CHICAGO, IL -- (MARKET WIRE) -- February 09, 2007 -- The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN®) has selected Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, as a new site for the administration of the NCLEX® examinations. NCSBN's Board of Directors made the decision to expand the number of sites at its Feb. 8, 2007 meeting.

Faith Fields, MSN, RN, president, NCSBN Board of Directors, comments, "The Philippine government has shown a deep commitment to ensuring a secure test center in Manila and has been very responsive to NCSBN concerns. Placing a test site in the Philippines will allow for greater customer service to nurses without compromising the goal of safeguarding the public health, safety and welfare of patients in the U.S."

Offered abroad since January 2005, the current international sites for NCLEX examinations are in London, England; Seoul, South Korea; Hong Kong; Sydney, Australia; Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, Canada; Frankfurt, Germany; Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai, India; Mexico City, Mexico; Taipei, Taiwan; and Chiyoda-ku and Yokohama, Japan.

Intended for the purposes of domestic nurse licensure in U.S. states and territories, all security policies and procedures currently used to administer the NCLEX examination domestically will be fully implemented at this new site. At this time, no schedule of implementation has been set.

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. (NCSBN) is a not-for-profit organization whose membership comprises the boards of nursing in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and four U.S. territories.

Mission: The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), composed of Member Boards, provides leadership to advance regulatory excellence for public protection.

Media inquiries may be directed to the contact listed. Technical inquiries about the NCLEX examination may be directed to the NCLEX information line at