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Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) Certification Examination
The Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) certification examination is an entry-level, competency-based computer-based exam from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB, doing business as the Nurse Practitioners Certification Board) assessing clinical knowledge in family/individual care across the life span; it consists of 150 multiple-choice questions (135 scored) taken in 3 hours at Prometric test centers.
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Questions150 multiple-choice questions, of which 135 are scored and 15 are unscored pretest questions
Testing time3 hours
ScoringPassing score established by recognized standard-setting methodology; no numeric cut score is published and scores are not reported as a percentage of correct answers
Exam feeUSD 315 non-member / USD 240 AANP member for the FNP certification examination; the retake fee is the same, and AANP/AAENP members receive a $75 discount on certification applications
Prep options
Study resources for AANPCB FNP
Independent prep
Courses and study resources
Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- AANPCB
- Category
- Nurse Practitioner Certification
- Current version
- Current specification; no public version label
- Where it applies
- United States — national
- Exam languages
- English
- Testing provider
- Prometric
- Format
- Computer-based exam delivered at Prometric testing centers; candidates schedule through their NPCB account after receiving an Authorization to Test
- Availability
- Testing year-round by appointment; after eligibility is confirmed candidates receive a 120-day testing window to schedule and complete the examination
- Results
- Preliminary pass/fail result immediately after completing the exam; official score notification released by NPCB after all requirements are met (FAQ cites score report letters within 3–5 business days)
Exam structure
One 150-item multiple-choice exam (135 scored) laid out on two domain parameters. Domain I, Practice process: Assess (43 items, 32%), Diagnose (36, 27%), Plan (36, 27%), Evaluate (20, 15%). Domain II, Patient Age by developmental parameters: Newborn (3), Infant (4), Toddler (5), Child (6), Adolescent (12), Young Adult (30), Middle Adult (35), Older Adult (40). 15 additional items are unscored pretest questions.
Where rules vary
National U.S. nurse practitioner certification examination; eligibility requires current, active professional nurse licensure in the United States or a U.S. territory
Eligibility
Completion of an accredited graduate, postgraduate, or doctoral FNP program including the three APRN core graduate courses (advanced physical assessment, advanced pharmacology, advanced pathophysiology), a minimum of 500 faculty-supervised direct patient care clinical hours, and current active professional nurse licensure in the United States or a U.S. territory
Retake policy
Candidates who do not pass may reapply to take the exam after receiving their official score notification; FNP candidates may test up to three times per calendar year