Nursing, Nursing RN, Exam Prep
So, What’s the Adult CCRN® Exam Like?
Jan 25, 2019
(With excerpts from Adult CCRN® Certification Review, by Kendra Menzies Kent MS, RN-BC, CCRN, CNRN, SCRN, TCRN) [link to book]
It pays to be mentally prepared for what’s to come on exam day! Here, we outline what you can expect—from format to timing and everything in between.
The Adult CCRN® exam follows the blueprint developed by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN). It is reviewed by experts in critical care and offered year-round. Certifications are valid for three years.
The Format
Offered as a computer-based test (CBT) OR paper-and-pencil exam, the Adult CCRN® exam format allows you to take the test in one sitting and get your score as soon as you’re finished, if taken as a CBT (paper-and-pencil exam results take three to four weeks). It features 150 multiple-choice questions with four answer options.
The Questions and Time
Of the 150 questions you’ll encounter on the Adult CCRN exam, only 125 will be counted toward your score; the additional 25 questions are “pilot” questions used to validate new questions for future exams. Note that you won’t know which questions are counted and which aren’t, so be sure to answer each one as if it’s being counted!
The test is randomized, meaning it’s not arranged per system. The coverage amount in each of the systems is:
| Cardiovascular | 18% |
|---|---|
| Pulmonary | 17% |
| Endocrine, Hematology, Gastrointestinal, Renal, and Integumentary | 20% |
| Musculoskeletal, Neurology, and Psychosocial | 13% |
| Multisystem | 14% |
| Professional Caring Practice | 20% |
The Adult CCRN® blueprint also has a list of “testable nursing actions,” which are nursing actions under each body system that may be tested. Nursing assessment, monitoring, and pharmacology are included in each body system and should be reviewed in preparation for the examination.
For more detailed information on the test content, click here to view the Adult CCRN® Exam Handbook! Also, be punctual: If you arrive more than 15 minutes late, you won’t be admitted into the testing site.
You will have three hours to complete the exam and breaks are considered part of your testing time. Answer all questions; do not leave questions blank. A blank answer will be counted against you. Answering the question, even if it is an “educated” guess, will give you a one-out-of-four chance of being correct. You can always skip questions and come back later.
Adult CCRN Exam Results
Once you’ve finished your exam, you’ll be asked to take a short survey of your testing experience.
For computer-based testing, you’ll get your official score report immediately upon completion of the exam. For paper-and-pencil testing, it will take about three or four weeks to receive your score report.
Three or four weeks after testing, successful candidates will get their congratulations letter and wall certificate.
Are You Preparing for the Exam?
Click here to take our free practice quiz for the Adult CCRN exam. For more study options, choose from our book and app products, featuring 500 practice questions to help you make the grade!
Resources
AACN Certification Corporation. (n.d.). CCRN Exam Handbook (Adult • Pediatric • Neonatal): Acute/Critical Care Nursing Certification. Retrieved from https://www.aacn.org/~/media/aacn-website/certification/get-certified/handbooks/ccrnexamhandbook.pdf
Menzies Kent, K. (2014). Adult CCRN® Certification Review. New York: Springer Publishing.