Nursing, Nursing RN, Exam Prep
What’s the Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse Exam Like?
With excerpts from Neuroscience Certification Review for Nurses, by Kendra Menzies Kent MS, RN, CENP, CCRN, CNRN, SCRN, TCRN
Curious about the Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse (CNRN®) exam? Here we summarize what you can expect to see from format to timing and everything in between.
The Format
Like many certification tests, the American Board of Neuroscience Nursing (ABNN) CNRN exam is a computer-based test that you’ll take at a testing center. The test has 220 single-best answer multiple-choice questions, which means there is only one correct answer choice. Many questions will require higher-level thinking and analysis skills, asking you to review a patient scenario and determine the best nursing action. The test is randomized, so you might have a question on dementia, followed by one on spinal cord injury, for instance.
The Questions and Time
Before the exam, you’ll have a chance to take a practice exam, which isn’t counted against your time. You’ll have four hours to complete all 220 questions. Twenty of those questions aren’t scored, but instead are being tested for use in future exams. However, you should answer all questions because you won’t know which questions are unscored. And there’s no penalty for guessing.
Detailed Content Outline
The CNRN test plan is a blueprint for the exam content and can help you understand the percentage of test questions devoted to various topics. Here’s a look at the plan:
| Major System | Percentage of Test | Topics |
| Trauma | 18% | Traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries |
| Cerebrovascular | 26% | Transient ischemic attack, aneurysm, ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, and other topics |
| Tumors | 13% | Brain tumors, spinal cord tumors |
| Immune/Infection | 11% | Abscesses, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, AIDS, Bell’s palsy, and other topics |
| Seizures | 9% | Partial, generalized, status epilepticus, nonepileptic seizures |
| Pediatric and Developmental | 8% | Chiari malformation, cerebral palsy, spina bifida |
| Chronic Neurological | 15% | Headache, pain, dementia, movement disorders, and other topics |
The Results
You won’t have to wait for your results, as they are available immediately upon completion of the exam, along with a breakdown of your score. Once you pass, you’ll get your certificate in four to six weeks by mail.
Earning the CNRN credential distinguishes you as a nurse with stellar understanding of this critical specialty. As you care for patients with serious, possibly life-threatening neurological conditions, you can rely on this validation to know you are giving optimal patient care.
Resources
Kent, K.M. (2019). Neuroscience Certification Review for Nurses. New York, NY: Springer Publishing.
The American Board of Neuroscience Nursing. Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse (CNRN®) 2020 Candidate Handbook. Chicago, IL. Retrieved from http://abnncertification.org/uploads/CNRN/ABNN%202020%20CNRN%20Handbook%20Final.pdf