The ANCC Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Across the Lifespan) certification examination measures the entry-level clinical knowledge and skills needed by psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners. Candidates who meet the eligibility requirements and pass the exam earn the PMHNP-BC credential.
QUESTIONS
175
SCORED
150
TIME LIMIT
3.5 Hours
PASSING SCORE
350
What Is the PMHNP-BC Certification?
The Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Across the Lifespan) certification is offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). It is designed for nurse practitioners who provide psychiatric and mental health assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and management across the lifespan.
After meeting the eligibility requirements and passing the certification examination, you are awarded the PMHNP-BC credential.
The credential is valid for five years. To continue using it, you must maintain the required professional license and meet ANCC renewal requirements in effect when your certification is due for renewal.
This examination was formerly associated with the title Family Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. The current certification covers psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner practice across the lifespan.
Who Is Eligible for the PMHNP-BC Exam?
ANCC requires candidates to satisfy requirements involving RN licensure, graduate education, clinical hours, APRN core coursework, and psychiatric-mental health preparation.
- RN license: Hold a current, active RN license in a U.S. state or territory or a professionally recognized equivalent in another country.
- Graduate education: Hold a master’s degree, post-graduate certificate, or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner program across the lifespan.
- Program accreditation: The qualifying program must meet ANCC accreditation requirements involving CCNE, ACEN, or CNEA accreditation.
- Clinical experience: Complete at least 500 faculty-supervised clinical hours in the PMHNP program.
- Advanced physiology/pathophysiology: Complete a separate comprehensive graduate-level APRN core course.
- Advanced health assessment: Complete a separate comprehensive graduate-level APRN core course covering assessment of all human systems.
- Advanced pharmacology: Complete a separate comprehensive graduate-level course covering pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacotherapeutics.
- Clinical content: Complete preparation in health promotion or maintenance and differential diagnosis and disease management, including pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions.
- Psychotherapy: Complete clinical training in at least two psychotherapeutic treatment modalities.
ANCC may authorize candidates to test after all required coursework and faculty-supervised clinical hours have been completed but before the degree is formally conferred, provided all other requirements and required documentation have been satisfied.
What’s on the PMHNP-BC Exam?
The exam contains 175 questions. Of these, 150 are scored and 25 are unscored pretest questions being evaluated for possible use on future examinations.
You cannot tell which questions are unscored, so you should answer all 175 questions.
The current ANCC content outline divides the 150 scored questions into five domains:
I. Scientific Foundation — 22%
33 scored questions
This domain covers the scientific knowledge that supports psychiatric-mental health advanced practice.
- Advanced pathophysiology
- Advanced pharmacology
- Psychopharmacology
- Neuroanatomy and neurophysiology
- Genetics and genomics
- Developmental concepts
- Advanced physical assessment
II. Advanced Practice Skills — 27%
41 scored questions
This is the largest content domain on the current examination.
- Clinical interviewing
- Psychiatric evaluation
- Mental status examination
- Risk assessment
- Screening-tool selection and interpretation
- Health promotion and disease prevention
- Psychiatric emergency management
- Psychoeducation
- Recovery and resilience
- Therapeutic communication
III. Diagnosis and Treatment — 22%
33 scored questions
- Diagnostic criteria
- Diagnostic and laboratory testing
- Differential diagnosis
- Case formulation
- Evidence-based treatment
- Psychopharmacologic management
- Nonpharmacologic interventions
- Treatment monitoring and modification
IV. Psychotherapy and Related Theories — 11%
17 scored questions
- Psychotherapy principles
- Therapeutic alliance
- Individual psychotherapy
- Group psychotherapy
- Family therapy
- Developmental theories
- Change theories
- Family theories
V. Ethics, Legal Principles, and Cultural Care — 17%
26 scored questions
- Ethical decision-making
- Patient rights
- Confidentiality and privacy
- Scope and standards of practice
- Professional responsibilities
- Patient advocacy
- Culturally responsive care
- Spiritual considerations
Advanced Practice Skills is the largest domain at 27% of the scored exam. Scientific Foundation and Diagnosis and Treatment each account for another 22%, so those three areas together make up most of the test.
Across-the-Lifespan Content
The PMHNP-BC certification covers psychiatric-mental health practice across the lifespan rather than focusing only on adults.
ANCC may test applicable knowledge and skills involving:
- Infants
- Preschool children
- School-age children
- Adolescents
- Young adults
- Adults
- Older adults
- Frail elderly patients
Age-specific presentation, assessment, diagnosis, treatment, medication considerations, development, and psychotherapy can therefore be important parts of your preparation.
How Is the PMHNP-BC Exam Scored?
ANCC converts your raw number of correct answers into a scaled score ranging up to 500.
You need a scaled score of 350 or higher to pass.
A score of 350 does not mean that you must answer exactly 70% of the questions correctly. ANCC first determines your raw score and then converts it to the reporting scale.
If you do not pass, your score report includes diagnostic information showing your relative performance in the major content areas. ANCC uses high, medium, and low performance categories to help identify areas for further study.
How Do You Register for the PMHNP-BC Exam?
Applications are submitted through ANCC. Once your application and supporting documentation have been reviewed and approved, ANCC issues an Authorization to Test (ATT).
After receiving the ATT, you have 120 days to schedule and take the exam through Prometric.
- Confirm your eligibility. Make sure your RN license, education, clinical hours, and required coursework satisfy current ANCC requirements.
- Submit the ANCC application.
- Submit education-verification documents and transcripts.
- Wait for your Authorization to Test.
- Schedule your Prometric appointment within the 120-day testing window.
How Much Does the PMHNP-BC Exam Cost?
The current ANCC initial-certification fee is:
NONMEMBER
$395
ANA MEMBER
$295
Additional discounts are currently available to qualifying members of organizations such as the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, American Psychiatric Nurses Association, International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses, and GAPNA.
The fees include a nonrefundable administrative portion. Always check the current ANCC fee schedule before submitting your application.
What Happens on Test Day?
The PMHNP-BC exam is administered as a computer-based examination through Prometric testing centers.
You have 3.5 hours to answer all 175 questions. There is no penalty for guessing, so you should answer every question even when you are uncertain.
The testing system allows you to mark questions and return to them later if time remains.
What If You Don’t Pass?
You can take the PMHNP-BC examination again, but ANCC limits how frequently candidates may retest.
- You must wait at least 60 calendar days after your previous exam date before retesting.
- You may test no more than three times in any 12-month period.
- You must submit a new retest application.
- You must meet the eligibility requirements in effect when the retest application is submitted.
- You must retake the entire examination.
If you receive a failing result, use the diagnostic feedback on your score report to decide which content domains need the most additional review.
How to Prepare for the PMHNP-BC Exam
Start with the current ANCC test content outline. It tells you exactly how the scored questions are distributed and helps prevent you from spending too much time on lower-weighted areas.
PMHNP Study Checklist
- Download the current ANCC PMHNP-BC test content outline.
- Review advanced pathophysiology, pharmacology, and psychopharmacology.
- Practice psychiatric assessment, mental status examinations, and risk assessment.
- Review diagnostic criteria and differential diagnosis.
- Know evidence-based pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatment approaches.
- Review psychotherapy theories and treatment modalities.
- Study ethical, legal, cultural, and professional-practice issues.
- Include pediatric, adult, and geriatric psychiatric care in your review.
- Complete practice questions across all five content domains.
- Practice answering 175 questions within the 3.5-hour testing period.
PMHNP-BC Practice Questions
Practice questions are most useful when you review the explanation for each answer and identify why you missed a question rather than simply tracking your percentage correct.
A full practice test can also help you identify weak content areas and practice maintaining your pace over a longer testing session.
PMHNP-BC Exam Resources
ANCC PMHNP-BC Certification — Review current eligibility, application requirements, fees, and official study aids.
Official PMHNP-BC Test Content Outline — Review the five current content domains and detailed knowledge and skill statements.
ANCC Certification Handbook — Review current scheduling, scoring, testing, retesting, and certification policies.
Free PMHNP-BC Practice Test — Practice current PMHNP content and review detailed answer explanations.
PMHNP Review Course — Find additional review lessons, practice questions, videos, and flashcards.
