{"id":46348,"date":"2018-11-16T19:27:41","date_gmt":"2018-11-16T19:27:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/?page_id=46348"},"modified":"2026-05-13T14:16:39","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T19:16:39","slug":"cmc-exam","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/cmc-exam\/","title":{"rendered":"CMC<sup>&reg;<\/sup> Certification Practice Test"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Cardiac Medicine Subspecialty Certification (CMC<sup>&reg;<\/sup>) exam is administered by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), which is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world. The CMC examination tests your knowledge of cardiac medicine and cardiac-related processes and procedures.<\/p>\n<p>Click \u201cStart Test\u201d above to take a free CMC practice test, and check out our premium-quality CMC test prep resources by clicking the links below!<\/p>\n<div class=\"buttonlinks\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/studyguides\/cmc\/\" class=\"class_names\" style=\"color:black;\" onclick=\"_paq.push(['trackEvent', 'Guide Button', 'Guide Click', 'CMC Guide Click']);\">CMC Study Guide<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flashcardsecrets.com\/cmc\/\" class=\"class_names\" style=\"color:black;\" onclick=\"_paq.push(['trackEvent', 'Flashcard Button', 'Flashcard Button Click', 'CMC Flashcard Click']);\">CMC Flashcards<\/a><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-page\"><span id=\"CMC_Exam_Eligibility\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>CMC Exam Eligibility<\/h2>\n<p>To be eligible for this exam, you must hold a current RN or APRN license in the United States and meet ONE of the following requirements:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You must have at least <strong>1,750 hours<\/strong> of RN\/APRN practice in direct care of acutely\/critically ill adult patients within the last <strong>two years<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>You must have at least <strong>2,000 hours<\/strong> of RN\/APRN practice in direct care of acutely\/critically ill adult patients within the last <strong>five years<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"pt-page\"><span id=\"CMC_Certification_Exam_Outline\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>CMC Certification Exam Outline<\/h2>\n<p>The CMC Certification exam contains 90 multiple-choice questions, 15 of which are unscored, and you will be given a time limit of 2 hours. The unscored questions are unmarked and spread randomly throughout the exam, so you will not know which questions are scored or unscored. These questions are used to evaluate the quality of questions for future exams.<\/p>\n<p>The exam is split into four sections:<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"I_Cardiovascular_Conditions_(23%25)\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>I. Cardiovascular Conditions (23%)<\/h3>\n<p>The questions in this section are designed to assess your knowledge and skills in the following areas:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cardiac conditions<\/li>\n<li>Vascular conditions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span id=\"II_Noncardiovascular_Conditions_(23%25)\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>II. Non-cardiovascular Conditions (23%)<\/h3>\n<p>The questions in this section are designed to assess your knowledge and skills in the following areas:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Respiratory<\/li>\n<li>Endocrine<\/li>\n<li>Hematology<\/li>\n<li>Neurology<\/li>\n<li>Renal<\/li>\n<li>Multisystem<\/li>\n<li>Behavioral and Psychosocial<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span id=\"III_Therapeutic_Interventions_(39%25)\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>III. Therapeutic Interventions (39%)<\/h3>\n<p>The questions in this section are designed to assess your knowledge and skills in the following areas:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cardiac procedures<\/li>\n<li>Vascular interventions<\/li>\n<li>Cardiovascular pharmacology<\/li>\n<li>Electrophysiologic interventions<\/li>\n<li>Respiratory<\/li>\n<li>Renal<\/li>\n<li>Multisystem<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span id=\"IV_Monitoring_and_Diagnostics_(16%25)\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>IV. Monitoring and Diagnostics (16%)<\/h3>\n<p>The questions in this section are designed to assess your knowledge and skills in the following areas:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cardiovascular<\/li>\n<li>Respiratory<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"sg-box\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sg-box-text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"sg-box-title\"> Check out Mometrix's CMC Study Guide<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get practice questions, video tutorials, and detailed study lessons<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sg-box-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/studyguides\/cmc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Get Your Study Guide<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/studyguides\/cmc\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"184\" height=\"238\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/cmc-22549.jpg\" alt=\" Study Guide\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-page\"><span id=\"Registration\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Registration<\/h2>\n<p>There are two application options for the CMC exam.<\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-left: 20px;\"><strong>Online Application<\/strong><br \/>\nYou may complete the application online, on the AACN website. The application will ask you for your RN or APRN license number and expiration date, as well as contact information for a co-worker or clinical supervisor, who can verify your eligibility. At this time, you must also pay the $235 examination fee ($145 for AACN members).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Paper Application<\/strong><br \/>\nFor applicants applying with a group, taking a paper-and-pencil exam, and\/or testing outside the US, a paper application is required. The application will ask for your RN or APRN license information and an honor statement. At this time, you must also pay the $230 examination fee ($140 for AACN members). Your application will then be processed within 2 to 3 weeks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>After applying, you will receive a confirmation email and an approval-to-test email and postcard from AACN\u2019s testing service, PSI\/AMP. The email and postcard will include an exam identification number, instructions for scheduling the exam, and a 90-day window for scheduling and taking the exam.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pt-page\"><span id=\"Test_Day\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Test Day<\/h2>\n<p>On the day of the exam, you should arrive at the testing center about 30 minutes earlier than the scheduled appointment to allow time for the check-in process. When you arrive, you will need to show a valid, government-issued photo ID. If your ID is invalid or you forget to bring it, you will not be able to take the exam.<\/p>\n<p>Before the exam begins, you will be asked to leave all personal items (cell phone, bags, wallet, food, accessories, etc.) in your car. You will then be asked for your AACN customer number, and a digital photograph of you will be taken.<\/p>\n<p>You will then be given a practice exam to help you familiarize yourself with the computer system. Once the practice exam is complete, the real exam will begin.<\/p>\n<p>You are permitted to take breaks during the exam, but the timer will not be stopped while you are away.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"pt-page\"><span id=\"Scoring\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Scoring<\/h2>\n<p>The CMC exam is scored using the modified Angoff method. This means that AACN panelists are given information such as test results and other panelists\u2019 rating results to determine the cut score. The cut score is a raw number that is based on how the AACN panelists established the difficulty ratings for each question.<\/p>\n<p>To pass the exam, you will need to achieve a cut score of 50.<\/p>\n<p>If you take the computer-based exam, you will receive your score report as soon as you finish the exam. If you take the paper-and-pencil version of the exam, you will receive your score report by mail 6 to 8 weeks after exam day.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"sg-box\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sg-box-text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"sg-box-title\">Check out Mometrix's CMC Flashcards<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get complex  subjects broken down into easily understandable concepts<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"sg-box-button blue-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flashcardsecrets.com\/cmc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Get Your Flashcards<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flashcardsecrets.com\/cmc\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"238\" height=\"184\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/cmcflash.jpg\" alt=\" Flashcards\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"pt-page\"><span id=\"FAQs\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>FAQs<\/h2>\n<p><div class=\"faq-list\">\n<div class=\"qa_wrap\">\n<div class=\"q_item text_bold\">\n<h4 class=\"letter\">Q<\/h4>\n<p style=\"line-height: unset;\">How many questions are on the CMC exam?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a_item\">\n<h4 class=\"letter text_bold\">A<\/h4>\n<p>There are 90 questions on the exam, 15 of which are unscored.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"qa_wrap\">\n<div class=\"q_item text_bold\">\n<h4 class=\"letter\">Q<\/h4>\n<p style=\"line-height: unset;\">How long is the CMC exam?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a_item\">\n<h4 class=\"letter text_bold\">A<\/h4>\n<p>The time limit for the exam is 2 hours.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"qa_wrap\">\n<div class=\"q_item text_bold\">\n<h4 class=\"letter\">Q<\/h4>\n<p style=\"line-height: unset;\">What is the passing score for the CMC exam?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a_item\">\n<h4 class=\"letter text_bold\">A<\/h4>\n<p>To pass the exam, you must achieve a minimum final cut score of 50.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"qa_wrap\">\n<div class=\"q_item text_bold\">\n<h4 class=\"letter\">Q<\/h4>\n<p style=\"line-height: unset;\">How much does the CMC exam cost?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a_item\">\n<h4 class=\"letter text_bold\">A<\/h4>\n<p>The examination fee is $145 for AACN members and $235 for non-members.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<br \/>\n<div itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"author\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Person\" class=\"author-bio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" itemprop=\"image\" class=\"author-image\" height=\"127\" width=\"127\" alt=\"Headshot of Kate Nockunas.\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/tinywow_tinywow_Kate-Nockunas-Cropped-min_24640345_24640389.webp\"><div class=\"author-text\"><p class=\"author-name\">By <span itemprop=\"name\">Kate Nockunas<\/span><\/p><div class=\"author-desc\"><p>Kate has been Mometrix\u2019s Nursing and Medical Editor for over four years. She has a bachelor\u2019s degree in Communications from Vanderbilt University, a bachelor\u2019s degree in Nursing from Marymount University, and a master\u2019s degree in Education from Johns Hopkins. Kate is a critical care registered nurse who still works occasionally in the ICU and PACU.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><div itemscope=\"\" itemprop=\"editor\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Person\" class=\"author-bio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" itemprop=\"image\" class=\"author-image\" height=\"127\" width=\"127\" alt=\"Aaron Lanni profile pic\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image_2024-12-11_124906662.png\"><div class=\"author-text\"><p class=\"author-name\">Edited by <span itemprop=\"name\">Aaron Lanni<\/span><\/p><div class=\"author-desc\"><p>Aaron is the content manager and lead editor for Mometrix Academy. He regularly produces, updates, proofreads, and edits content to ensure it meets Mometrix\u2019s quality and accessibility standards.<\/p>\n<\/div><p class=\"alignright author-desc author-link\"><a class=\"ylist\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/editorial-guidelines\/\">Learn more about our editorial guidelines<\/a> \u2192<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n<div class=\"home-buttons\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/nursing-certification\/\">Nursing Certifications &#8211; Home<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"disclaimer\">CMC is a registered trademark of AACN Certification Corporation, which is not affiliated with Mometrix Test Preparation and does not endorse this page.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Cardiac Medicine Subspecialty Certification (CMC&reg;) exam is administered by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), which is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world. The CMC examination tests your knowledge of cardiac medicine and cardiac-related processes and procedures. Click \u201cStart Test\u201d above to take a free CMC practice test, and check out &#8230; <a title=\"CMC&reg; Certification Practice Test\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/cmc-exam\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about CMC&reg; Certification Practice Test\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":205241,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-46348","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"page_category-nursing-certifications","7":"page_type-exam-overview","8":"page_domain-aacn-cmc"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/46348","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46348"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/46348\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":294284,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/46348\/revisions\/294284"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/205241"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46348"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}