assessments. You’ll also need a current, unencumbered LPN license, meaning no disciplinary actions on your record.
If your GPA falls below the cutoff, some programs offer alternative paths, such as completing anatomy and physiology coursework or scoring at a proficient level on a standardized entrance exam like the TEAS. Bridge programs vary in length but generally take one to two years depending on whether you’re pursuing an associate or bachelor’s degree in nursing.