Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Board Certification Exam

The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) offers assessments for certification purposes, and the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Board Certification Exam is one of the assessments offered. This test is for RNs who have completed graduate work in an acute care NP program and have earned a master's, post-master's or doctorate degree. The program must be accredited, and the candidate must have completed at least 500 clinical hours in that program, which must meet specific requirements in order for the candidate to take this test. This test is taken as part of the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner - Board Certified (ACNP-BC) credential.

This test has 175 questions; 25 questions on the test are not scored, as they are used for pre-trial purposes only, but the candidate will not know which questions are scored and which are not. The score is derived from the remaining 150. Candidates must get a minimum of 105 correct in order to receive a passing raw score. The actual score will be weighted on a 500-point scale, and candidates need a minimum of 350 to pass. If a candidate does not succeed on the assessment exam, an account is provided which will help pinpoint the areas that need improvement. The subject areas of the Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Board Certification Exam include:

• 37 questions on assessing of acute and chronic illness, including questions about particular system health issues, psychosocial health conditions and frequently found issues with acute care
• 42 questions on clinical management
• 24 questions on health promotion and disease prevention
• 22 questions on the NP and patient relationship
• 19 questions on professional role and policy
• 6 questions on employing research

If a candidate does not succeed in the first attempt at this assessment, the test can be retaken after a 60-day waiting period. A candidate cannot take the test more than three times within a year of the first try.

Nurse Practitioner Certification Review