How Hard Is the CCRN Exam? Pass Rate, Cut Score, and Format (2026)
About 7 in 10 first-time CCRN (Adult) candidates pass. The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) reports a 72.02% first-time pass rate for 2025 across 17,151 candidates tested, down from 72.74% in 2024 and 81.20% in 2023. As of October 2026, the cut score is 83 correct out of 125 scored items, effective November 12, 2025, which is about 66% of scored items. The exam has 150 items (25 unscored) in a 3 hour window, and 80% of it tests Clinical Judgment. Candidates arrive experienced: Direct Care eligibility requires 1,750 hours of direct care in the previous 2 years or 2,000 hours in the previous 5 years.
Figures current as of October 2026, from AACN’s certification exam statistics page, CCRN Exam Handbook (July 2026), and Certification Exam Policy Handbook (September 2026).
What the Published Pass Rates Show
AACN’s exam statistics page publishes first-time CCRN (Adult) pass rates and the number of candidates tested for each year.
| Year | Candidates tested | First-time pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 17,151 | 72.02% |
| 2024 | 19,483 | 72.74% |
| 2023 | 17,279 | 81.20% |
AACN’s page lists first-time rates only, so it does not show retake pass rates. The 2023 to 2024 drop predates the November 2025 test plan, so do not attribute it to that change.
The Cut Score Is a Number, Not a Percentage
CCRN uses a criterion-referenced modified Angoff process to set its passing point. A Score Evaluation Committee of subject matter experts rates the expected difficulty of every item on the exam, and a psychometrician uses those ratings, under a panel’s guidance, to recommend a raw cut score that AACN Certification Corporation reviews and approves. That cut score is not a fixed “you need 75% correct” figure; it can shift slightly between exam forms as the item pool changes, and it is designed to identify a consistent level of knowledge and skill rather than a consistent percentage of correct answers. In practice, that means you cannot game the exam by aiming for a round percentage. The target is demonstrating an acceptable level of clinical judgment across the full test plan, not clearing an arbitrary score line.
Domain Weights Under the Current Test Plan
AACN revised the Adult CCRN test plan for exams taken on and after November 12, 2025, based on its 2024 Study of Practice (see what’s on the CCRN exam and the 2025 CCRN exam changes for the full breakdown). The current weights spread Clinical Judgment’s 80% across five domains, and the distribution is not even. Endocrine, Hematology/Immunology, GI, Renal/GU, Integumentary is the single largest domain at 21%, a wide-ranging category spanning diabetic emergencies, thyroid and adrenal crises, acute kidney injury, GI bleeding, coagulation disorders, and wound care. Musculoskeletal, Neurological, Behavioral/Psychosocial rose 4 percentage points under the revision, from 14% to 18%, now the second-largest domain. Multisystem sits at 16%, while Cardiovascular (13%) and Respiratory (12%) are the two smallest clinical domains, together a quarter of the exam.
Professional Caring and Ethical Practice, the remaining 20% of the exam, does not test a body system at all. It is organized around AACN’s Synergy Model for Patient Care and covers advocacy and moral agency, caring practices, clinical inquiry, collaboration, facilitation of learning, response to diversity, and systems thinking. A review plan built only around clinical protocols leaves this fifth of the exam uncovered, even though the underlying judgment is one experienced ICU nurses exercise every shift.
Sample Question: How the Exam Tests Clinical Judgment
The Eligibility Bar Is Part of the Difficulty
CCRN eligibility is not a formality. The Direct Care pathway, the most common route, requires 1,750 hours of direct care of acutely or critically ill patients in the previous 2 years, with 875 of those hours in the most recent year, or a minimum of 2,000 hours in the previous 5 years, with 144 of those hours in the most recent year. That threshold means every candidate walking into the exam already has substantial bedside experience with critically ill patients, which raises the practical bar for what counts as a well-prepared candidate compared with an entry-level licensure exam. The exam is measuring whether that experience adds up to a consistent, evidence-based standard of clinical judgment, not testing knowledge in the abstract.
What Happens If You Do Not Pass
AACN allows up to 4 attempts within a rolling 12-month period, and the retest fee is lower than the initial application fee: $185 for members and $290 for nonmembers, as of October 2026, versus $260 and $375 for the first attempt. If more than 12 months pass without a successful attempt, you sign a new honor statement before testing again. Per AACN’s Certification Exam Policy Handbook, the emailed score report includes the number of questions answered correctly in each content area, so a retake can be a targeted review rather than a full restart. None of this changes how hard any single attempt is, but it does mean the structure gives you a defined runway to close a gap rather than one shot. See what happens if you fail the CCRN for the retake steps and how much the CCRN exam costs for the full fee schedule.
Ready to see how the current domain weights show up in real practice questions? Try our CCRN practice test, or start with a free CCRN practice test to gauge where you stand before you apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the CCRN pass rate?
AACN reports a 72.02% first-time pass rate for CCRN (Adult) in 2025 (17,151 candidates tested), 72.74% in 2024 and 81.20% in 2023, per its exam statistics page as of October 2026. The cut score is 83 correct out of 125 scored items, effective November 12, 2025.
Is the CCRN exam harder than a typical nursing exam?
AACN’s statistics page lists a 72.02% first-time CCRN pass rate for 2025, but it publishes no comparable figure for entry-level licensure exams. The eligibility requirement alone, 1,750 hours of direct critical care in the past 2 years or 2,000 hours in 5 years, means every CCRN candidate already has substantial bedside experience, which is not true of entry-level licensure exams.
What makes the CCRN cut score different from a percentage?
AACN uses a modified Angoff process: a panel of subject matter experts rates the expected difficulty of each item, and a psychometrician uses those ratings to set a raw passing point. That cut score can shift slightly between exam forms, unlike a fixed “70% correct” style threshold.
How many times can I retake the CCRN exam if I do not pass?
Up to 4 times within a rolling 12-month period, as of October 2026. The retest fee, $185 for members and $290 for nonmembers, is lower than the initial exam fee.
Sources
- aacn.org, Certification Exam Statistics and Cut Scores
- aacn.org, CCRN Exam Handbook, Direct Care Eligibility Pathway (July 2026)
- aacn.org, Certification Exam Policy Handbook (September 2026)
- aacn.org, CCRN (Adult), Direct Care Eligibility Pathway
- aacn.org, Revised CCRN Certification Exams Launch Nov. 12, 2025
- aacn.org, prior Adult CCRN Test Plan, effective March 25, 2020 (referenced for the weight comparison)
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For educational and exam preparation purposes only. Not a substitute for formal clinical training.
