The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) enhances distinction in the practice of nursing by offering nursing certifications in over 25 different specialty areas, all requiring knowledge and skills not taught at nursing schools. Exams are included for Nurse Practitioners as well as clinical nurse specialists. The process of certification is a voluntary process by which a healthcare professional validates his/her knowledge by completing an examination that is designed to test a specialized body of expertise.
Available ANCC Certifications
Nurse Practitioners
Acute Care – Adult Nurse Practitioner – Adult Psychiatric and Mental Health- Advanced Diabetes Management – Family Nurse Practitioner – Family Psychiatric and Mental Health – Gerontology Nurse Practitioner – Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Clinical Nurse Specialists
Adult Health – Adult Psychiatric/ Mental Health – Advanced Diabetes Management – Child/Adolescent Psychiatric and Mental Health – Gerontology – Pediatric -Public/Community Health
Other Advanced Specialties
Nursing Administration – Registered Dietician in Advanced Diabetes Management – Registered Pharmacist – Advanced Diabetes Management
Specialty Nurses
Ambulatory Care – Cardiac Vascular – Gerontology – Informatics – Med/Surgical Nursing Administration – Case Management – Nursing Professional Development – Pain Management – Pediatric – Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse
Any candidate who applies to take a certification exam must meet all the eligibility requirements of that exam. The exams are given at selected test sites across the country either by computer or by pencil and paper. There are a total of 175 test questions on each exam, of which only one hundred fifty are scored. Twenty-five of the questions are test questions that are being validated for use on future versions of the exams and are not scored.
You are allotted a total of three and one-half hours to take the exam. The exam is in multiple-choice format and covers basic elements of nursing practice in that particular specialty. There is a handbook available free of charge for download from the ANCC website for each specialty exam. These handbooks contain the eligibility requirements, a list of reading resources, as well as a test content outline. The candidate should keep the manual handy throughout the entire certification process and refer to it often as well as use it to plan and direct study.