No, you cannot work as a Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse (LPN/LVN) if you fail the NCLEX. Passing the NCLEX is a non-negotiable legal requirement to obtain a nursing license in the United States. Without a license, you are not permitted to perform nursing duties or use the RN or LPN title.

However, failing the NCLEX does not mean the end of your nursing career aspirations. You are allowed to retake the exam. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) and individual state boards have policies in place for candidates who do not pass. You must wait a mandatory period, typically 45 days, before you can retest. There is no lifetime limit on the number of attempts at the national level, though some individual state boards may have specific rules after multiple failures.

To succeed on a retake, a change in strategy is crucial. This usually involves:

Analyzing your detailed Candidate Performance Report (CPR) to identify weak content areas.
Engaging in structured remediation, such as a comprehensive NCLEX review course or focused tutoring.
Altering your study methods to emphasize critical thinking and practice questions over passive content review.

For context on retake limits for other important exams in the nursing education pathway, you can read about TEAS exam attempts.

For the official retake policy, application process, and to find resources, always refer to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) website and your specific state board of nursing.