Certification Exam Statistics and Cut Scores

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Exam Statistics

This summarized statistical data is for the past three calendar years. Aggregate data itemized for each certification program includes total number of exam candidates tested for the year, first-time pass rate for the year, total number of certificants, renewed certificants, total failed and new certificants.


2023

Exam Candidates Tested First Time Pass Rate Total Certificants Renewed Total Failed New Certificants
CCRN (Adult) 17,279 81.20% 92,725 18,666 5,585 11,765
CCRN (Neonatal) 356 72.20% 6,948 424 152 208
CCRN (Pediatric) 1,213 77.20% 8,108 1,813 405 811
PCCN 3,477 70.30% 20,930 4,340 1,436 2,014
ACNPC-AG 1,238 91.40% 4,541 393 337 901
ACCNS-AG 106 91.10% 858 122 9 22
ACCNS-N 15 84.60% 67 8 4 6
ACCNS-P 22 82.30% 149 28 8 14
CMC 1,002 82.80% 3,882 565 230 712
CSC 1,021 69.70% 3,360 504 485 536
*CCNS (Adult) n/a n/a 810 177 n/a n/a
*CCNS (Neonatal) n/a n/a 39 5 n/a n/a
*CCNS (Pediatric) n/a n/a 25 6 n/a n/a
*ACNPC n/a n/a 204 49 n/a n/a
*Renewal Only


2022

Exam Candidates Tested First Time Pass Rate Total Certificants Renewed Total Failed New Certificants
CCRN (Adult) 14,304 81.36% 84,407 18,728 4,517 9,667
CCRN (Neonatal) 315 78.79% 1,793 416 1,711 174
CCRN (Pediatric) 1,067 75.98% 7,507 1,699 368 696
CCRN-E 47 75.00% 506 165 20 23
CCRN-K (Adult) 133 80.53% 4,712 1,600 42 93
CCRN-K (Neonatal) 3 50.00% 86 32 3 0
CCRN-K (Pediatric) 11 70.00% 475 158 4 6
PCCN 2,988 74.00% 20,055 4,480 1,146 1,779
PCCN-K 52 74.00% 1,142 404 21 29
ACNPC-AG 1,405 83.10% 3,542 403 341 823
ACCNS-AG 114 81.25% 815 84 36 76
ACCNS-N 15 63.64% 57 5 7 10
ACCNS-P 35 83.33% 136 8 10 24
CMC 901 83.67% 3,560 614 240 654
CSC 989 67.95% 3,320 517 418 503
*CCNS (Adult) n/a n/a 849 162 n/a n/a
*CCNS (Neonatal) n/a n/a 43 8 n/a n/a
*CCNS (Pediatric) n/a n/a 26 3 n/a n/a
*ACNPC n/a n/a 211 31 n/a n/a
*Renewal Only


2021

Exam Candidates Tested First Time Pass Rate Total Certificants Renewed Total Failed New Certificants
CCRN (Adult) 13,907 71.5% 84,189 18,850 4,259 9,681
CCRN (Neonatal) 374 67.7% 1,818 386 169 205
CCRN (Pediatric) 1,277 72.3% 7,589 1,708 366 911
CCRN-E 40 50.0% 419 1,507 20 20
CCRN-K (Adult) 92 78.8% 4,407 25 21 71
CCRN-K (Neonatal) 9 88.9% 82 144 6 3
CCRN-K (Pediatric) 11 45.5% 440 150 1 10
PCCN 3,874 67.0% 21,016 4,623 1,429 2,442
PCCN-K 60 72.2% 983 420 20 40
ACNPC-AG 992 83.1% 2,910 198 176 778
ACCNS-AG 96 89.1% 759 83 8 86
ACCNS-N 12 72.7% 48 5 5 9
ACCNS-P 29 80.0% 116 7 47 21
CMC 945 75.0% 3,286 599 256 689
CSC 984 72.6% 3,235 521 298 686
*CCNS (Adult) n/a n/a 883 21 n/a n/a
*CCNS (Neonatal) n/a n/a 42 0 n/a n/a
*CCNS (Pediatric) n/a n/a 27 1 n/a n/a
*ACNPC n/a n/a 220 42 n/a n/a
*Renewal Only


2020

Exam Candidates Tested First Time Pass Rate Total Certificants Renewed Total Failed New Certificants
CCRN (Adult) 12,381 78.5% 83,052 17,243 3,270 9,111
CCRN (Neonatal) 341 67.2% 1,762 403 132 209
CCRN (Pediatric) 1,107 76.0% 7,331 1,588 310 797
CCRN-E 41 53.1% 460 110 21 20
CCRN-K (Adult) 96 77.8% 4,044 1,280 30 66
CCRN-K (Neonatal) 7 57.0% 76 20 3 10
CCRN-K (Pediatric) 12 80.0% 396 138 2 520
PCCN 3,361 71.6% 21,001 4,052 1,087 2,274
PCCN-K 53 74.4% 834 280 37 37
ACNPC-AG 581 86.0% 2,152 156 113 468
ACCNS-AG 84 83.3% 698 100 19 65
ACCNS-N 6 83.0% 39 5 1 5
ACCNS-P 21 70.6% 97 10 8 13
CMC 707 77.2% 2,913 443 187 520
CSC 709 76.2% 2,889 508 194 515
*CCNS (Adult) n/a n/a 889 214 n/a n/a
*CCNS (Neonatal) n/a n/a 43 5 n/a n/a
*CCNS (Pediatric) n/a n/a 27 4 n/a n/a
*ACNPC n/a n/a 230 46 n/a n/a
*Renewal Only


Exam Cut Scores

The cut score (also known as the passing score) is the number of scored questions that must be answered correctly on an exam to achieve certification. The passing score is not a percentage but a raw number that may change over time as an exam is updated based on results of the most recent study of practice (also known as a job analysis) or when the exam forms are periodically changed and equated for difficulty.

The passing score should not be confused with the "pass rate" (see Exam Statistics above), which is the percentage of candidates testing who are successful at passing an exam.

Passing scores for AACN Certification Corporation exams are determined using a systematic procedure known as the modified Angoff method in collaboration with professional psychometricians from our testing service, PSI. Below are current exam passing scores and their effective dates.


Exam Total # of Items on Exam # of Scored Items on Exam Passing (Cut) Score Score Effective Date
CCRN (Adult) 150 125 83 03/25/2020
CCRN (Pediatric) 150 125 82 03/25/2020
CCRN (Neonatal) 150 125 84 03/25/2020
PCCN 150 125 82 01/31/2024
ACCNS-AG 175 150 94 01/31/2024
ACCNS-P 175 150 94 01/31/2024
ACCNS-N 175 150 98 01/31/2024
ACNPC-AG 175 150 101 01/10/2022
CMC 90 75 50 06/01/2022
CSC 90 75 55 01/31/2022