Nursing, Nursing RN, Exam Prep
So, what’s the TCRN® exam like?
Jan 29, 2019
With excerpts from Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN®) Examination Review, by Kendra Menzies Kent MS, RN-BC, CCRN, CNRN, SCRN, TCRN
It pays to be mentally prepared for what’s to come on TCRN exam day! Here, we outline what you can expect—from format to timing and everything in between.
Developed and reviewed by experts in trauma nursing with the Board of Certification in Emergency Nursing, the Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN®) exam incorporates care of a trauma patient, from prevention and injury to rehabilitation. It is offered year-round through Pearson’s VUE testing centers, with certification valid for three years.
The Format
Offered as a computer-based test (CBT), the TCRN® exam format allows you to take the test in one three-hour sitting and get your results and score breakdown as soon as you’re finished. It features 175 multiple-choice questions with four answer options.
The Questions and Time
Of the 175 questions you’ll encounter, only 150 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!
Each major body system is divided into subheadings and topics, with the breakdown of questions as follows:
| Category | # of Questions |
| Clinical Practice: Head and Neck | 29 |
| Clinical Practice: Trunk | 36 |
| Clinical Practice: Extremity and Wound | 25 |
| Clinical Practice: Special Considerations | 22 |
| Continuum of Care for Trauma | 21 |
| Professional Issues | 17 |
For clinical practice categories, the nursing process will be distributed as follows:
Assessment: 18%
Analysis: 31%
Implementation: 31%
Evaluation: 20%
Recall: 21%
Application: 61%
Analysis: 18%
Click here for a detailed Test Content Outline!
The TCRN Exam
When arriving for your exam, be sure to bring your letter of approval and two forms of identification (one picture ID). Nothing else is allowed in the exam room. And be punctual! Arriving 30 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment is recommended; if you are more than 15 minutes late, you risk losing your spot.
You’ll be allowed to take a tutorial on computer-based testing if you need assistance before beginning the exam and your test time begins once you start the first question on the actual exam. You’ll be given three hours to complete the exam; breaks are considered part of your testing 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. You can always skip questions and come back later.
The Results
Once you’ve finished your exam and have patted yourself on the back, your results will be presented onsite following a test evaluation.
Successful candidates will get their certificates three or four weeks after testing.
Resources
Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing. (n.d.). Candidate Handbook. Retrieved from https://bcen.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/BCEN-Candidate-Handbook-09-11-18.pdf
Menzies Kent, K. (2017). Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN®) Examination Review (1st ed.). New York, NY: Springer Publishing.