Choose the degree you want. Online nursing schools offer a two-year nursing diploma, a two-year associates in nursing degree or a four-year bachelor's of science degree in nursing. You can also get your two-year associates degree and then later do more online classes to achieve your bachelors degree.
Choose an accredited online school that offers your degree. Your particular state's board of nursing will tell you which schools are accredited.
Pass the National Council Licensure Examination, otherwise known as the NCLEX. Register online at the NCLEX website for the test after you graduate from nursing school. The National Council of State Board of Nursing will send you a letter in the mail that authorizes you to take the NCLEX. Take this with you to the test site. You will have five hours to take the computerized test.