(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section, an applicant who otherwise qualifies for a license as a registered nurse or as a licensed practical nurse is entitled to be examined for that license as provided in this section.

(b) An applicant whose primary state of residence is a party state to the Nurse Licensure Compact set forth in Subtitle 7A of this title, other than Maryland, is not entitled to be examined for a license as a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse in the State.

(c) Subject to the hearing provisions of § 8-317 of this subtitle, the Board may deny the right to be examined for a license as a registered nurse or as a licensed practical nurse to any applicant who is found to have violated any provision of § 8-316 of this subtitle.

(d) (1) In this subsection, “preceptorship program” means:

(i) An organized system of clinical experience that pairs a nursing student enrolled in a nursing education program that is recognized by the Board with a registered nurse who meets the qualifications as a preceptor for the purpose of attaining specified learning objectives; or

(ii) An individualized and supervised clinical experience offered by an institution employing nurses that complies with the requirements for temporary licensure for the purpose of facilitating an inactive licensee to return to active practice in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (2) of this subsection.

(2) An applicant whose nursing education program was completed 5 or more years prior to passing the licensure examination and who has not practiced for at least 1,000 hours in the previous 5 years may only be issued an inactive license until submission to the Board of satisfactory evidence that the applicant has successfully completed:

(i) A nursing review course approved by the Board; or

(ii) A preceptorship program approved by the Board.

(e) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, an applicant who fails an examination may retake the examination if the applicant pays the reexamination fee set by the Board for each reexamination.

(2) The Board, by rule or regulation, may limit the number of times that an applicant may be reexamined after two failures and may limit the interval of time between reexaminations.