This overview includes information to help you prepare for the Maternal Newborn Nursing certification exam. You will find details about eligibility, the current test format, content areas, registration, fees, testing procedures, scoring, retakes, certification maintenance, and study resources.
Questions
175 multiple-choice questions
Time Limit
3 hours
Scored Questions
150 scored questions
Certification Period
3 years
Exam Background and Purpose
The Maternal Newborn Nursing certification examination is offered by the National Certification Corporation. Nurses who pass the exam earn the RNC-MNN credential, which stands for Registered Nurse Certified in Maternal Newborn Nursing.
The examination is intended for licensed registered nurses with specialty experience caring for childbearing families from birth through approximately six weeks after delivery. Practice may occur in hospital, outpatient, or community settings.
The exam measures specialty knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge to maternal assessment, postpartum care, newborn care, lactation, family education, risk factors, and complications affecting the postpartum patient or newborn.
Key point: RNC-MNN certification focuses primarily on care from birth through six weeks after delivery. It is different from inpatient obstetric nursing certification, which places greater emphasis on pregnancy, labor, birth, and immediate recovery.
RNC-MNN Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must satisfy the nursing-license, experience, and recent-employment requirements before applying.
Minimum Eligibility Requirements
- Hold a current, active, and unencumbered registered nurse license in the United States or Canada.
- Complete at least 24 months of maternal newborn nursing specialty experience as a licensed registered nurse.
- Complete at least 2,000 hours of qualifying specialty experience.
- Be employed in the specialty at some point during the 24 months immediately before applying.
The 24 months of practice and the 2,000 hours are separate requirements. Applicants must meet both.
The 2,000 hours may have been completed at any point during the applicant’s nursing career. Qualifying specialty experience may include:
- Direct patient care
- Nursing education
- Nursing administration
- Maternal newborn nursing research
Applicants must provide accurate licensure and employment information. NCC may request documentation to verify eligibility.
Maternal Newborn Nursing Test Overview
The Maternal Newborn Nursing exam contains 175 multiple-choice questions and has a three-hour time limit.
Of the 175 questions, 150 contribute to the candidate’s result. The remaining 25 are unscored pretest questions being evaluated for possible use on future examinations.
Pretest questions are mixed throughout the examination and are not identified. Candidates should answer every question as though it contributes to the final result.
Question Structure
Each question contains a stem and three answer choices. One answer is correct and the other two are distractors.
Question Types
Questions test both knowledge and the application of knowledge to clinical situations.
Medications
Generic and trade names may both be included when appropriate.
Laboratory Data
Laboratory results may be presented using both conventional and international units.
Current Exam Content Outline
The exam is divided into five major content areas. Maternal postpartum assessment, maternal complications, and newborn complications receive the greatest emphasis.
Pregnancy, Birth Risk Factors, and Complications
7%
Antenatal and intrapartum conditions that affect postpartum patients, newborns, and childbearing families.
Maternal Postpartum Assessment, Management, and Education
26%
Physiologic changes, physical assessment, routine nursing care, family education, psychosocial concerns, ethics, lactation, feeding, and nutrition.
Newborn Assessment and Management
20%
Transition to extrauterine life, physical and gestational-age assessment, laboratory values, newborn care, family education, resuscitation, and stabilization.
Maternal Postpartum Complications
25%
Hematologic, cardiopulmonary, infectious, diabetic, psychological, and substance-use complications affecting postpartum patients.
Newborn Complications
22%
Cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, gastrointestinal, hematologic, infectious, genetic, metabolic, and endocrine complications.
The three largest areas are Maternal Postpartum Assessment, Management, and Education; Maternal Postpartum Complications; and Newborn Complications. Together, they account for approximately 73% of the examination.
Pregnancy and Birth Risk Factors
Although the exam focuses on the postpartum period, candidates must understand antenatal and intrapartum events that affect postpartum and newborn care.
Antenatal Factors
- Maternal health and age
- Nutrition and obesity
- Obstetric history
- Psychosocial and cultural issues
- Diabetes and hypertension
- Infections and anemia
- Substance use
- Multiple gestation and fetal growth concerns
Intrapartum Factors
- Fetal heart-rate patterns
- Cord blood gases
- Medications used during labor
- Malpresentation and shoulder dystocia
- Placental and cord complications
- Prolonged or precipitous labor
- Operative delivery
- Delayed cord clamping
Maternal Postpartum Assessment and Care
This domain evaluates normal postpartum recovery and the nurse’s ability to assess patients, provide routine care, educate families, support feeding, and identify concerns requiring intervention.
Topics to Review
- Reproductive-system changes, uterine involution, lochia, and perineal healing
- Cardiopulmonary, urinary, gastrointestinal, endocrine, neurological, and hematologic changes
- Postpartum assessment following vaginal and cesarean delivery
- Pain assessment and medication management
- Activity, nutrition, hydration, elimination, sleep, and self-care
- Discharge teaching and warning signs
- Family adaptation and parent-infant attachment
- Cultural, ethical, and psychosocial considerations
- Lactation, breastfeeding, formula feeding, pumping, milk storage, and maternal nutrition
Newborn Assessment and Management
Candidates should understand normal newborn transition, examination findings, gestational-age assessment, routine care, family education, and initial stabilization.
Assessment
- Transition to extrauterine life
- Vital signs
- Head-to-toe assessment
- Neurological and sensory findings
- Gestational-age assessment
- Normal laboratory values
Care and Education
- Thermoregulation
- Feeding and elimination
- Skin and cord care
- Circumcision care
- Newborn screening
- Safe sleep and injury prevention
- Resuscitation and stabilization
Maternal Postpartum Complications
Maternal complications account for one-quarter of the exam. Candidates must recognize risk factors, assessment findings, appropriate nursing interventions, medications, and situations requiring rapid escalation.
Major Maternal Complications
- Postpartum hemorrhage and hematologic disorders
- Hypertension, preeclampsia, eclampsia, and HELLP syndrome
- Cardiomyopathy and other cardiopulmonary complications
- Venous thromboembolism
- Endometritis, wound infection, urinary infection, and sepsis
- Diabetes and glucose-management concerns
- Postpartum depression, anxiety, psychosis, and trauma responses
- Substance-use disorders and withdrawal concerns
Newborn Complications
Newborn-complication questions measure the ability to recognize abnormal findings, stabilize newborns, initiate appropriate care, communicate with the healthcare team, and educate families.
Cardiopulmonary and Neurological
- Respiratory distress
- Apnea and cyanosis
- Congenital heart conditions
- Birth injury
- Seizures and abnormal neurological findings
Metabolic and Infectious
- Hypoglycemia
- Hyperbilirubinemia
- Temperature instability
- Sepsis and congenital infections
- Genetic and endocrine disorders
Gastrointestinal and Hematologic
- Feeding intolerance
- Vomiting and abdominal findings
- Anemia and polycythemia
- Blood-group incompatibility
- Bleeding and clotting concerns
Application and Examination Fees
Applications are submitted online through the NCC website. Mailed, faxed, and emailed applications are not accepted.
Current Fee Basics
- Computer examination fee: $325
- Nonrefundable application portion: $50
- Testing portion: $275
- Incomplete-application reprocessing fee: $30
- Eligibility-window or examination change request: $125
- Retest applicants pay the full application and examination fees.
Examination fees can change. Verify the amount displayed in the NCC application before submitting payment.
Registration and Scheduling
There are no standard application deadlines. Eligible candidates may submit an online application at any time.
Application review may take from one to 14 days. Candidates should not apply until they are prepared to complete the examination during the assigned 90-day eligibility window.
Apply
Submit the application, eligibility information, licensure details, and payment through an NCC account.
Receive Eligibility
Approved candidates receive an electronic eligibility letter and a 90-day testing window.
Schedule
Schedule during the first 30 days of the eligibility window to improve appointment availability.
Test
Complete the examination at a PSI testing center or through approved live remote proctoring.
Testing-Center Appointments
Testing-center appointments are generally offered Monday through Saturday. A minimum of four business days must occur between scheduling and the testing-center appointment.
Live Remote Proctoring
Live remote proctoring allows an eligible candidate to test from a private home or office using a compatible computer, webcam, microphone, speakers, and stable internet connection.
Remote appointments may be available throughout the day. Candidates must complete the required system check and satisfy all room, equipment, identification, and security requirements.
What Should I Expect on Test Day?
Candidates who arrive more than 15 minutes late may be denied admission and may lose the examination fee.
How Is the Exam Scored?
The Maternal Newborn Nursing exam uses criterion-referenced scoring. Each candidate is measured against a predetermined competency standard rather than compared with other test takers.
There is no universal passing percentage. The number of correct answers needed may vary slightly among examination forms because NCC uses statistical equating to account for differences in difficulty.
There is no penalty for an incorrect response. Answer every question, even when you are uncertain.
Information on the Score Report
- Overall pass or fail status
- Performance feedback for the major content areas
- Descriptors such as very weak, weak, average, strong, and very strong
- No percentage scores or numerical content-area scores
When Are Results Available?
Results are not provided immediately after the examination.
Official pass or fail results are normally placed in the candidate’s NCC account within 15 business days. The detailed score report generally follows approximately 24 hours later.
Results may take up to 21 business days or longer when a new examination form or test outline is introduced.
Candidates are not certified until the official passing result has been posted to their NCC account.
Retaking the Exam
Candidates who do not pass may apply to take the examination again.
Retesting Rules
- Wait at least 45 days after the previous examination before submitting another application.
- Submit a new application and current eligibility information.
- Pay the full application and examination fees.
- Take the same NCC specialty examination no more than twice during a calendar year.
- There is no lifetime limit on the number of retest attempts.
Before retesting, use the content-area descriptors on the score report to identify which subjects need the greatest improvement.
Certification and Maintenance
Candidates who pass may use the RNC-MNN credential. NCC certification is awarded for three years.
Certification begins on the date shown on the official passing score report. It must be maintained before the assigned maintenance deadline or it will lapse.
Maintenance Process
- Complete the Continuing Competency Assessment near the beginning of the maintenance cycle.
- Review the personalized education plan generated from the assessment.
- Earn the required continuing-education hours in the subjects identified by the education plan.
- Retain course certificates, descriptions, and objectives in case the application is audited.
- Submit the maintenance application, documentation, and fee before the certification expires.
Continuing education used for maintenance must generally be earned after completing the Continuing Competency Assessment and must address the needs listed in the resulting education plan.
How Can I Prepare for the Exam?
Begin with a diagnostic practice test and the current exam outline. Divide study time according to the weight of each content area and your current level of knowledge.
The exam requires clinical application as well as recall. Practice interpreting assessment findings, recognizing complications, prioritizing nursing actions, evaluating patient responses, and selecting appropriate family education.
Maternal Newborn Nursing Study Checklist
- Review normal maternal physiologic changes during the postpartum period.
- Study postpartum assessment following vaginal and cesarean delivery.
- Review postpartum hemorrhage, hypertension, infection, thromboembolism, diabetes, and cardiopulmonary complications.
- Study postpartum depression, anxiety, psychosis, trauma, and substance-use concerns.
- Review breastfeeding, pumping, formula feeding, milk storage, latch, and common feeding problems.
- Study normal newborn transition, assessment, gestational age, vital signs, and laboratory values.
- Review respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, gastrointestinal, hematologic, metabolic, and infectious newborn complications.
- Practice newborn resuscitation and stabilization concepts.
- Review family education, safe sleep, newborn screening, discharge instructions, and warning signs.
- Complete full practice tests under the three-hour limit.
- Review the rationale for every missed question and every correct answer obtained by guessing.
Time-Management Strategy
Three hours for 175 questions provides slightly more than one minute per question. Some questions will take only a few seconds, allowing additional time for clinical scenarios that require more analysis.
- Answer straightforward questions efficiently.
- Flag uncertain questions for later review.
- Do not spend excessive time on one difficult item.
- Leave time to answer every remaining question.
- Review flagged questions before submitting the exam.
Maternal Newborn Nursing Study Resources
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RNC-MNN® and Registered Nurse Certified in Maternal Newborn Nursing are certification marks associated with the National Certification Corporation. NCC is not involved with or affiliated with Mometrix Media LLC or StudyGuideZone.com, nor does NCC endorse or sponsor any products or services offered by Mometrix Media LLC or StudyGuideZone.com.
