Initial CCNS Certification

Obtaining CCNS certification demonstrates you have mastered certain skills, knowledge and abilities, which distinguish you as a leader in the care of acutely and/or critically ill patients and families as a clinical nurse specialist.

• CCNS Exam Content
• Initial Eligibility Requirements
• CCNS Initial Exam Fees

The Certification Exam Policy Handbook will provide you with detailed testing and policy information. The CCNS Exam Handbook includes exam-specific information, including the CCNS application/honor statement and the CCNS test plan.

• Certification Exam Policy Handbook
• CCNS Exam Handbook

CCNS Exam Content

• The CCNS exam is a 3.5-hour test consisting of 175 multiple-choice items. Of the 175 items, 155 are scored and 20 are used to gather statistical data on item performance for future exams.
• The CCNS exam focuses on the adult, pediatric or neonatal patient population.
• For each exam, 78% covers Professional Caring and Ethical Practice; these questions may be asked about any age across the life span.
• The remaining 22% of each exam focuses on Clinical Judgment and is age-specific for the adult, pediatric or neonatal patient population.

Initial Eligibility Requirements

• Current unencumbered licensure as an RN or APRN in the United States is required. An unencumbered license is not currently being subjected to formal discipline by any board of nursing and has no provisions or conditions that limit the nurse's practice in any way. Candidates and CCNS-certified nurses must notify AACN Certification Corporation within 30 days if any restriction is placed on their RN or APRN license.
  • You must submit a photocopy or online printout of your current, valid RN or APRN license along with your CCNS exam application.
• Completion of a graduate advanced practice education program meeting the following requirements is required:
  • The education program is offered by an accredited college or university that offers a master's degree or higher in nursing with a concentration as an acute and/or critical care clinical nurse specialist (CNS).
  • The program has demonstrated compliance with the Criteria for Evaluation of Clinical Nurse Specialist Educational Programs.
  • Both direct and indirect clinical supervision must be congruent with current AACN and nursing accreditation guidelines.
  • The curriculum includes, but is not limited to:
    • Biological, behavioral, medical and nursing sciences relevant to practice as CNS, including pathophysiology, pharmacology and physical assessment.
    • Legal, ethical and professional responsibilities of the CNS.
    • Supervised clinical practice relevant to the specialty of acute/critical care.
  • The curriculum meets the following criteria:
    • Curriculum is consistent with competencies of acute/critical care CNS practice.
    • Instructional track/major has a minimum of 500 supervised clinical hours overall.
    • The supervised clinical experience is directly related to the knowledge and all role components of the acute/critical care CNS.
• 500 hours in direct clinical practice with one patient population (adult, pediatric or neonatal) within the master's program is required.
  • You must obtain originals of all graduate-level educational transcripts to submit with your CCNS exam application.
• A minimum of two didactic courses with content specific to care of acutely or critically ill patients is required. Content must align with items in the Clinical Judgment section of the CCNS test plan (found in the CCNS Exam Handbook). 
• The Program Director of your educational program must complete and sign the Educational Eligibility Verification Form (found in the CCNS Exam Handbook) to be submitted with your CCNS exam application. If course titles do not clearly indicate acute or critical care content, course descriptions or detailed content outlines must be submitted along with the form.
• Those making up clinical or didactic coursework to meet CCNS exam eligibility must complete all make-up courses within a post-master’s certificate or DNP program. (Exception: graduate make-up courses completed prior to December 31, 2006).
• Applicants determined to be ineligible for the CCNS exam will have their application fee refunded.
• AACN Certification Corporation may adopt additional eligibility requirements at its sole discretion from time to time. Any such requirements will be designed to establish, for the purposes of CCNS certification, the adequacy of a candidate's knowledge and experience in caring for the acutely and/or critically ill.

CCNS Initial Exam Fees

Payable in U.S. Funds. Fees are subject to change without notice.