Nursing, Nursing Non-Clinical , Exam Prep
So, What’s the CNE®cl Exam Like?
Jun 19, 2019
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.
Offered by the National League for Nursing (NLN), the CNE®cl exam is a professional certification that recognizes one’s “specialized knowledge, skills and abilities, and excellence in clinical teaching.”
The CNEcl exam is offered through PSI, with certification valid for five years.
The Format
Offered as a computer-based exam, the CNE®cl exam format allows you to take the test in one sitting and get your score report as soon as you’re finished. Your report will indicate either Pass or Fail and provide a raw score for the categories. The raw score is calculated by the number of questions you answered correctly and determines whether you passed or failed.
The exam features 150 multiple-choice questions with four answer options within the cognitive levels of recall, application, and analysis.
The Questions and Time
Of the 150 questions you’ll encounter, only 130 will be counted toward your score; the additional 20 questions are pretest 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 exam tests for competencies in six areas, broken down as follows:
The Exam
You’ll be given three hours to complete the exam, with the opportunity to practice taking the exam on the computer in order to become familiar with the format (this does not count toward your exam time). No questions may be asked during the exam, but don’t worry—there’s no penalty for guessing, so do try to answer every question! During the exam, you’ll also be able to provide comments on any question. If you’re not confident with an answer, bookmark it and return to it once you’ve completed the exam; arrows allowing you to page forward or backward give you the ability to return to a question and change the answer.
The Results
Once you’ve finished your exam and have patted yourself on the back, you’ll be asked to partake in a short evaluation of your experience. Then, your pass/fail score report will be presented onsite, after you’ve turned in your scratch paper and pencil. Additional score details are offered in the form of raw scores by major content category.
Successful candidates will get their certificates and a CNEcl pin from the NLN’s Academic Nurse Educator Certification Program in the mail four to six weeks later.
Resources:
National League for Nursing. (n.d.). Certified Academic Clinical Nurse Educator (CNE®cl) 2018 Candidate Handbook. Retrieved from http://www.nln.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/cnecl-handbook-jan-2018.pdf?sfvrsn=4
PSI. (n.d.). Test Center List - National League for Nursing Certified Nurse Educator Exam. Retrieved from http://online.goamp.com/CandidateHome/displayTCList.aspx?pExamID=21426
Wittmann-Price, R. A., Wilson, L., & Gittings, K. K. (2019). Certified Academic Clinical Nurse Educator (CNE®cl) Review Manual. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.
Offered by the National League for Nursing (NLN), the CNE®cl exam is a professional certification that recognizes one’s “specialized knowledge, skills and abilities, and excellence in clinical teaching.”
The CNEcl exam is offered through PSI, with certification valid for five years.
The Format
Offered as a computer-based exam, the CNE®cl exam format allows you to take the test in one sitting and get your score report as soon as you’re finished. Your report will indicate either Pass or Fail and provide a raw score for the categories. The raw score is calculated by the number of questions you answered correctly and determines whether you passed or failed.
The exam features 150 multiple-choice questions with four answer options within the cognitive levels of recall, application, and analysis.
The Questions and Time
Of the 150 questions you’ll encounter, only 130 will be counted toward your score; the additional 20 questions are pretest 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 exam tests for competencies in six areas, broken down as follows:
| Content | % of Exam |
| Facilitate learning in the healthcare environment | 19 |
| Function within the education and healthcare environments | 19 |
| Demonstrate effective interpersonal communication and collaborative interprofessional relationships | 15 |
| Applies clinical expertise in the healthcare environment | 15 |
| Facilitate learner development and socialization | 15 |
| Implement effective clinical assessment and evaluation strategies | 17 |
The Exam
You’ll be given three hours to complete the exam, with the opportunity to practice taking the exam on the computer in order to become familiar with the format (this does not count toward your exam time). No questions may be asked during the exam, but don’t worry—there’s no penalty for guessing, so do try to answer every question! During the exam, you’ll also be able to provide comments on any question. If you’re not confident with an answer, bookmark it and return to it once you’ve completed the exam; arrows allowing you to page forward or backward give you the ability to return to a question and change the answer.
The Results
Once you’ve finished your exam and have patted yourself on the back, you’ll be asked to partake in a short evaluation of your experience. Then, your pass/fail score report will be presented onsite, after you’ve turned in your scratch paper and pencil. Additional score details are offered in the form of raw scores by major content category.
Successful candidates will get their certificates and a CNEcl pin from the NLN’s Academic Nurse Educator Certification Program in the mail four to six weeks later.
Resources:
National League for Nursing. (n.d.). Certified Academic Clinical Nurse Educator (CNE®cl) 2018 Candidate Handbook. Retrieved from http://www.nln.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/cnecl-handbook-jan-2018.pdf?sfvrsn=4
PSI. (n.d.). Test Center List - National League for Nursing Certified Nurse Educator Exam. Retrieved from http://online.goamp.com/CandidateHome/displayTCList.aspx?pExamID=21426
Wittmann-Price, R. A., Wilson, L., & Gittings, K. K. (2019). Certified Academic Clinical Nurse Educator (CNE®cl) Review Manual. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.