Day 1 - Your application and fees are received in our office. About 6-8 weeks - You receive a confirmation postcard, with a toll-free number and Web site to use to schedule your exam. Three months - You are given a 90-day window, printed on the postcard, during which you MUST schedule and sit for the exam or pay a $100 rescheduling fee.
Computer-based testing is available year-round at the more than 170 Applied Measurement Professionals, Inc. (AMP) testing sites nationwide. Click here to visit the AMP Web site and find the testing site nearest you. Candidates may schedule their exam for the location, time and date most convenient for them. Calling (or going online) as soon as you receive the approval-to-test postcard ( click here to view sample postcard) will give you the best chance of getting the appointment date and time you would like. All locations are open five days a week. You DO NOT need computer experience in order to take the exam - the keyboard commands are fairly simple, and there is a tutorial that you can take before beginning your timed exam in order to become familiar with the testing procedure. If you have any questions after you have begun testing, there will be testing site personnel available to answer them.
Candidates must present two pieces of identification: a government-issued photo ID such as driver's license or passport and a credit card for signature identification. Candidates will not be admitted to the testing assessment site without the proper identification. All candidates may be thumb-printed and photographed at the testing site. All testing sessions will be videotaped.
Books, papers or other reference materials are not permitted in the examination room. No electronic devices other than simple calculators are permitted in the assessment center, including telephones or signaling devices such as pagers and alarms. In addition, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and other hand-held computers are prohibited.
Candidates must arrive at the test center 15 minutes prior to their scheduled appointments. If traveling to an unfamiliar area, allow adequate travel time to locate the center.
All examinations consist of four-option multiple-choice questions. The CCRN examination has 150 items; the PCCN examination has 125 items; the CCNS & ACNPC examinations has 175 items; the CMC and CSC examinations each have 90 items. Candidates are advised to use their time effectively and mark the best answer to every question, even if they are not sure of the answer they mark. Scores will be determined only by the number of questions answered correctly. Candidates should not spend too much time on questions that are difficult, proceeding to other questions and returning to the difficult ones if time permits.
Name and address changes must be communicated to the AACN Certification Corporation. If a name or address change occurs prior to the examination, the candidate must make arrangements with the post office for mail to be forwarded to the correct address. Name and address changes made in this time period must be called into AACN Certification Corporation at (800) 899-2226, e-mailed to certcorp@aacn.org or faxed to 949-362-2020, as soon as possible.
Approximately 6-8 weeks after you have successfully applied for the examination, you should receive a confirmation postcard. Upon receipt of this postcard you may schedule an examination appointment with AMP by phone or on-line. If you do not receive your postcard within 6-8 weeks after you have successfully applied for the examination please contact us.
Examinations are administered by appointment only, Monday through Friday at 9:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Exam candidates are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. When the appointment is made, the candidate will be given a time to report to the site. Please make note of the time and date. An admission ticket will not be sent. The candidate will only be allowed to take the exam for which the appointment has been made; therefore, verify on your confirmation postcard that you are registered for the correct test and notify AACN Certification Corporation of any error. No changes in examination type will be made at the assessment site. UNSCHEDULED CANDIDATES (WALK-INS) WILL NOT BE ADMITTED to the assessment site.
Once you have scheduled your exam with AMP, you may reschedule one time within your 90 day window by calling AMP. This request must be made at least four business days prior to your previously scheduled date. See table below.
If you are still within your 90-day testing window, you may reschedule an appointment for examination at no charge once by calling AMP at least four business days prior to the scheduled testing session. See table below.
There are no refunds or extensions for missed appointments. If you are unable to sit for the exam within your 90 day eligibility period, you may call AACN Certification Corporation at 800-899-2226 before the scheduled testing session to request a one-time 90-day extension for a fee of $100.
A candidate who does not schedule an examination within the 90-day eligibility period must contact AACN Certification Corporation and pay a $100 reschedule fee in order to obtain a new 90-day eligibility period.
A candidate who contacts AACN Certification Corporation to cancel his/her examination after confirmation of eligibility is received will be given a refund, minus a $100 processing fee.
A candidate who is unable to sit for an NTI or Trends paper & pencil examination may reschedule to a computer-based exam within their 90-day eligibility period. The candidate will be charged the difference between the paper and pencil exam fee and the computer-based testing fee and be given terms of when payment is due.
Alternatively, a candidate who is unable to sit for the NTI or Trends paper & pencil examination or to reschedule within their 90-day window may request a refund. The candidate will be refunded the paper and pencil examination fee minus a $100 processing fee.
The AACN Certification Corporation is interested in ensuring that no individual is deprived of the opportunity to take the examination solely by reason of a disability or impairment. All test centers are fully accessible and compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Special testing arrangements will be considered for disabled individuals provided a request is submitted in advance with the examination application. Documentation and verification of the disability or impairment from a suitably licensed professional must be submitted to the AACN Certification Corporation with exam application.
Special testing accommodations, such as additional testing time, reader signer or amanuenses are scheduled subject to advance approval by AACN Certification Corporation. Only those candidates who have been granted this approval from AACN will receive special accommodations during testing. Scheduling for the hearing impaired is available.
A proctor/supervisor may dismiss a candidate from the test administration and/or test scores may be canceled for any of the following reasons:
Candidates may comment on the test administration conditions or the content of the examination questions at the conclusion of the testing session by completing an examinee comment form. Only comments recorded on the examinee comment form will be considered during the final scoring process. Because of test security considerations, individual replies to candidates regarding the content of examination questions will not be made, nor will candidates be permitted to review examination questions after the testing session.
Complaints or comments about test center facilities, test supervision, or any other matter related to the testing program should be directed to AACN Certification Corporation, 101 Columbia, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656-4109 or by e-mail to certcorp@aacn.org.
Candidates must indicate their name and address in all correspondence. If questions or comments concern an examination already taken, the date of the examination and the location of the test center must also be noted. We will investigate each complaint and reply to all comments.
The passing scores for the CCRN, PCCN, CCNS, ACNPC, CMC and CSC certification examinations have been set by the AACN Certification Corporation. A systematic procedure was used to establish the passing scores. This procedure represents a collaborative effort of experts from the AACN Certification Corporation Examination Development Group and professional psychometricians from our testing service.
The candidates' score reports will indicate a "pass" or "fail". Additional detail is provided in the form of percent correct scores by major content category, as identified in the detailed content outline shown in the Exam Handbook. A raw score is the number of items answered correctly. Pass/fail status is determined by the total raw score. Each CCRN examination consists of 150 items, total raw scores are based on 125 items; twenty-five unscored items are being pretested to verify their appropriateness for use on future examination forms. Each PCCN examination consists of 125 items, total raw scores are based on 100 items; twenty-five unscored items are being pretested to verify their appropriateness for use on future examination forms. Each CCNS and ACNPC examination consists of 175 items, total raw scores are based on 150 items; twenty-five unscored items are being pretested to verify their appropriateness for use on future examination forms. The CMC and CSC examinations each consist of 90 items.
The methodology used to set the minimum passing score is the Angoff Method; this is a criterion-referenced process in which expert judges estimate the passing probability of each item on the test. These judgments are averaged to determine the minimum passing score (i.e., the number of correctly answered items required to pass the examination), to ensure that those who pass the test have demonstrated a sufficient level of knowledge of critical care nursing to warrant certification. Statistical equating procedures are used to ensure that each examination form that is developed will be of a consistent level of difficulty, based on the average difficulty of the items being scored. The number of correct answers required to pass is generally around 70% correct, although the actual passing point can vary somewhat based on the equating process and the minor variations in difficulty among the forms.
If you were to take another version of a certification examination after taking a previous one, you would probably achieve a different score. No test measures performance with perfect accuracy and consistency.
If you took several different versions of the test, you would probably achieve a number of different scores that cluster around a typical or average value. The difference between the average score and your actual test score on a particular version of the test is called the error of measurement. A statistical estimate of this variation is called the standard error of measurement.
Since the standard error of measurement reflects the accuracy of examination scores, AMP determines the standard error of measurement for each CCNS examination. These statistical data are then reported to the AACN Certification Corporation as a means of monitoring the consistency of CCRN, PCCN, CCNS, ACNPC, CMC and CSC examination scores.
The percentage of test questions answered correctly for each content area on the examinations will also be reported to give candidates an idea of how well they performed in each area and to identify areas of weakness. Since the examination measures your abilities in all areas, it is possible to achieve a very high percentage of correct responses in some areas and still not pass the examination. Remember that the questions are designed to test not only your ability to remember specific facts or points of knowledge but your ability to apply that knowledge in performing the various roles required of acute & critical care nurses.
Final score reports are issued to candidates at the testing center at the conclusion of the examination. Candidates may purchase additional copies of their score reports at a cost of $25 per copy. Requests must be submitted in writing, within 12 months after the examination, to: Applied Measurement Professionals, Inc. (AMP), 8310 Nieman Road Lenexa, KS 66214. The request must include the candidate's name, Social Security number, address, telephone number, date of examination and examination taken. Duplicate score reports will be mailed within approximately two weeks after receipt of the request. Requests should be
CCRN, PCCN, CCNS, ACNPC, CMC and CSC examination scores are released only to individual candidates and to the AACN Certification Corporation. AACN Certification Corporation's policy allows releasing information regarding an individual only with that person's written consent. To preserve the confidentiality of scores, neither AMP nor the AACN Certification Corporation will give examination results by telephone. The application form submitted to the AACN Certification Corporation constitutes written authorization for AMP to release the candidate score to the AACN Certification Corporation. Neither AMP nor the AACN Certification Corporation will release scores to any institution or employer. If candidates wish to release scores to an institution or employer, they may release a copy of their own individual score report.
Candidates who do not pass the exam may reapply at a discounted retest fee, available until the exam is successfully passed. The discounted retest fee is available to candidates who have taken the exam within their most recent 90-day window but have not passed. The examination may be repeated until certification is achieved, but no more than four times in a 12-month period. CCRN, PCCN, CMC and CSC exam candidates may register for their retest via Online Registration. Retest candidates may download and print the application found in the applicable exam handbook online at www.certcorp.org, under Documents and Handbooks.
The review and appeal process is available to individuals seeking an amendment of a decision denying eligibility to sit for the CCRN, PCCN, CCNS or ACNPC exam. The review process is conducted by the staff of the AACN Certification Corporation and the appeal process by the Appeal Panel. If, following the review process, the staff affirms the decision denying eligibility for the CCRN, PCCN, CCNS, ACNPC, CMC or CSC certification exam, the appropriate Appeal Panel will review the case. Decisions of the Appeal Panels are final.
Candidates who meet all eligibility requirements and pass the CCRN, PCCN, CCNS or ACNPC certification examination may use "CCRN", "PCCN", "CCNS" or "ACNPC" exam, respectively, after their licensing title. CCRN is used as the recognition of professional competence in critical care nursing for a 3-year period of certification. PCCN is used as the recognition of professional competence in acute care nursing for a 3-year period of certification. CCNS status is granted for a 4-year period. CCRN and CCNS are registered service marks; PCCN is a trademark. These credentials are not punctuated with periods. The proper use of CCRN is: Chris Smith, RN, CCRN. The proper use of PCCN is: Chris Smith, RN, PCCN. The proper use of CCNS is: Chris Smith, RN, MSN, CCNS. The proper use of ACNPC is Chris Smith, RN, ACNPC.
New CCRNs, PCCNs, CCNSs and ACNPCs will receive their wallet card and wall certificate within 6-8 weeks of passing the exam.
A listing of CCRN-, PCCN-, CCNS-, and ACNPC-certified nurses will be maintained by the AACN Certification Corporation and may be reported in its publications.
Candidates who meet all the eligiblity requirements and pass the CMC or CSC subspecialty certification examination may display the CMC or CSC credential only with a clinical nursing specialty certification, attached by a dash; for example, CCRN-CMC; or CCNS-CSC. If one were to obtain both subspecialty credentials they could attach credentials to the same nursing specialty certification, such as CCRN-CMC-CSC.
New CMCs and CSCs will receive their wallet card and wall certificate within 6-8 weeks of passing the exam.
A listing of CMC- and CSC-certified nurses will be maintained by the AACN Certification Corporation and may be reported in its publications.
CCRN, PCCN, CCNS, ACNPC, CMC or CSC certification may be revoked for any reason deemed appropriate by AACN Certification Corporation including, but not limited to, the following:
In the event of revocation, notification may be sent to the candidate's employer and State Board of Nursing, where appropriate. The candidate will be notified that they may be prohibited from reapplying for the respective examination for a period of up to three (3) years. Fees paid for certification renewal are not refunded.
Please direct inquiries to: AACN Certification Corporation, 101 Columbia, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656-4109; Telephone: (800) 899-2226; Fax: (949) 362-2020; e-mail: certcorp@aacn.org.
AACN Certification Corporation contracts with Applied Measurement Professionals, Inc. (AMP) for administration of the CCRN, PCCN, CCNS, ACNPC, CMC and CSC exams. Exam candidates receive same-day final results including a breakdown of scores by content area at the testing assessment site.
Handbooks and applications for AACN Certification Corporation exams are available in the following documents, which may be downloaded as .pdf files by clicking on the below links.
Certification Exam Handbook (For CCRN, PCCN, CMC and CSC) CCNS Exam Handbook ACNPC Exam Handbook
The above documents may be viewed and printed using Acrobat Reader, below. The documents may also be obtained as an e-mail attachment; click on Contact Us above and specify the document you would like to receive. For questions or to order a copy by phone please call AACN Customer Care at 800-899-2226.
