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Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) Examination
The Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) examination is BCEN's foundational specialty nursing certification exam for registered nurses working in emergency care settings.
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Questions175 items: 150 scored plus 25 unscored pretest items
Testing time3 hours (180 minutes total seat time)
ScoringAt least 99 of the 150 scored items answered correctly to pass (raw score; Angoff-based cut score that BCEN may revise after future role delineation studies)
Exam feeUSD 380 initial exam (USD 285 with Emergency Nurses Association membership; USD 195 military discount); USD 200 retest within one year of the initial exam
Prep options
Study resources for CEN
Independent prep
Courses and study resources
Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- BCEN
- Category
- Specialty Nursing Certification
- Current version
- 2025 CEN Examination Content Outline, effective July 2026
- Where it applies
- International / multi-country
- Exam languages
- English
- Testing provider
- PSI (PSI Exams)
- Format
- Computer-based; delivered at PSI testing centers or at home via Live Remote Proctoring (LRP)
- Availability
- By appointment within a 90-day eligibility window after application approval; no walk-ins
- Results
- Pass/fail score report with content-area raw-score breakdown provided in writing at the test center and emailed immediately after the exam; live-remote-proctor examinees see PASS or FAIL on screen
- Credential validity
- A passing result confers CEN certification for four years
- Remote testing
- Available
Exam structure
One exam of 150 scored items across 11 emergency nursing content areas: Cardiovascular Emergencies (18 items), Respiratory Emergencies (17), Neurological Emergencies (17), Gastrointestinal Emergencies (14), Genitourinary/Gynecology/Obstetrical Emergencies (10), Mental Health Emergencies (13), Medical Emergencies (15), Musculoskeletal and Wound Emergencies (11), Head/Eye/Ear/Nose/Throat Emergencies (10), Environment and Toxicology Emergencies and Communicable Diseases (13), and Professional Issues (12); plus 25 unscored pretest items.
Where rules vary
Eligibility requires a current, unrestricted RN license in the United States, a U.S. territory, Canada, or Australia (or a verified foreign equivalent), so the exam identity spans those countries; the exam itself is delivered in English worldwide at PSI test centers or via live remote proctoring. Content reflects U.S. emergency nursing practice.
Eligibility
Current, unrestricted Registered Nurse license in the United States, a U.S. territory, Canada, or Australia (or a CGFNS/TruMerit-verified foreign equivalent); two years of emergency department experience recommended but not required
Retake policy
Unlimited attempts with a 90-day waiting period between attempts; discounted retest fee available up to one year after the initial exam