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CPAN (Certified Post Anesthesia Nurse) Certification Examination

The CPAN (Certified Post Anesthesia Nurse) certification examination is the perianesthesia nursing certification exam of the American Board of Perianesthesia Nursing Certification, Inc. (ABPANC), taken by RNs whose clinical practice is in Postanesthesia Phase I care. It is a three-hour, 185-question multiple-choice exam (140 scored, 45 unscored pretest) delivered by computer at PSI test centers or via online remote proctoring during two eight-week testing windows each year (March 15–May 15 and September 15–November 15); candidates pass with a total scale score of 450 or higher on the 200–800 scale.

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Questions185 multiple-choice questions, of which 140 are scored and 45 are unscored pretest questions being evaluated for use on a future exam (each question lists four choices, only one of which is correct)

Testing time3 hours

ScoringPass requires a total scale score of 450 or higher; the passing point is set by a criterion-referenced passing-point methodology using panels of CPAN/CAPA content experts, and forms are equated for fairness

Exam feeUSD 350 ASPAN member / USD 424 non-member (all fees in USD, credit card only); international candidates USD 350; optional Test Assured retake program USD 50 additional to the exam fee

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Exam overview

What to know before choosing your prep

Who runs it: ABPANC
Category: Specialty Nursing Certification
Current version: CPAN Test Blueprint derived from the 2021 Role Delineation Study, in effect for the 2023–2027 CPAN exams; governed by the CPAN & CAPA Certification Candidate Handbook rev. 0924A (September 2024)
Where it applies: United States — national
Exam languages: English
Score scale: 200–800 scaled score range, passing point fixed at 450
Testing provider: PSI (PSI Services LLC — PSI test centers and online remote proctoring)
Format: Computer-based exam, taken in person at a PSI Test Center or from the candidate's own computer via Online Remote Proctoring
Availability: Two testing windows per year, each eight weeks long: March 15–May 15 and September 15–November 15; registration windows January 1–April 30 and July 1–October 31
Results: Final, official Score Report is received at the test center (or on screen) when the exam is finished or the three-hour time limit lapses; passing candidates then receive an email from ABPANC with instructions to download a certificate and wallet ID card
Credential validity: CPAN certification is valid for a defined period with recertification in a July 1–October 31 recertification window (recertification details are in the separate Recertification Handbook)
Remote testing: Available

Exam structure

Single 3-hour, 185-item four-option multiple-choice exam (140 scored, 45 unscored pretest). CPAN Test Blueprint — five domains with percentage of questions: Perianesthesia Monitoring and Intervention 35%, Anesthesia 24%, Physiology 18%, Perianesthesia Care Considerations 14%, Professional Nursing Practice and Guidelines 9%

Where rules vary

U.S. national nursing specialty certification: eligibility requires a current, unrestricted RN license "in the United States or any of its territories that use the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Licensing Examination (NCLEX) exam as a basis for determining RN licensure"; international candidates may test but must hold a current RN or verified equivalent license and "the CPAN and CAPA certification examinations are based on perianesthesia nursing practice in the United States"

Eligibility

Current, unrestricted (unencumbered) U.S. RN license (or NCLEX-based U.S. territory license, or internationally verified RN equivalent) plus at least 1,200 hours of direct clinical experience in perianesthesia in the two years prior to applying — for the CPAN exam, hours caring for patients in Postanesthesia Phase I; two verifiers must attest to eligibility

Retake policy

The exam may be taken once per exam administration window; a candidate who fails may reapply in the next registration window, and ABPANC does not limit the number of retakes; the optional USD 50 Test Assured program waives the fee for a second attempt within one of the two subsequent exam windows