Wound Care Certification Practice Test

The Wound Care Certification (WCC) exam is offered by the National Alliance of Wound Care and Ostomy (NAWCO) as a way to measure a candidate’s theoretical and practical knowledge about wound care management. It is usually an additional certification you can get on top of the standard wound care license to demonstrate advanced-level competency.

Click “Start Test” above to take a free Wound Care Certification practice test!

Exam Eligibility

To be eligible for the exam, you must meet the following license, education, and experience requirements:

License Requirement

For the license requirement, you must hold any one of the following valid and unrestricted licenses:

• RN
• LPN/LVN
• NP
• PA
• PTA
• OT
• OTA
• MD
• DO
• DPM

Education Requirement

For the education requirement, you must meet one of the following two options:

• You must graduate from a skin and wound management course that meets certification criteria
• You must hold a current and active CWOCN, CWON, CWCN, or CWS certification

Experience Requirement

For the education requirement, you must meet one of the following two options:

• You must complete at least 120 hours of hands-on clinical training
• You must complete at least two years of full-time or four years of part-time experience with wound care, management, education, or research directly related to wound care

Wound Care Certification Exam Outline

The WCC exam contains 110 multiple-choice questions, 10 of which are unscored, and you will be given a time limit of 2 hours. The unscored questions are used to evaluate questions for future versions of the exam, and you will not know which questions are scored or unscored.

The exam is split into seven content domains, and each domain contains a set of objectives.

1. Assessment (27%)

• Assess wound etiology and status
• Interpret lab results
• Assess nutritional status
• Assess the patient’s psychosocial history
• Assess the patient’s history and co-morbidities
• Assess the patient’s pain
• Conduct risk assessments
• Assess cognitive and functional status
• Analyze skin integrity across the patient’s lifespan

2. Treatment (25%)

• Provide wound treatments
• Identify and recommend appropriate dressings and resources
• Identify and recommend adjunctive therapies
• Recommend further diagnostics
• Recommend appropriate support surfaces
• Make referrals
• Identify product categories and their functions
• Identify signs and symptoms of infection

3. Re-Evaluation (16%)

• Evaluate treatment choices
• Evaluate effectiveness of treatment plan
• Reassess the patient’s treatment tolerance
• Evaluate the progression of wound healing
• Describe the phases of wound healing

4. Education (7%)

• Educate the patient and their family
• Educate the interprofessional team members
• Determine health literacy of the patient and their family

5. Administration (7%)

• Make evidence-based protocol recommendations
• Recommend treatment plan based on facility processes
• Collect and analyze data
• Collaborate with other entities

6. Legal (6%)

• Document wound characteristics and treatment plan
• Identify legal and regulatory issues
• Apply legal concepts to the wound care practice

7. Risk and Prevention (12%)

• Identify risk and prevention for impaired skin integrity
• Utilize risk assessment findings to identify preventative measures
• Identify indications for products or treatments
• Identify at-risk populations and appropriate interventions

Exam Registration

To register for the exam, you must first submit an application to NAWCO via their website. Your application must include any necessary transcripts and eligibility verification documents, as well as the $395 examination fee.

Once your application is approved, you will receive an authorization to test (ATT) and instructions on how to schedule your exam appointment.

WCC Online Prep Course

If you want to be fully prepared, Mometrix offers an online WCC prep course designed to give you everything you need to succeed!

Here’s what you’ll find in the WCC course:

Everyone learns differently, so we’ve tailored the WCC online prep course to ensure every learner has what they need to prepare for the WCC exam.

Click below to check it out!

Test Day

In-person Testing

You should arrive 15-30 minutes early at the testing center on exam day, which will leave time for the check-in process to take place. This process involves checking your ID and signing a confidentiality form.

Once you are checked in, you will be asked to place all personal or prohibited items in a secure locker outside the testing area, and you will be given a piece of scratch paper and two pencils to take notes with during the exam.

Once you are ready, the proctor will lead you to the testing station and provide a brief introduction to the testing system before the exam begins.

Live Remote Proctoring

Before you check in for your test, you must clear your table/desk of electronics, resource materials, books, and recording devices. The only things allowed in your testing area are one piece of scratch paper and two pencils.

The remote proctor will first ask you to show your ID. They will then ask you to scan your room with your webcam to show that you have no prohibited items in the area.

Once the proctor is satisfied that the remote testing requirements are met, they will walk you through the examination process and help you begin your exam.

How the Exam is Scored

A group of subject matter experts determines the passing score for the WCC exam. The SME panel makes an evaluation of the standard necessary to find candidates with a sufficient degree of expertise and knowledge for the role. Therefore, the test results are evaluated against a predetermined benchmark.

Your score report, which simply denotes your pass or fail status, will be provided to you at the end of the exam.

Retaking the Exam

If you fail the exam, you may take it again up to three more times within two years of your original testing date. After that, you must wait a full calendar year before taking the exam again.

FAQs