After the REx-PN, there's one more exam standing between you and Ontario registration: the CNO jurisprudence examination. It tests your knowledge of the laws, standards, and ethical obligations that govern nursing in Ontario. The good news? It's open-book and online. The bad news? "Open-book" tricks people into underestimating it. Here's what you need to know.
Always verify: the CNO updates exam details from time to time. Confirm the current format, fees, and deadlines on cno.org before you book.
Unlike the REx-PN, which tests clinical knowledge, the jurisprudence exam tests whether you understand the legal and professional framework of nursing in Ontario: your accountability as a regulated professional, the legislation that governs your practice, practice standards, and ethical obligations to patients. Think of it as proving you know the rules of the profession, not just the science.
As of 2026, the jurisprudence exam is:
Older blog posts sometimes describe a very different format (longer sittings, strict time limits). The exam has evolved — go by what cno.org currently publishes, not by someone's 2019 blog post.
The exam is organized around the CNO's core chapters of nursing law and professional practice. In general terms, expect questions from these areas:
You are accountable for your own practice — always. This covers your duty to practise safely, competently, and ethically; your obligation to maintain competence; and what happens when standards aren't met, including the complaints and discipline process.
The big ones: the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA) and the Nursing Act, which together create the regulatory framework — scopes of practice, controlled acts, and the authority of the College. You should understand what each piece of legislation is for, not memorize section numbers.
The CNO's practice standards (therapeutic nurse-client relationship, documentation, medication, consent, and others) and the ethical framework behind them: client well-being, choice, privacy, respect for life, and truthfulness, among others. Questions often present a scenario and ask which standard applies.
Ontario's health privacy law (PHIPA) — when you can collect, use, and disclose personal health information, and when you must not. Circle-of-care sharing, patient access to their own records, and mandatory reporting situations are classic exam territory.
The Health Care Consent Act: informed consent, capacity assessment, and substitute decision-makers. The exam loves scenarios — an incapable patient, a family member demanding information, a treatment decision with no clear substitute — where you must apply the framework step by step.
Yes — it's designed as an open-book, online exam. But open-book doesn't mean easy: you still need to know the material well enough to find and apply it. Confirm the current format on cno.org before you write.
The format has changed over the years, so check the current details on cno.org. As of 2026, it is a multiple-choice exam completed online within a set window after payment.
Absolutely. Candidates who walk in cold waste their time hunting through documents. Study the key laws and standards so you know what you're looking for — then use the open-book format to verify details.
It is a standard part of the registration process for nurses in Ontario. Check cno.org for how it applies to your specific application stream.
Want the jurisprudence exam fully mapped out?
Our Ontario Nursing Jurisprudence Exam Prep Guide covers all five content areas with practice questions and cited rationales.