Practice questions on the Nursing Act, scope of practice, consent, privacy and the CNO Code of Conduct
Practice on the go and jump straight back to where you left off.
About the exam
The CNO jurisprudence examination is an online, open-book exam, not timed, that every applicant to the General, Temporary, Special Assignment or Extended Class must pass for their category (the RN/RPN exam or the NP exam); CNO scores it pass/fail and publishes no pass mark. It tests the laws, regulations, CNO by-laws, and the practice standards and guidelines that govern nursing in Ontario.
According to CNO, the RN/RPN exam is an interactive e-learning module plus 50 multiple-choice questions (the RN(EC) exam is also 50). It is open book, online and not timed. You have 30 days from paying the fee to finish it, can save and return, and can retake it as often as needed after a one-hour wait. It is scored pass/fail. A pass counts for registration if it was earned within five years before the certificate is issued (O. Reg. 275/94, registration requirements for each class). CNO's FAQ lists the fee as $40 plus applicable taxes ($42 in 2027).
CNO publishes no pass mark and no topic weighting, so the counts below are ExamHub's, not CNO's. The test mode draws 50 questions with a 75% practice target and a 90-minute practice timer; these are practice settings only. The real exam also uses select-all-that-apply items, which this quiz cannot reproduce. Every explanation names the CNO document or the Act and section it comes from. ExamHub is independent of CNO, and the real exam is confidential.
Quick facts
What's covered
Six topics follow the study-resource list CNO publishes. CNO gives no weighting, so the split is ExamHub's.
Try a few
Three sample questions from the bank, with the answer and the explanation.
Why: A Discipline panel finding professional misconduct may order a fine of not more than $35,000 payable to the Minister of Finance, in addition to or instead of other orders such as revocation, suspension, terms and conditions or a reprimand.
Why: A member who delegates a controlled act is responsible for the decision to delegate it, and must be satisfied that the delegatee has the knowledge, skill and judgment to perform it safely and ethically.
Why: Consent given by or on behalf of a person may be withdrawn at any time by the person, if capable, or by the substitute decision-maker if the person is incapable.
FAQ
The CNO jurisprudence exam is an online, open-book exam on Ontario nursing law that every applicant to the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) must pass for their category: the RN/RPN exam or the NP exam. It tests the laws, regulations, CNO by-laws, and practice standards and guidelines that govern nursing in Ontario. Source: CNO, cno.org (Jurisprudence Examination).
You get access through your CNO application: submit your initial application and fees, then follow the instructions CNO emails you to pay the exam fee. CNO's FAQ says a second message with your personal, secure access link arrives once the exam payment is processed, and you should not share it. If you have no instructions within 10 days of submitting your application and fees, contact CNO Customer Service. Only applicants who have completed their program receive the link, so third-year students cannot take it yet. Source: CNO, cno.org (Jurisprudence Examination and its FAQ), checked 5 Nov 2026.
After CNO has confirmed you as an applicant, which means submitting your initial application and fees, and at any time during the application process. CNO's FAQ says you do not have to wait until after the registration exam. A pass must be recent: O. Reg. 275/94 requires it within five years before your certificate of registration is issued. Sources: CNO, cno.org (Jurisprudence Examination FAQ); Ontario e-Laws, O. Reg. 275/94.
The exam fee is $40 plus applicable taxes in 2026 and $42 in 2027 (CNO fee page, as of 5 Nov 2026). The Non-Practising Class does not pay it, and CNO says all its fees are subject to Ontario's 13% HST. The fee is separate from the application fee, is paid online by debit or credit card before you start, and is non-refundable. Source: CNO, cno.org (Application and Membership Fees; Jurisprudence Examination FAQ).
CNO's FAQ says the RN/RPN exam (and the RN(EC) exam) has 50 multiple-choice questions, after an interactive e-learning module, and some questions ask you to select all that apply. It is open book and not timed, and you can finish it over several sessions. You have 30 days from the date you pay the fee to complete it. It is scored pass/fail. Source: CNO, cno.org (Jurisprudence Examination FAQ).
You can retake it as many times as you need, after waiting at least one hour from receiving your result. Retakes inside your original 30 days cost nothing extra; if the 30 days run out, you pay the fee again for a new 30-day period. Results appear in CNO's message centre, most of them right after you submit and all of them within 24 hours, and CNO receives them automatically. CNO suggests reviewing the learning module chapters before a retake. Source: CNO, cno.org (Jurisprudence Examination FAQ).
CNO scores the exam pass/fail and does not publish a pass mark or a topic breakdown. ExamHub's test mode uses 50 questions, a 75% practice target and a 90-minute practice timer. Those are our practice settings, not CNO's.
On the documents CNO lists as study resources: practice standards (Code of Conduct, Scope of Practice, Medication, Documentation, Confidentiality and Privacy, Professional Boundaries and others), practice guidelines (Consent, Directives, Virtual Care and others), the Nursing Act, 1991 and its regulations, the RHPA, the Health Care Consent Act and the Substitute Decisions Act. Privacy and restraint questions rely on CNO's own standard and restraints page, not the full text of PHIPA or the Patient Restraints Minimization Act. The bank has 159 original questions.
Yes. The whole bank is available in French and English, with the same questions and answers.
Sources
Checked 5 Nov 2026. Always confirm current details with the official pages.