Are you preparing to take the NP certification exam? Are you confused about which organizations offer what kind of certification, or wondering about test content or focus? Here are the answers to common questions about NP certification.
What agencies offer NP certification exams?
NP certification is offered by a variety of non-governmental agencies.
The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC, www.nursecredentialing.org) offers year-round computer-based testing for family, adult, acute care, geriatric, pediatric, and psychiatric- mental health nurse practitioner certification.
The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP, www.aanpcertification.org) offers computer-based testing for adult, family and gerontologic nurse practitioner certification during three periods per year, from February through April, June through August and September through November.
The National Certification Corporation (NCC, www.nccnet.org) offers year-round computer-based testing women’s health and neonatal nurse practitioner certification. In addition, a paper-and-pencil test is offered once a year in the fall.
The Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) (http://www.pncb.org) offers year-round computer-based testing for pediatric and acute care pediatric nurse practitioner certification.
How many questions are on the NP certification examinations?
The ANCC exams consist of 175 questions or test items. Of these, 150 items count toward your score, with the remaining 25 questions being sample items that might be used on future exams but do not contribute to your exam score. These items are integrated throughout the exam, not listed in a separate section. Sample test questions are found in most the NP certification examinations.
The AANP exams consist of 150 test items with 15 items as sample questions that do not contribute to your final score.
The NCC women’s health and neonatal NP exams have 160 items with 10 sample items.
The Pediatric Nursing Certification Board pediatric NP exams contain 200 questions each.
How are the NP certification examinations similar?
The content of all the NP certification examinations reflect the broad base of knowledge and the critical thinking skills necessary for entry-level NP practice. The largest sections are typically dedicated to assessment of and intervention for the health problems common to the chosen area of practice. Additional content area typically includes choice of the appropriate diagnostic studies and screening tests and the subsequent interpretation of findings. Content in the intervention section usually includes questions on both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapies, as well as principles of therapeutic communication. The remainder of the examination is usually devoted to areas such as health promotion and disease prevention.
How do the NP exams differ?
The family NP exam reflects the broad scope of knowledge necessary to care for patients of all ages, including pregnant women. The adult NP certification examinations focus on the care of patients who are 13-16 and older, while the gerontological NP test focuses on health care issues for adults older than 55- 65 years. The pediatric NP exams focus on the care of children and young adults, usually up to age 22; a thorough knowledge of pediatric development and family systems is critical for success on these exams.
The focus of the women’s health nurse practitioner exam is on the health care of women throughout the reproductive life span and beyond. An equal amount of the test’s content is concentrated on obstetrics and gynecology, with about 25% devoted to general primary care issues.
The adult and pediatric acute care exam focuses on the care of acutely or critically ill adults or children, and includes a section on health promotion and disease prevention as well as follow-up care. The psychiatric-mental health certification examinations the knowledge base needed to provide mental health care, particular psychotherapeutic interventions. The adult psychiatric-mental health NP scope of practice begins at age 13, while that of the family psychiatric-mental health NP is across the life span.
Are some of the NP exam questions about issues other than clinical issues?
The ANCC exams contain a section on issues such as scope of practice, health care ethics, reimbursement and the like. This section varies from 6%-13% of the total exam, depending on the area of certification. These exams also have a small section, 2%-9%, on research utilization. The women’s health and neonatal NP examination have a small section on these issues, typically less than 2% of the total test content.
How do I find out if I passed my NP certification examination?
The computer-based NP examinations provide your results upon completion of the test, usually with written confirmation of results be sent via U.S. mail within a few weeks of your test date.
What credential will I earn when I once am certified?
Each certifying agency recommends a specific credential to be used in legal documentation and similar situations.
I am now a certified NP. Is there a special way to designate this?
The NP certification credential differs according to the certifying body. Here are the designations of the various certifying organization.
The credentials for American Certification Credentialing Center (ANCC) certified NPs is NP-BC (nurse practitioner-board certified) preceded by a letter indicating the particular specialty:
- Family nurse practitioner – FNP-BC
- Adult nurse practitioner – ANP-BC
- Acute care nurse practitioner – ACNP-BC
- Pediatric nurse practitioner – PNP-BC
- Gerontological nurse practitioner – GNP-BC
- Psych and mental health nurse practitioner – PMHNP-BC
Here is an example of an ANCC-certified family nurse practitioner.
Hugo Moreno, MS, FNP-BC
Family and adult nurse practitioners certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) are granted the designation of NP-C, or Nurse Practitioner-Certified. Here is an example.
· Melissa Hammond, MSN, NP-C
NPs who are certified by the National Certification Corporation (NCC) include women’s health and neonatal NPs and are granted the designation of RNC. Here is an example.
· Sarah Thiam, DNP, RNC
A pediatric nurse practitioner certified by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) is granted the designation CPNP. Here is an example.
· Clifford Frost, MS, CPNP
Success on a certification exam results from being prepared. Knowing what to expect when you sit down to take your NP certification exam is a first step in successful study.
Revised January 25, 2008
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This article originally appeared in my quarterly certification column in Advance for Nurse Practitioners and is made available here by the courtesy of Advance. For other articles of interest to Nurse Practitioners, be sure to subscribe to this outstanding journal.