The ANCC Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) board certification examination is a competency-based examination that provides a valid and reliable assessment of the entry-level clinical knowledge and skills of the FNP. This certification aligns with the Consensus Model for APRN Regulation: Licensure, Accreditation, Certification and Education. Once you complete eligibility requirements to take the certification examination and successfully pass the exam, you are awarded the credential: FNP-BC (Family Nurse Practitioner-Board Certified). This credential is valid for 5 years. You can continue to use this credential by maintaining your license to practice and meeting the renewal requirements in place at the time of your certification renewal.
The Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification (ABSNC) and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) accredit this ANCC certification.
FIRST-TIME APPLICANTS: For faster service, please have your documents available in an electronic format to upload during the application process. If your documents are not available upon application, you may upload them at any time by clicking here.
Pass rate: 85% - Find more information on 2023 ANCC Certification Data by clicking here
See below for instruction and pricing for new and renewal applications.
You may apply for this computer-based test year round and test during a 120-day window at a time and location convenient to you. The exam allows 3.5 hours to answer 175 questions (150 scored plus 25 pretest questions that are not scored). For exam prep resources, scroll down to view Study Aids. If you do not pass a certification exam, learn about retesting.
Review certification pricing and eligibility requirements below. FAQs provide a deeper dive into topics including online application, document submission, APRN and RN specialty certification requirements, and renewal requirements.
Hold a current, active RN license in a state or territory of the United States or hold the professional, legally recognized equivalent in another country
Master’s, Post-graduate certificate, or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Three separate, comprehensive, graduate-level APRN Core courses in:
Content In:
*Candidates may be authorized to sit for the examination after all coursework and faculty-supervised clinical practice hours for the degree are complete, prior to degree conferral and graduation, provided that all other eligibility requirements are met. The Validation of Education (VOE) form and official/unofficial transcripts detailing planning coursework and faculty-supervised clinical hour completion must be submitted before authorization to test (ATT) status will be issued. ANCC will accept unofficial transcripts, which ANCC defines as either a photocopy of a transcript, a comprehensive record of your academic progress or a print out of all work completed, to date, including coursework, grades and degree(s) earned or in progress. Unofficial transcripts allow ANCC to process and review applications for ATT status. ANCC reserves the right to reject any unofficial transcript that appears to be altered.
For candidates in ATT status, ANCC will retain exam results and issue certification only after all eligibility requirements are met, a passing exam result is on file, and on the date the final, degree-conferred official transcript is received.
