Gerontological Nurse Practice Test

To become an RN – BC, you must first pass an ANCC gerontological nursing board certification exam. This is to ensure that you have the clinical knowledge and skills of an RN in the gerontological specialty. After passing this exam you will receive your official credential as an RN – BC or Registered Nurse- Board Certified. This is valid for 5 years. To maintain your license by meeting renewal requirements at the time of your renewal.

Who is Eligible?

Those who wish to take this exam should have:

• A current and active RN license
• Practiced at least two full years as a registered nurse
• A minimum of 2000 clinical practice hours in the gerontological specialty within the last three years
• Completed at least 30 hours of continuing education in gerontological nursing within the last three years

There is an initial certification fee of $395 for everyone who is not a American Nurses Association member. For those that are members, your fee is $270. This includes a $140 non-refundable administration fee.

Once your application has been approved you will receive notification allowing you to schedule your exam. This must be completed within 90 days from the time of your approval or you risk forfeiting your application fees.

When and Where is it Taken?

This exam can be taken year-round during your 90-day testing window at one of many Prometric locations and a time of your choosing. Space may be limited so scheduling your exam is recommended as early as possible.

What Should I Bring?

Make sure to arrive at least 15 minutes on the day of the test. If you arrive late, you will not be allowed to take your exam and will forfeit all paid fees.

You will need to bring a valid and original form of ID. These must contain your name that matches registration information, your signature, and a recognizable photo. Acceptable forms are found below:

• Driver’s license
• State ID
• Passport
• Military ID

Please make sure not to bring anything else with you into the testing area. The exam is taken on a computer. Therefore, paper, pencils, calculators, and any study material will not be needed. Electronic devices, food and drinks, or any other items are strictly forbidden. If found on your person during the test you will be dismissed from the exam and may not be allowed to retake it.

What is Covered?

The exam is made up of 175 multiple choice questions. 150 of these are scored and the other 25 are used as pretest questions and are not scored. You will be given 3.5 hours to finish the exam.

The exam is broken into five major sections with expected knowledge in the following areas:

• Assessment (26 questions)
  • Data collection
  • Data interpretation

• Plan of Care (35 questions)
  • Planning
  • Implementation
  • Evaluation and outcomes

• Person-centered Care (43 questions)
  • Communication
  • Support

• Professional Practice (21 questions)
  • Legal and Ethical
  • Leadership

• Health Promotion (25 questions)
  • Education
  • Population Health

How is it Scored?

Your score will be reported to you as a pass/fail status as soon as you complete the exam. Your certificate, ANCC pin, and an official letter with your specific 5 year certification period will be mailed to you about four weeks after you have successfully completed it.

If you fail the exam your score report will include a breakdown of each area listed above and percentage of correct answers. Scores are scaled on a range from 0 to 500. You must achieve a scaled score of at least 350 to be considered passing.

Retesting can be completed after 60 days and may not be attempted more than three times in a 12-month period. There is a retesting fee of $270.

Preparation Tips

We want to help make sure that this test taking experience is a success for you. That is why we have prepared a study guide and set of flash cards designed to make sure you have everything you need to know right in your hands.

With these tools you will not only be able to understand the subject matter on the exam but also get to test yourself with sample questions. These questions are formatted and styled in a way that mimics the outline and structure of this exam, giving you a clear picture of what will be expected. See what Mometrix can do for your testing success.

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