CCRN certification: the exam, cost, requirements and practice questions
CCRN certification is AACN’s specialty credential for nurses who care for acutely and critically ill patients, earned by passing a 3-hour exam with 150 multiple-choice questions, 125 of them scored. The exam costs $260 for AACN members and $375 for nonmembers, you need 83 correct scored answers to pass the Adult exam, and the certification lasts 3 years.
- Awarding body
- AACN Certification CorporationAACN CCRN FAQ, checked 18 October 2026
- Exam length
- 3 hours, 150 multiple-choice questionsAACN CCRN Exam Handbook, checked 18 October 2026
- Scored questions
- 125 scored, 25 unscoredAACN CCRN Exam Handbook, checked 18 October 2026
- Passing score
- 83 of 125 scored items (Adult and Pediatric), 84 (Neonatal)AACN Exam Statistics and Cut Scores, checked 18 October 2026
- Exam fee
- $260 AACN members, $375 nonmembersAACN CCRN (Adult) page, checked 18 October 2026
- Retest fee
- $185 members, $290 nonmembersAACN CCRN Exam Handbook, checked 18 October 2026
- License
- Current, unencumbered U.S. RN or APRN licenseAACN CCRN (Adult) page, checked 18 October 2026
- Delivery
- PSI testing center or Live Remote ProctoringAACN CCRN Exam Handbook, checked 18 October 2026
- Validity
- 3 yearsAACN CCRN Exam Handbook, checked 18 October 2026
- First-time pass rate
- 72.02% for CCRN (Adult) in 2025AACN Exam Statistics, checked 18 October 2026
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Why you can trust these CCRN questions
What is CCRN certification?
What is a CCRN certification in plain terms? It is a credential granted by AACN Certification Corporation that validates your specialty knowledge of nursing care of acutely and critically ill patients. AACN offers the CCRN for adult, pediatric and neonatal nursing, and more than 100,000 nurses worldwide currently hold it. AACN CCRN certification is accepted by the Magnet Recognition Program.
Many people search for critical care registered nurse CCRN certification, but AACN states that CCRN is a registered service mark and a brand name that does not mean “Critical Care Registered Nurse”. The certification is also population-specific: if you hold Adult CCRN only, AACN says you may not present yourself as a CCRN while caring for pediatric or neonatal patients.
Source: AACN — Frequently Asked Questions: CCRN Certification (Direct Care Pathway). Checked 18 October 2026.
What is the CCRN exam?
The CCRN exam is a 3-hour, computer-based test with 150 multiple-choice questions. AACN scores 125 of them and uses the other 25 to collect statistics for future exams; you cannot tell which ones are unscored, so treat every question as if it counts.
You take the CCRN certification exam at a PSI testing center or by Live Remote Proctoring from a quiet, private room. AACN offers computer-based testing year-round, Monday through Saturday. Results appear on screen when you finish, and a detailed score report follows by email within 24 hours.
Source: AACN — CCRN Exam Handbook, Direct Care (July 2026). Checked 18 October 2026.
CCRN test plan: where the points are
The Adult test plan splits the exam into Clinical Judgment (80%) and Professional Caring and Ethical Practice (20%). Within clinical judgment, AACN weights the body systems as follows for exams taken on or after 12 November 2025:
- Cardiovascular — 13%
- Respiratory — 12%
- Endocrine, hematology/immunology, gastrointestinal, renal/genitourinary, integumentary — 21%
- Musculoskeletal, neurological, behavioral/psychosocial — 18%
- Multisystem — 16%
Source: AACN — CCRN Exam Handbook, Direct Care (July 2026). Checked 18 October 2026.
Cardiac CCRN review: why cardiovascular comes first
Cardiovascular is the largest single body system on the Adult test plan at 13%, followed by respiratory at 12%. A cardiac CCRN review therefore pays off early, but the grouped areas carry more weight in total: the endocrine-to-integumentary group is 21% and multisystem 16%. On the Pediatric plan cardiovascular is 11% and respiratory 13%; on the Neonatal plan respiratory leads at 15%.
Source: AACN — CCRN Exam Handbook, Direct Care (July 2026). Checked 18 October 2026.
CCRN exam cost and retest price
The CCRN exam cost is $260 for AACN members and $375 for nonmembers. If you do not pass, the CCRN exam price for a retest drops to $185 for members and $290 for nonmembers. Renewal by exam costs the same as a retest; renewal by continuing education (Synergy CERPs) costs $150 for members and $230 for nonmembers.
Source: AACN — CCRN Exam Handbook, Direct Care (July 2026). Checked 18 October 2026.
Who can take the CCRN exam?
What is CCRN exam eligibility based on? A current, unencumbered U.S. RN or APRN license plus verifiable clinical hours in direct care of acutely or critically ill patients. You qualify through one of two options:
- Two-year option: 1,750 hours in the previous two years, with 875 of them in the most recent year before you apply.
- Five-year option: at least 2,000 hours in the previous five years, with 144 of them in the most recent year before you apply.
Source: AACN — CCRN (Adult), Direct Care Eligibility Pathway. Checked 18 October 2026.
Passing score and how hard the CCRN exam is
To pass CCRN Adult you need 83 correct answers out of the 125 scored items; the Pediatric cut score is also 83 and the Neonatal cut score 84. AACN sets the cut score with a modified Angoff process and stresses that it is a raw number, not a percentage, which may change when the exam is updated.
How hard is the CCRN exam? AACN reports a first-time pass rate of 72.02% for CCRN (Adult) in 2025, after 72.74% in 2024 and 81.20% in 2023. Pediatric (68.72%) and Neonatal (60.29%) were lower in 2025. If you fail, you may take the same exam up to four times in a rolling 12-month period.
Source: AACN — Certification Exam Statistics and Cut Scores. Checked 18 October 2026.
Keeping your CCRN certification
CCRN certification is granted for 3 years. To renew with continuing education you need 432 practice hours in direct care of acutely or critically ill patients during the three years, 144 of them in the last 12 months, plus 100 CERPs with at least 60 in Category A and 10 each in Categories B and C. You can also renew by passing the exam again.
Source: AACN — CCRN (Adult) Renewal. Checked 18 October 2026.
The AACN CCRN exam handbook
The AACN CCRN exam handbook for the Direct Care pathway is a freely downloadable PDF and the best starting point for the exam. The current CCRN exam handbook (July 2026) contains the eligibility rules, fees, the full test plan with testable nursing actions, sample questions with answers for Adult, Pediatric and Neonatal, and the bibliography AACN uses to validate exam items.
AACN recommends that you be ready to test before you apply, because your testing window starts once you are approved. The window is normally 90 days and is currently 180 days.
Source: AACN — CCRN Exam Handbook, Direct Care (July 2026). Checked 18 October 2026.
CCRN exam preparation with AACN resources
For CCRN exam prep, AACN sells two products of its own. The Adult CCRN Certification Review Course online costs $159 for members and $199 for nonmembers and awards 15.5 hours, CERP Category A. AACN’s practice exams come in a Basic tier (30 days, 150 questions, $35/$45) and a Premium tier (180 days, the full AACN CCRN question bank with content-area exams, $75/$90).
The AACN CCRN practice questions all include correct-answer rationales and exam scores. If you are looking for an AACN CCRN test bank, these practice exams are what AACN offers for question practice. AACN also states that it does not approve, endorse or require any specific exam preparation products, so any CCRN review or CCRN prep product you choose is your own decision.
If you need pediatric CCRN practice questions, note that AACN publishes a separate Pediatric test plan and offers its practice exams for Adult, Pediatric and Neonatal CCRN.
Source: AACN — Certification Practice Exams. Checked 18 October 2026.
Free CCRN practice exam and test questions
There are two free CCRN test questions sources from AACN itself. The first is the sample questions with answer keys in the exam handbook. The second is AACN’s one-time free trial: seven days of access to 30 practice questions with rationales, timed or untimed, with exam scores.
That trial is the closest thing to a free CCRN practice exam from the exam owner. It is not a full free CCRN practice test of 150 items; for that length AACN’s Basic tier is the official option.
Source: AACN — Certification Practice Exams. Checked 18 October 2026.
CCRN practice questions
Certsqill’s CCRN practice questions are expert-developed and mapped to AACN’s CCRN test plan, from cardiovascular and respiratory to multisystem and professional caring and ethical practice. Use them as CCRN review questions after each body system, then as timed CCRN review test questions in full CCRN practice exam sessions.
Reading alone rarely shows whether you can pass CCRN. Question bank practice does: every one of our CCRN exam questions comes with an explanation for each answer option, and your results build a readiness score per test plan area, so you can see which CCRN questions to revisit before you apply. A 7-day money-back guarantee applies.
CCRN questions people ask
What is CCRN certification?
A specialty credential granted by AACN Certification Corporation that validates knowledge of nursing care of acutely and critically ill adult, pediatric or neonatal patients. Source: AACN, checked 18 October 2026.
Is a CCRN license the same as an RN license?
No. CCRN is a certification, not a license. You need a current, unencumbered U.S. RN or APRN license to apply. Source: AACN, checked 18 October 2026.
What is the CCRN exam format?
A 3-hour test with 150 multiple-choice questions, 125 scored and 25 unscored, at a PSI testing center or by Live Remote Proctoring. Source: AACN CCRN Exam Handbook, checked 18 October 2026.
How much does the CCRN exam cost?
$260 for AACN members and $375 for nonmembers; a retest costs $185 or $290. Source: AACN, checked 18 October 2026.
What score do I need to pass CCRN?
83 correct out of 125 scored items for Adult and Pediatric, 84 for Neonatal, effective 12 November 2025. Source: AACN Exam Statistics and Cut Scores, checked 18 October 2026.
How hard is the CCRN exam?
AACN reports a 72.02% first-time pass rate for CCRN (Adult) in 2025. Source: AACN Exam Statistics, checked 18 October 2026.
Are there free CCRN practice questions from AACN?
Yes: sample questions in the exam handbook and a one-time free trial with 30 practice questions for seven days. Source: AACN, checked 18 October 2026.
How long is CCRN certification valid?
3 years. You renew with 432 practice hours and 100 CERPs, or by passing the exam again. Source: AACN, checked 18 October 2026.
