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About the exam
Texas Nursing Jurisprudence Exam (NJE)
Every RN, LVN and APRN applicant for initial Texas licensure, whether by examination or by endorsement from another state, must pass the Texas Board of Nursing's Nursing Jurisprudence Examination (NJE) before a license is issued. Nurses reactivating a license that has lapsed four years or more take it too. It is an online, open-book exam on Texas nursing law and Board rules, not on clinical nursing.
Board rule 217.17 sets the content: nursing licensure and regulation in Texas, nursing ethics, nursing practice, nursing peer review and disciplinary action. In practice that means the Nursing Practice Act (Occupations Code chapters 301, 303 and 304), the Board's rules in 22 TAC Part 11 (especially 217.11 standards of practice, 217.12 unprofessional conduct, chapters 224 and 225 on delegation, 216 on continuing competency and 213 on discipline) and the Board's position statements.
The exam is 50 questions in two hours, one question at a time with no back button, and you need 38 correct (75 percent). This bank mirrors that format and the rule's five content areas, with every explanation citing the section it comes from.
Exam format
Nursing Jurisprudence Exam (NJE): questions, time and pass mark
| Item | Official exam | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 50 items (rule minimum is 50) | Verified Oct 2026 (BON NJE page; 22 TAC 217.17(a)(3)) |
| Time limit | 2 hours, one sitting, on-screen clock | Verified Oct 2026 (BON NJE page) |
| Pass mark | 75 percent: at least 38 of 50 correct; 13 or more wrong is a fail | Verified Oct 2026 (BON NJE page) |
| Format | Open book, one question at a time, no back button; losing the connection ends the attempt | Verified Oct 2026 (BON NJE page) |
| Retake | Allowed after 24 hours, until a passing score is achieved | Verified Oct 2026 (BON NJE page; 217.17(c)(2)) |
| Validity | A passing grade is valid for licensure for one year | Verified Oct 2026 (22 TAC 217.17(b)(4)) |
| Prep course | Free online NJE prep course from the Board | Verified Oct 2026 (bon.texas.gov) |
The practice test above draws 50 questions with a 120-minute timer and a 75% pass mark. Practice mode lets you work one topic at a time with explanations after every answer, and the cheat sheet view lists every question and answer for review.
Cost and booking
Fees, where to take it and retakes
The NJE is taken online through your Texas BON Nurse Portal account once your licensure application is on file; there is no separate exam booking and no testing center. Check the Board's current fee page for the application fee that covers it. The Board's free NJE prep course is available before you attempt the exam and is worth completing because it follows the same rule structure.
If you fail, you may retake it after 24 hours and keep retaking until you pass. A passing score is valid for one year, so time it alongside your NCLEX or endorsement paperwork. Because the exam is open book, have the Nursing Practice Act and the Board Rules PDFs open on a second screen, and know their table of contents well enough to find sections quickly.
What’s covered
280+ practice questions, by topic
Written from Texas Nursing Practice Act (Occupations Code ch. 301, 303, 304) and Board Rules, 22 TAC Part 11. Every explanation cites its section.
- Nursing Practice Act: Licensure, Scope and Board Authority56
- Standards of Practice and Unprofessional Conduct60
- Delegation, Supervision and Assignment41
- Mandatory Reporting, Peer Review and Safe Harbor46
- Discipline, Continuing Competency and License Maintenance51
- Patient Rights, Confidentiality, Documentation and Ethics29
Why people fail
The mistakes that cost people the Nursing Jurisprudence Exam (NJE)
- Treating 'open book' as 'no study'. With 50 questions in two hours you have about two minutes each, and you cannot go back. People who have not learned where things are in the rules run out of time.
- Not knowing the delegation chapters. Chapter 224 (acute care) and 225 (independent living) have different frameworks, and questions test who is accountable for what.
- Confusing mandatory reporting, peer review and safe harbor: who must report, when a peer review committee's decision can be overruled (it cannot), and how a nurse invokes safe harbor when there is no time for the form.
- Mixing up continuing competency numbers: 20 hours per two-year period, the two-hour jurisprudence and ethics requirement every third period, and what counts.
- Reading the 2023 Nursing Practice Act PDF without checking rule changes. Several Board rules were amended in 2025 and 2026 and the exam follows the current text.
A study plan that works
- Complete the Board's free NJE prep course on bon.texas.gov. It is organized by the same five content areas as the exam.
- Read Board rules 217.11, 217.12, 217.17, 217.19, 217.20 and chapters 224 and 225 in full. They generate most questions.
- Practice here one category at a time and keep the rules PDF open while you do, so you learn to locate sections fast.
- Take a 50-question timed test in two hours, answering strictly in order to simulate the no-back-button rule, then review the explanations.
- On exam day, open the Nursing Practice Act, the Rules and Regulations and the position statements in separate tabs, and take the exam on a wired or stable connection: a dropped connection counts as a fail.
Try a few
Sample Nursing Jurisprudence Exam (NJE) practice questions
Six questions pulled straight from the bank, with the answer shown. For the timed, no-peeking version, use the quiz above.
Why: Section 301.353 lists the practitioners who may supervise vocational nursing: a registered nurse, physician, physician assistant, podiatrist or dentist.
Source: Tex. Occ. Code 301.353
Why: Rule 217.12(5) defines inability to practice safely as actual or potential inability to practice with reasonable skill and safety by reason of illness, substances or a mental or physical condition.
Source: 22 TAC 217.12(5)
Why: Rule 224.1 applies where the client has an acute condition that is unstable or unpredictable, or is in an acute care environment where nursing services are continuously provided.
Source: 22 TAC 224.1
Why: Rule 217.19(d)(4) states that an incident-based peer review committee's determination to report a nurse to the Board cannot be overruled, changed or dismissed.
Source: 22 TAC 217.19(d)(4), (i)(8), (l)(3)
Why: Section 301.459(a) requires a formal hearing conducted by an administrative law judge employed by the State Office of Administrative Hearings.
Source: Tex. Occ. Code 301.459(a)
Why: Section 301.351(c) and Rule 217.10(b) require a clearly legible insignia identifying the nurse as a registered or vocational nurse while interacting with the public in a nursing role.
Source: Tex. Occ. Code 301.351(c); 22 TAC 217.10(b)
FAQ
Nursing Jurisprudence Exam (NJE) questions, answered
How many questions are on the Texas NJE?
50 questions, with a two-hour time limit. You pass with 38 or more correct (75 percent); 13 or more wrong answers is a fail. Questions are answered one at a time with no back button.
Is the Texas nursing jurisprudence exam open book?
Yes. The Board allows reference materials, and its own NJE page and prep course point you to the Nursing Practice Act, the Board rules and position statements. Have them open before you start.
What happens if I fail the NJE?
You may retake it after 24 hours, and the rule says applicants retake it until a passing score is achieved. There is no cap on attempts, but a lost internet connection or running out of time also counts as a fail.
How long is a passing NJE score valid?
One year from the date it is achieved (22 TAC 217.17(b)(4)). If your license is not issued within that year, you take the exam again.
Do endorsement applicants from other states have to take the NJE?
Yes. Rule 217.5 requires a passing NJE score for licensure by endorsement, along with fingerprints and verification of the other license. Nurses practicing in Texas on a compact privilege from another compact state do not need a Texas license and so do not take it.
What does the NJE cover?
Rule 217.17 lists five areas: nursing licensure and regulation in Texas, nursing ethics, nursing practice, nursing peer review, and disciplinary action. Clinical knowledge is not tested; that is what the NCLEX is for.
Is this the official Board of Nursing exam?
No. These are original practice questions written from the Nursing Practice Act and the Board's rules, with the section cited in every explanation. Only the Texas Board of Nursing gives the real NJE.