Nursing, Nursing RN, Exam Prep
CNRN® Certification Requirements
Get moving toward the next chapter in your career by taking the following steps to getting your Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse (CNRN®) certification.
Make Sure You Qualify for Your Exam!
- Do you have a current RN license from the United States, Canada, or a U.S. territory? Or are you from another country with a similar nursing license and can read and comprehend English?
- Is your license valid through the date of the exam?
- Are you a nursing professional with at least one year of full-time experience (2,080 hours) practicing directly or indirectly in neuroscience during the past three years at the time of your application?
- Direct Neuroscience Nursing practice means that you are providing nursing care in a clinical setting and are professionally accountable and responsible for the care you provide.
- Indirect Neuroscience Nursing practice involves supervising students or staff either clinically, through research, or in consulting.
- Experience working as a neuroscience nurse expands beyond clinical practice. If consultants, researchers, administrators, or educators meet these requirements, they may also qualify to take the exam.
- Can you provide documentation of your experience?
- Have you completed the application for certification at www.abnncertification.org and submitted it with the required fee? Both your application and fees must be received by the American Board of Neuroscience Nursing (ABNN) office before the application deadline for your test date.
If you answered “yes” to all five of the above questions, you’re off to a great start!
Apply for the Exam!
Before applying for the exam, it is highly recommended that you review the CNRN 2019 Candidate Handbook. The handbook can be downloaded here.
To apply for any exam, create an account (or log in if you already have an account) on the ABNN website.
Online Application
Applications to take the exam, along with the exam fee, must be submitted on the ABNN website by 5 p.m. Central Time on the deadline date for your specific exam. You can find a list of exam dates and application deadlines by visiting http://abnncertification.org/cnrn/exam.
Be sure to submit your application and payment well ahead of the deadline for your selected exam. After you submit your application, the ABNN will review it and may request additional documentation to verify your eligibility to sit for the exam. Submitting your application early affords you the time needed to provide any additional information that may be requested during the application review process.
Paper Application
If you prefer to pay by check or money order (in U.S. dollars only), you may fill out the application online, save and print it, and mail your application and payment together to:
American Board of Neuroscience Nursing (ABNN)
8735 W. Higgins Rd., Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60631
Please note that your application must be received by the deadline, not just postmarked by the deadline. You should also keep a copy of your application for your records.
Application Fees:
The cost of the CNRN exam application is:
| AANN Member | Nonmember | |
| Credit Card: | $300 | $400 |
| Check: | $325 | $425 |
Schedule Your Exam
After you’ve completed your application, you will receive notification of your eligibility by email, mail, or both. At this point, you can schedule your exam!
The CNRN exam is a computer-based test (CBT) and is administered by PSI Services (PSI). PSI has more hundreds of locations in the United States and abroad. You can search for a testing site near you on the PSI website.
To schedule your exam online, visit the PSI website. Select the “Candidates” menu, choose Healthcare, American Board of Neuroscience Nursing and the CNRN exam.
To schedule your test by phone, call PSI at 888-519-9901. Have your candidate identification number handy (you’ll receive this with your notification of eligibility), and be prepared to confirm an exam date and location. Have a backup date or location in mind in case the exam site is full on the day you wish to take the exam.
Start Studying (if you haven’t already!)
Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to prepare for the CNRN — most people take at least 2 or 3 months to prepare, given the amount of content you need to know. You’ll probably also need a few CNRN exam preparation products to help you study in more depth. Our Neuroscience Certification Review for Nurses is a great resource.
Resources:
http://abnncertification.org/cnrn/eligibility
http://abnncertification.org/cnrn/exam
http://abnncertification.org/uploads/CNRN/ABNN_2019_CNRN_Handbook_Final.pdf