ONCC - OCN Exam

The Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC) offers the Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN) examination for certification purposes. The test has been created to measure whether candidates have the foundational understanding needed for oncology nursing as a specialty. Becoming certified confirms a candidate's knowledge, and after passing the assessment, candidates can use the acronym OCN after their names as long as it is up to date. Candidates must meet specific academic and work experience requirements as an RN before taking this test.

There are 165 multiple-choice items to complete in three hours. Of these, 20 items are not scored, but are pre-trial items which may be used in future exams. Candidates will not know which items are scored and which are not. The content of the OCN exam is broken down as follows:

• Health promotion and disease prevention - 5%
• Screening, early detection and diagnosis - 7%
• Scientific basis for practice, including research - 10%
• Cancer treatment modalities - 15%
• Symptom management - 22%
• Psychosocial dimensions of care - 7%
• Oncologic emergencies - 10%
• Sexuality - 5%
• Survivorship - 8%
• End of life care - 6%
• Professional performance - 5%

Since the score is based on how many questions are answered correctly, it is better to try to answer every question on the test. When finished, the raw score (the number answered correctly) is converted to a scaled score. Candidates must get a minimum scaled score of 55 to pass. If successful, candidates will get a certificate and wallet card to show their success. If unsuccessful, candidates may take the test again, up to three times in a year. If a candidate does not pass all three tries, he or she will have to wait a year before trying again in order to have time for further learning.