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CMSRN Certification Exam
The CMSRN (Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse) certification exam is owned by the Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification Board (MSNCB) and assesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for competent clinical practice in medical-surgical nursing.
Official exam siteJump to prep options ↓
Questions150 multiple-choice questions (125 scored, 25 unscored pilot)
Testing time3 hours
ScoringPassing standard score of 95 (approximately 71% correct of the 125 scored items); cut score set by modified Angoff procedure
Exam feeUSD 394 standard / USD 267 AMSN member for the initial exam (includes a non-refundable USD 90 processing fee); first retake USD 315 standard / USD 189 AMSN member
Prep options
Study resources for CMSRN
Independent prep
Courses and study resources
Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- MSNCB
- Category
- Specialty Nursing Certification
- Current version
- 2023 CMSRN Exam Blueprint (effective May 15, 2023)
- Where it applies
- International / multi-country
- Exam languages
- English
- Testing provider
- Pearson VUE
- Format
- Computer-based, multiple-choice; in person at a Pearson VUE test center or online via OnVUE remote proctoring
- Availability
- Year-round excluding holidays, at Pearson VUE test centers and via OnVUE; exam must be taken within a 90-day Authorization to Test window, one attempt per test period
- Results
- Pass/fail result immediately on completing the exam; detailed online score report in the Pearson VUE candidate portal within 24 hours
- Remote testing
- Available
Exam structure
150 multiple-choice items (125 scored) across five domains: Patient/Care Management (40 items, 32%), Nursing Teamwork and Collaboration (26, 21%), Elements of Interprofessional Care (21, 17%), Holistic Patient Care (19, 15%), and Professional Concepts (19, 15%).
Where rules vary
Primary eligibility is an RN license in the United States, its territories, or Canada; first-level nurses practicing outside the U.S. and Canada may also apply with verified education/license equivalency (CGFNS or WES), and remote proctoring allows testing from any location. Exam content is reflective of U.S. practice, regulations, and culture.
Eligibility
Current unencumbered RN license in the U.S., its territories, or Canada (international first-level nurses eligible with CGFNS/WES equivalency verification) plus 2,000 practice hours in a medical-surgical setting within the past 3 years (1,000 hours for international applicants); two years of med-surg practice recommended
Retake policy
May reapply as soon as MSNCB receives the score and contacts the candidate to reapply; discounted first retake (USD 315 standard / USD 189 AMSN member) available for one year after the first attempt; only one discounted retake before a new full application is required