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Ambulatory Care Nursing Certification (AMB-BC)
The ANCC Ambulatory Care Nursing board certification examination is a competency-based, computer-based exam that assesses entry-level clinical knowledge and skills of registered nurses in the ambulatory care specialty after initial RN licensure; passing it awards the AMB-BC credential, valid for 5 years. The exam presents 150 questions (125 scored plus 25 pretest) in 3 hours at Prometric test centers, with a new Test Content Outline effective September 11, 2026.
Official exam siteJump to prep options ↓
Questions150 questions (125 scored + 25 unscored pretest)
Testing time3 hours
ScoringPass/fail; scaled score of 350 or higher (scale maximum 500) required to pass; minimum passing score set using the Modified Angoff Method (pass/fail reporting corroborated on the HTML Scores & Retest page: "Examination results are pass or fail.")
Exam feeUSD 395 nonmember / USD 295 ANA member / USD 295 AAACN member initial certification (includes USD 140 non-refundable administrative fee; renewal USD 350 nonmember / USD 250 ANA member / USD 295 AAACN member)
Prep options
Study resources for AMB-BC
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Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- ANCC
- Category
- Specialty Nursing Certification
- Current version
- Test Content Outline for exams on or after September 11, 2026 (replaces the outline for exams on or before August 27, 2026; testing suspended August 28 – September 10, 2026 during the update)
- Where it applies
- United States — national
- Exam languages
- English
- Score scale
- Scale with a maximum possible score of 500 (passing scaled score 350)
- Testing provider
- Prometric
- Format
- Computer-based at Prometric test centers (no remote option)
- Availability
- Year-round application; test at a Prometric test center during a 120-day window after Authorization to Test (testing suspended August 28 – September 10, 2026 during the Test Content Outline update)
- Results
- Results provided to ANCC within 24-48 hours after testing; pass/fail reported (wait 5 days after the exam before submitting any retest application)
- Credential validity
- 5 years (AMB-BC credential valid 5 years; renewal by professional development requirements)
- Remote testing
- Not available
Exam structure
One computer-based exam of 150 questions (125 scored + 25 unscored pretest) in a single 3-hour session; content domains are defined in the ANCC Test Content Outline — the new-outline version applies to exams on or after September 11, 2026 (the domain breakdown is published only in the Test Content Outline PDF, not on an accessible official HTML page)
Where rules vary
Exam content reflects U.S. practice; nurses holding a legally recognized equivalent RN license in another country are eligible.
Eligibility
Current, active US RN license (or legally recognized equivalent in another country); 2 years full-time equivalent practice as an RN; minimum 2,000 hours of clinical practice in ambulatory care nursing within the last 3 years; 30 hours of continuing education in ambulatory care nursing within the last 3 years
Retake policy
Retest permitted after 60 calendar days from the last test date; no more than 3 attempts in any 12-month period; retest applications are subject to eligibility requirements in effect at submission