CEN certification: the Certified Emergency Nurse exam, cost and practice questions
CEN certification is BCEN’s foundational specialty certification for RNs working in emergency departments and across the emergency spectrum. You earn it by passing a 3-hour exam whose content outline spreads 150 items over 11 emergency categories. The exam costs $380, or $285 for Emergency Nurses Association members, you need a current RN license, and the certification renews every four years.
- Awarding body
- Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN)BCEN CEN page, checked 18 October 2026
- Exam time
- 3 hours (180 minutes seat time)BCEN Candidate Handbook, checked 18 October 2026
- Content outline
- 150 items in 11 categories, effective July 2026BCEN CEN Examination Content Outline, checked 18 October 2026
- Exam fee
- $380; $285 for ENA members; $195 militaryBCEN CEN cost page, checked 18 October 2026
- Retest fee
- $200 within one year of the initial examBCEN CEN cost page, checked 18 October 2026
- License
- Current, unencumbered RN license (U.S., U.S. territory, Canada or Australia)BCEN CEN eligibility page, checked 18 October 2026
- Delivery
- PSI testing centers or Live Remote ProctoringBCEN CEN FAQs, checked 18 October 2026
- Passing score
- Not published as a number; pass or fail based on raw scoreBCEN Candidate Handbook, checked 18 October 2026
- Validity
- Four yearsBCEN CEN page, checked 18 October 2026
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Why you can trust these CEN questions
What is CEN certification?
What is a CEN certification? The Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) is BCEN’s foundational nursing specialty certification for RNs working in the emergency department and across the emergency spectrum. BCEN says the certification establishes RNs as experts in emergency nursing.
The CEN nurse certification is a certification, not a license. A CEN license does not exist as such: your RN license lets you practise, and the CEN nursing certification shows specialty knowledge on top of it. BCEN’s exam statistics list 41,636 total CEN certificants for 2025.
Source: BCEN — CEN Certification for Emergency Nurses. Checked 18 October 2026.
The CEN exam at a glance
The CEN exam is computer-based and you have 3 hours to complete it. You take the CEN test at a PSI testing center or online by Live Remote Proctoring; BCEN offers both worldwide. BCEN’s handbook mentions five practice questions that familiarize you with how the exam works.
Your score report shows pass or fail, determined by your raw score. BCEN sets the pass/fail point with the Angoff technique and does not publish the passing score as a number on the pages checked.
Source: BCEN — Candidate Handbook. Checked 18 October 2026.
CEN exam content outline
BCEN’s content outline effective July 2026 distributes 150 items over 11 categories. Cardiovascular, respiratory and neurological emergencies carry the most items, but no category is small enough to skip:
- Cardiovascular Emergencies — 18
- Respiratory Emergencies — 17
- Neurological Emergencies — 17
- Medical Emergencies — 15
- Gastrointestinal Emergencies — 14
- Mental Health Emergencies — 13
- Environment and Toxicology Emergencies, and Communicable Diseases — 13
- Professional Issues — 12
- Musculoskeletal and Wound Emergencies — 11
- Genitourinary, Gynecology, and Obstetrical Emergencies — 10
- Head, Eye, Ear, Nose, Throat Emergencies — 10
Source: BCEN — CEN Examination Content Outline (effective July 2026). Checked 18 October 2026.
CEN exam cost
The CEN exam cost is $380, or $285 for members of the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), and $195 for active-duty military, reservists and veterans. A retest within one year of your initial exam costs $200.
BCEN also sells Test Assurance: you pay $450 ($355 for ENA members, $265 military) and your second attempt is free if you need it. If you see the CEN cost quoted differently elsewhere, BCEN’s cost page is the reference.
Source: BCEN — The Cost of a CEN Certification. Checked 18 October 2026.
CEN certification requirements
The CEN certification requirements are short: a current, unencumbered RN license in the United States, a U.S. territory, Canada or Australia. A foreign nursing certificate equivalent to a U.S. RN license is also accepted after verification.
BCEN suggests two years of experience in emergency nursing before you sit the exam, but states that this is not required. There is no hour requirement as with some other nursing certifications.
Source: BCEN — CEN Eligibility. Checked 18 October 2026.
How to apply and schedule the CEN exam
You apply in your BCEN account under My Certifications, choose Create New Application next to the CEN logo and pay. After approval you have a 90-day testing window. To schedule CEN exam appointments you book with PSI, BCEN’s test delivery provider, either at a testing center or by Live Remote Proctoring.
You can reschedule with PSI without a fee as long as you are inside your 90-day window and at least 24 hours before the appointment.
Source: BCEN — The CEN Certification Process. Checked 18 October 2026.
CEN pass rate and retakes
BCEN does not publish a CEN exam pass rate as a percentage on its statistics page. For 2025 it reports 8,889 CEN exams delivered, 4,198 exams passed and 3,974 exams failed, without explaining the difference between delivered and passed plus failed. Any single CEN pass rate figure you see elsewhere is therefore not a BCEN number.
If you do not pass CEN, BCEN allows unlimited retesting, with a 90-day wait after each failed attempt.
Source: BCEN — Certification Exam Statistics. Checked 18 October 2026.
Recertifying your CEN
The CEN is valid for four years. You recertify either by exam or by CE attestation: 100 contact hours within the four-year period, at least 75 of them clinical content specific to emergency nursing. Recertification by either route costs $280, $210 with ENA membership or $195 military.
Source: BCEN — Recertification. Checked 18 October 2026.
CEN review: course, study guide and books
A CEN class is not among the eligibility requirements above. If you want CEN classes online anyway, BCEN’s own CEN review course, the BCEN CEN review course “Essentials of Emergency Nursing”, is online and self-paced, follows the content outline, costs $250, awards 21 CEs and usually takes 20 to 30 hours, with up to one year to finish. BCEN also offers a CEN practice exam with timed, non-timed and Quick 10 modes.
For a CEN study guide, CEN review manual or CEN review book from a publisher, note that BCEN states it does not endorse any resources or have a proprietary relationship with any publishing company. Pick CEN books that follow the July 2026 content outline, and compare other CEN review courses against BCEN’s course on price, CE credit and outline coverage. For CEN test prep and CEN study, the outline itself, BCEN’s reference list and its preparation checklist are the official starting points.
Source: BCEN — How to Study for the CEN Exam. Checked 18 October 2026.
Free CEN practice questions
The official source of free CEN practice questions is BCEN’s sample questions PDF on its study page. BCEN notes that the samples show the format of a BCEN exam and are not intended to reflect the difficulty of the real questions.
BCEN’s practice exam is a separate product, and BCEN does not describe it as free. A full free CEN practice test from BCEN was not listed on the pages checked.
Source: BCEN — How to Study for the CEN Exam. Checked 18 October 2026.
CEN practice questions
Certsqill’s CEN practice questions are expert-developed and mapped to BCEN’s 11 content categories, from cardiovascular emergencies to professional issues. Use them by category during your CEN exam prep, then as a timed CEN practice test before you schedule.
Every one of our CEN exam questions comes with an explanation for each answer option, and your results build a readiness score per category, so you can see which CEN questions to revisit and when you are ready to pass CEN. A 7-day money-back guarantee applies.
CEN questions people ask
What is CEN certification?
The Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) is BCEN’s foundational specialty certification for RNs in emergency nursing. Source: BCEN, checked 18 October 2026.
Is CEN a license?
No. CEN is a certification; you need a current, unencumbered RN license to apply. Source: BCEN, checked 18 October 2026.
What is the CEN test cost?
$380, $285 for ENA members, $195 military; a retest within one year costs $200. Source: BCEN, checked 18 October 2026.
How long is the CEN exam?
3 hours. The content outline lists 150 items across 11 categories. Source: BCEN, checked 18 October 2026.
What is the CEN pass rate?
BCEN does not publish a percentage. For 2025 it reports 8,889 CEN exams delivered, 4,198 passed and 3,974 failed. Source: BCEN, checked 18 October 2026.
Do I get a CEN certificate after passing?
BCEN’s CEN page says you can share your success with a digital badge after passing. Source: BCEN, checked 18 October 2026.
Can I retake the CEN exam?
Yes, as often as needed, with a 90-day wait after each failed attempt. Source: BCEN, checked 18 October 2026.
How long is CEN certification valid?
Four years. Recertify by exam or with 100 contact hours. Source: BCEN, checked 18 October 2026.
