The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) offers the Gerontological Nurse Practitioner Certification Examination for certification purposes. This computer-based assessment is for licensed RNs with completed graduate work in an accredited gerontological nurse practitioner program who have earned a master’s, post-master’s or doctorate degree. Candidates must have taken graduate classes in advanced health assessment, advanced pharmacology, advanced pathophysiology, health promotion and disease prevention and differential diagnosis and disease management. Candidates also need to have completed at least 500 clinical hours in an accredited academic program, and have met specific requirements before taking this test. This test is taken as part of the Gerontological Nurse Practitioner – Board Certified (GNP-BC) credential.
The Gerontological Nurse Practitioner 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 Gerontological Nurse Practitioner Certification Examination include:
- 29 questions on health promotion and disease prevention
- 33 questions on assessment of acute and chronic illness
- 42 questions on clinical management
- 13 questions on the nurse practitioner and patient relationship
- 24 questions on professional role and policy
- 9 questions on using research