Your CCRN exam-day checklist.

You know your ICU practice cold. Don't let logistics cost you the day. Tap each item to check it off — nothing here is graded, it's just so nothing catches you by surprise.

Checklist progress

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📋 Before you apply

Confirm your clinical-hour eligibilityCCRN requires documented direct-care hours with acutely/critically ill patients. Verify you meet the current AACN thresholds before you apply.

Apply through AACN and get your authorizationSubmit the application, pay, and wait for the go-ahead to schedule your testing window.

Schedule your test dateBook a testing-center appointment that gives you enough runway to finish studying without cramming.

🗓️ The week before

Do a test-center dry runKnow the drive, parking, and traffic at your appointment time.

Taper, don't cramLight review and a couple of full 150-item simulations. Drill your weakest domains (often the Endo/Heme/GI/Renal bucket and Professional Caring).

Check your ID nowYou need a valid, unexpired, government-issued photo ID whose name matches your AACN registration exactly.

🌙 The night before

Stop studying by eveningYour score is already set by now. Rest protects it.

Lay out your ID and confirmationBy the door, so morning-you can't forget them.

SleepA rested brain reads dense ICU stems and waveforms far more accurately.

🎒 What to bring

Your government-issued photo IDName must match your registration exactly. This is the one thing you cannot test without.

Comfortable layersTest rooms run cold. A sweater you can remove is ideal.

Leave behind: phones, smartwatches, notes, and study materials. Everything goes in a locker; the center provides scratch material — you bring nothing to the desk.

🏫 At the testing center

Arrive 30+ minutes earlyLate arrival can forfeit your appointment and fee.

Expect check-in securityID check, signature, photo, and a locker for your belongings. It's routine — don't let it rattle you.

Do the tutorialA short walkthrough of the test interface runs before the clock on scored items starts.

🧠 During the exam

Pace at ~72 seconds per item150 questions in 3 hours. You can flag and review, but don't sink into any one item.

Find the primary problemCCRN stems are dense with data. Zero in on the finding that drives the decision.

Answer the AACN wayChoose the guideline/Synergy-Model response, not a unit-specific habit.

Don't skip Professional CaringIt's 20% of the exam — advocacy, ethics, end-of-life, collaboration. Give those items the same care as the clinical ones.

✅ After the exam

Breathe — you're doneMany AACN computer-based exams show a preliminary result at the center; the official result and certificate follow.

Note your renewal timelineOnce certified, plan for renewal (continuing education / practice hours) so the credential doesn't lapse.

Walk in knowing you're ready.

The best exam-day calm comes from a green readiness score the week before.

Start practicing free

General guidance only — always follow the official instructions from AACN and your testing center for your appointment.