What to Expect on the Adult CCRN® Exam
(With excerpts from Adult CCRN® Certification Review, by Kendra Menzies Kent MS, RN-BC, CCRN, CNRN, SCRN, TCRN)*
It pays to be mentally prepared for what’s to come on exam day! Here’s an overview of what you can expect — from format to timing and everything in between.
The Exam Format
The Adult CCRN® exam follows the blueprint developed by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN). It is reviewed by experts in critical care and offered year-round, with certifications valid for three years.
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Delivery: Computer-based testing (CBT) or paper-and-pencil format.
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Questions: 150 multiple-choice questions with four answer options.
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Scoring: If you take the CBT, you’ll receive your score immediately; paper-and-pencil scores are available in about three to four weeks.
Questions and Timing
Of the 150 questions, only 125 are scored. The additional 25 “pilot” questions are unscored and used to validate items for future exams. Since you won’t know which are scored, answer every question as if it counts.
You will have three hours to complete the exam, and breaks are included in that time. Don’t leave any questions blank — a blank answer is automatically counted against you. Even an educated guess gives you a 25% chance of being correct.
Content Breakdown
The exam is randomized, but coverage follows this system distribution:
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Cardiovascular: 18%
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Pulmonary: 17%
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Endocrine, Hematology, Gastrointestinal, Renal, Integumentary: 20%
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Musculoskeletal, Neurology, Psychosocial: 13%
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Multisystem: 14%
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Professional Caring Practice: 20%
The Adult CCRN® blueprint also includes “testable nursing actions” under each system. Be sure to review assessment, monitoring, and pharmacology within each body system.
👉 For a detailed content outline, consult the Adult CCRN Exam Handbook (AACN).
Exam Day Essentials
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Arrive early — if you are more than 15 minutes late, you will not be admitted.
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Bring your approval letter and two forms of identification (one must be photo ID).
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You may skip questions and return to them later.
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Answer all questions — do not leave any blank.
Results
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CBT format: You’ll receive your official score report immediately upon completion.
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Paper-and-pencil format: Expect your results in three to four weeks.
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Successful candidates will receive a congratulations letter and wall certificate within a few weeks.
Preparing for the Adult CCRN® Exam
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Explore study options with the Adult CCRN® Certification Review book and companion app, featuring 500 practice questions.
Resources
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AACN Certification Corporation. CCRN Exam Handbook (Adult • Pediatric • Neonatal): Acute/Critical Care Nursing Certification. Retrieved from https://www.aacn.org/~/media/aacn-website/certification/get-certified/handbooks/ccrnexamhandbook.pdf
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Menzies Kent, K. (2014). Adult CCRN® Certification Review. New York: Springer Publishing.
👉 Adult Critical Care Nurse Certification Overview
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