CCRN (Adult) Certification Exam — Direct Care — exam facts
United States (national certification)
Every source below was read on 2026-09-24
| Administering body | AACN Certification Corporation — exam delivered by PSI Candidates test at a PSI testing center or by Live Remote Proctoring. The Adult test plan for exams taken on and after November 12, 2025: Clinical Judgment 80% — Cardiovascular 13%, Respiratory 12%, Endocrine/Hematology and Immunology/GI/Renal and GU/Integumentary 21%, Musculoskeletal/Neurological/Behavioral and Psychosocial 18%, Multisystem 16% — and Professional Caring and Ethical Practice 20%. Source: AACN Certification Corporation — CCRN Exam Handbook - Direct Care (July 2026, PDF) (2026-09-24) |
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| Questions | 150 questions (125 scored, 25 unscored pretest) All items are multiple choice. The unscored items gather statistical data for future exams. Source: AACN Certification Corporation — CCRN Exam Handbook - Direct Care (July 2026, PDF) (2026-09-24) |
| Time limit | 180 minutes Source: AACN Certification Corporation — CCRN Exam Handbook - Direct Care (July 2026, PDF) (2026-09-24) |
| Passing score | 83 of 125 correct AACN counts the cut score in scored questions answered correctly and says it is not a percentage. This cut score took effect on November 12, 2025; it is set by the modified Angoff method and may change when the exam is updated. Source: AACN — Certification Exam Statistics and Cut Scores (2026-09-24) |
| Fees |
Payable in U.S. funds; AACN states fees are subject to change without notice. Source: AACN Certification Corporation — CCRN Exam Handbook - Direct Care (July 2026, PDF) (2026-09-24) |
| Languages offered | Not published by AACN Certification Corporation Neither the CCRN Exam Handbook nor AACN's CCRN (Adult) page states which languages the exam is offered in. What we read and found nothing in: AACN Certification Corporation — CCRN Exam Handbook - Direct Care (July 2026, PDF) (2026-09-24) · AACN — CCRN (Adult) – Direct Care Eligibility Pathway (2026-09-24) |
Change log
- 2026-09-24Fact sheet created from AACN's CCRN Exam Handbook - Direct Care (July 2026) and AACN's Certification Exam Statistics and Cut Scores page, which prints the Adult cut score effective November 12, 2025.