CPNP-PCRecertification · 2026 guide · checked Nov 7, 2026
CPNP-PC recertification, year by year
Facts read from pncb.org and 1 more · last checked Nov 7, 2026
The other credentials in this hub renew every three, four or five years. PNCB renews every year, adds a few requirements that must be met somewhere inside each seven years, and prices the yearly application by the month you file it.
Practice questions
60 questions written to the CPNP-PC outline; each choice is explained once you pick.
Start the CPNP-PC practice testExam rules and dates- Questions
- 175150 scored
- Time
- 3 h
- Cut score
- 400 of 800 (scaled)
- Exam fee
- $407
- Pass rate
- 80.7% (2024)
- Valid for
- 1 year (7-year cycle)
Figure 1.Test content outline: 150 scored questions, one mark each
Oct 2023 · checked Nov 7, 2026- I. Health Maintenance and Promotion45 Q · 30%
- II. Assessment and Diagnosis52 Q · 35%
- III. Management45 Q · 30%
- IV. Leadership, Ethics, and Practice Management8 Q · 5%
PNCB renewal facts with sources
source [1]| Fact | Value | Source | Read on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certification period | Renewed every year within a 7-year cycle | PNCB [1] | |
| Keeping it current | Every year: an active license, 15 contact hours or 2 Pediatric Updates modules, and the fee; across each 7 years: 4 Pediatric Updates modules and 15 hours of pediatric pharmacologyOpen enrollment runs November 1 to January 31; certification expires February 28. The first renewal falls in the enrollment after the year you pass. | PNCB [1] | |
| Renewal fee | $21 with 2 Pediatric Updates modules, $111 with 15 contact hours (2025–26 enrollment)November early-bird prices are $0 and $90; February late prices are $141 and $231.2025–26 price list; the new enrollment opened November 1 (read Nov 7, 2026) | PNCB [1] |
The yearly window
Open enrollment runs November 1 to January 31, and every wallet card shows a February 28 expiration. A November application gets the early-bird price; February 1–28 is still allowed, with a late fee (Recertification Guide 2026, p. 7).
The first renewal is not in the year you pass. PNCB's own example: pass in June 2025, skip the window that opens that November, and recertify for the first time between November 1, 2026 and January 31, 2027 (p. 10).
What each year asks for
- An active, unencumbered nursing license.
- 15 contact hours related to pediatric advanced practice, or accepted equivalents.
- The application fee.
The hours can be mixed (guide, pp. 10–11):
- Accredited contact hours: earned within 24 months before you apply.
- Pediatric Updates modules: 7.5 hours each, so two modules cover the year.
- Clinical work: at least 200 practice hours in the past 12 months count as 5 contact hours, and 400 as 10; practice hours can make up at most 10 of the 15.
- Academic credit, and professional practice linkages such as precepting, authorship, presentations or quality projects, up to 10 hours a year.
- A year off from hours: a record review year stands in for the yearly contact hours once in each 7-year cycle, meant for a year when a major life event puts the hours out of reach. It does not waive the modules, so late in the cycle, with modules still owed, it cannot be used (guide, p. 15).
The seven-year competency cycle
Inside each seven-year cycle, two further requirements must be completed (guide, p. 9):
- Four Pediatric Updates modules: two from the primary care set and two of your choice. Each is an open-book literature review with 35 to 40 online questions, and counts only with a score of 70% or higher (p. 12).
- 15 contact hours of pediatric pharmacology. A pharmacology module can count toward this and toward your choice modules at once.
Dual acute and primary care certificants have a larger module requirement; check the guide's dual section rather than this list.
Fees by method and month
From the 2025–26 price list for primary care pediatric NPs (guide, p. 9). PNCB opened the 2026–27 enrollment on November 1, so confirm the price on your account before paying.
- Two Pediatric Updates modules: $21 from December to January.
- 15 hours of accepted activity: $111 from December to January.
- One module plus 7.5 hours: $69 ($48 in November, $189 late).
- Record review year: $90 ($69 in November, $210 late), allowed once per 7-year cycle.
- Early bird in November: $0 / $90 for modules or hours.
- Late, February 1–28: $141 / $231.
Advice written for CPNs leaves half out
PNCB certifies more pediatric RNs (CPN) than primary care NPs, by its 2024 statistics. The CPN renews with the same yearly 15 hours but has no seven-year module or pharmacology requirement, so advice written for CPNs leaves out half of what an NP owes (guide, p. 9).
If you also hold an NPCB or ANCC credential
Some pediatric NPs add a family credential. Those renew on their boards' own five-year terms, described on NPCB recertification and ANCC renewal. Check each board's rules before counting one set of hours twice; the Pediatric Updates modules and the January deadline apply only to PNCB.
Other pages for this exam
- CPNP-PCPNCB pediatric primary care NP board: meaning, format, scale, fees
- CPNP-PC practice test60 pediatric primary care questions in PNCB proportions, every option explained
- CPNP-PC exam factsFormat, PSI-only delivery, 90-day window, eligibility, scoring, retests
- CPNP-PC costExam fee, optional PNCB practice tools, retest, extension, yearly renewal
- CPNP-PC study guideStudy plan by PNCB item counts, the 21 categories, named tools and procedures
PNCB renewal, quick answers
Is a new exam needed to renew a pediatric NP credential?
No. PNCB renews by yearly application with 15 hours or accepted equivalents, plus the modules and pharmacology hours due within each seven-year cycle.
What happens if I miss January 31?
You can still file from February 1 to 28, at the late price. The credential expires on February 28.
Do Pediatric Updates modules count as contact hours?
Yes. Each completed module is worth 7.5 accredited hours, so two in one year meet the yearly 15 and also count toward the four modules of the cycle.
Sources
all read Nov 7, 2026- [1]PNCB: Recertification Guide 2026 (PDF) pncb.org read Nov 7, 2026