Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse (CNRN®) Exam Guide
With excerpts from Neuroscience Certification Review for Nurses, by Kendra Menzies Kent, MS, RN, CENP, CCRN, CNRN, SCRN, TCRN
Thinking about earning your Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse (CNRN®) credential? This exam validates your expertise in the care of patients with complex neurological conditions. Below, we outline everything you need to know—from the test format to timing, scoring, and resources to prepare.
Exam Format
The American Board of Neuroscience Nursing (ABNN) administers the CNRN exam.
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Type: Computer-based exam at a testing center
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Questions: 220 single-best-answer multiple-choice questions
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Design: Scenarios requiring higher-level thinking and analysis—for example, reviewing a patient case and determining the most appropriate nursing action
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Randomization: Questions are mixed across topics, so you may see dementia followed by spinal cord trauma
Questions and Time
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Duration: 4 hours total
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Scored items: 200 questions
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Unscored items: 20 pilot questions (indistinguishable from scored ones)
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Tip: Answer all questions—there’s no penalty for guessing, and you won’t know which ones are unscored
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Practice test: Available beforehand (not counted against exam time)
Content Outline
The CNRN test blueprint provides a breakdown of question distribution across major systems:
| Content Area | % of Test | Sample Topics |
|---|---|---|
| Trauma | 18% | Traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries |
| Cerebrovascular | 26% | Stroke (ischemic/hemorrhagic), aneurysms, TIAs |
| Tumors | 13% | Brain and spinal cord tumors |
| Immune/Infection | 11% | ALS, abscesses, AIDS, Bell’s palsy |
| Seizures | 9% | Generalized, partial, status epilepticus |
| Pediatric/Developmental | 8% | Spina bifida, Chiari malformation, cerebral palsy |
| Chronic Neurological | 15% | Headache, dementia, movement disorders, chronic pain |
Results
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Immediate feedback: Your results (including score breakdown by domain) are available right after completing the exam
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Certificate delivery: Official CNRN certificate arrives within 4–6 weeks by mail
Achieving the CNRN credential sets you apart as a nurse with advanced knowledge in neuroscience nursing—demonstrating your commitment to delivering high-quality care to patients with serious, often life-threatening neurological conditions.
Resources
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Kent, K. M. (2019). Neuroscience Certification Review for Nurses. New York, NY: Springer Publishing.
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American Board of Neuroscience Nursing (ABNN). Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse (CNRN®) 2020 Candidate Handbook. PDF
