Fees and Procedures

Exam Fees:

The exam fee for the Acute Care CPNP® Exam is $385, which includes a $130 nonrefundable registration fee. The PNCB requires a completed application with payment as the first step in applying to take the Exam. We are unable to match your supporting documentation without the receipt of application and payment.

The fee for re-examination/re-application is $310, which is not refundable. Unsuccessful candidates may repeat the Acute Care CPNP® Exam provided they meet the PNCB's eligibility criteria at the time they apply for re-examination. Opportunities for re-examination will be based upon the number of available exam forms. Candidates will not be allowed to repeat the test using the same exam form. Effective March 1, 2010, the PNCB will be transitioning to a new testing vendor, Prometric. As of March 1, 2010, Acute Care PNP exam candidates who do not pass will have the opportunity to retest after a 90-day waiting period following a previous unsuccessful exam attempt. The candidate must wait to reapply until they receive their official PNCB exam results. A new 90-day testing period will then be assigned.

Payment. The PNCB accepts the following online payment methods: credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express), electronic check, check voucher for paper check and money orders. If paying by voucher, your application is not complete until payment is received and processed.

Exam Policies:

Your candidate handbook explains all policies concerning:

• Exam Withdrawal or Cancellation
• Failure to Show ("No Show")
• Testing Period Extension (One time only)
• Exam Rescheduling
• Exam Fee Refund

For procedures and policies on any of the above, please see your Computer-based Testing Handbook, and our fee and refund policy page.

Please note: For testing period extensions, at no time will your testing period be more than 90 days. Once you apply for the extension, your 90-day testing window will begin soon after your request for an extension is approved. Many people incorrectly interpret this to mean that applying for an extension grants them 180 days to take the exam. To extend your testing period, click here. This fee is $150.

PNCB Certificant Code of Ethics

To support excellence in nursing practice, the PNCB assumes that every nurse certified by this organization will uphold and adhere to the Certificant Code of Ethics.

Appeals:

An appeals process is available to candidates who wish to contest an adverse decision or proposed action affecting his or her application for certification, exam results or recertification. The Executive Committee of the Board of Directors hears all candidate appeals. All proposed remedies and decisions of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors are final.

Procedure: A request for review and consideration an adverse action (e.g. exam failure) must be submitted in writing to the PNCB Director of Customer Service within 20 business days following the date of the adverse decision (post-marked) to the individual. All requests for appeal should clearly outline all reasons and rationale for appeal. Individuals seeking appeal of any decision should attempt to provide all necessary data in support of the appeal and set forth any new or additional information to be considered by the Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee of the Board of Directors will hear all appeal requests within 20 business days of receipt of the appeal request. The Executive Committee will investigate the appeal request, seeking opinions from psychometric and testing experts, attorneys and other resources as necessary. Specific requests for review of exam results will be managed among PNCB professional staff and psychometric consultants to the PNCB. Based on this investigation, the Executive Committee may decide to uphold an initial decision or may take other appropriate action with regards to the appeal request. The Executive Committee will notify all individuals in writing of the decision of the Executive Committee within 15 business days following the date of the appeal review. Notification will be sent by registered or certified mail.

All PNCB policies and requirements are subject to change without notice.

All fees are subject to change without notice.