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NP Board Prep

FNP-Cregistration · checked Nov 7, 2026

Registering for the FNP-C, step by step

Facts read from aanpcert.org and 2 more · last checked Nov 7, 2026

Applications go to NPCB, not to AANP, at any time of year. The Authorization to Test, sent after your program completion date once eligibility is confirmed, opens a 120-day window.

Practice questions

60 questions written to the FNP-C outline; each choice is explained once you pick.

Start the FNP-C practice testStudy guide
Questions
150135 scored
Time
3 h
Cut score
Pass/fail cut score
Exam fee
$315
Pass rate
81% (2025)
Valid for
5 years

Figure 1.Test content outline: 135 scored questions, one mark each

2024 blueprint · checked Nov 7, 2026
  1. I. Assess43 Q · 32%
  2. II. Diagnose36 Q · 27%
  3. III. Plan36 Q · 27%
  4. IV. Evaluate20 Q · 15%

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9 more listed · every exam by population

Registration facts, each with its source

sources [1]–[8]
Table 1. FNP-C: each fact with its source[1]–[8]
FactValueSourceRead on
Who can applyActive US RN license and a graduate, post-graduate or DNP family NP program with at least 500 faculty-supervised direct patient care clinical hoursAdvanced pathophysiology, advanced health assessment and advanced pharmacology must be separate courses.NPCB [1]
Scheduling windowApply year-round; the Authorization to Test (ATT), sent after the program completion date once eligibility is confirmed, opens a 120-day testing windowOne eligibility reset is allowed within a year of the original application, for a $75 non-refundable fee.NPCB [1][2][3]
Testing sitePrometric test center, on computerThe handbook and FAQ list no remote-proctored option. Deployed candidates, or candidates with no Prometric center nearby, are asked to email NPCB.NPCB [1][3]
Other chargesRescheduling 5–29 days before the test costs $50 (Prometric); later changes, no-shows and arrivals over 30 minutes late forfeit the feeRescheduling 30 or more days ahead is free. Withdrawal before scheduling refunds the fee minus $120. Primary-source verification for employers costs $50; state boards are not charged.NPCB [3]
Exam fee$315, or $240 for AANP membersAANP members (AAENP members for the ENP exam) get $75 off. A retake costs the same.NPCB [4]
Questions on the exam150 multiple-choice questionsOf these, 135 count and 15 are pretest items that carry no score.NPCB [1]
Questions that count135 scored questionsNPCB [1][5]
Item formatMultiple choice, one answerThe handbook does not say how many options a question has.NPCB [1]
Seat time3 hoursNPCB [1]
Pass standardA cut score set by standard setting; NPCB does not report scores as a percentageThe current handbook prints no scale. The 2023 handbook described a scaled score of 200–800 with 500 to pass.NPCB [1]
ResultA preliminary pass or fail appears on screen when you finish; NPCB makes it official laterA score letter arrives by email within 3–5 business days; the wall certificate is mailed within 3 weeks of release.NPCB [1][3]
RetestingReapply after the official score; up to 3 attempts per calendar year, each at the full feeThe third attempt was added in January 2026; other NPCB exams allow 2. The 2026 handbook sets no CE requirement, but one answer in NPCB’s FAQ still asks for 15 CE hours before a retest; confirm in your score letter.NPCB [1][3]
Certification period5 yearsNPCB [6][7]
Keeping it currentEvery 5 years: 1,000 NP practice hours plus 100 continuing education hours (25 in pharmacology), or pass the exam againUp to 120 precepting hours can replace up to 25 non-pharmacology CE hours. A retired status was added in 2026.NPCB [6]
Blueprint in use2024 FNP Examination BlueprintNPCB [1][5]
Recent changesThe 2024 blueprint cut Evaluate from 22% to 15% and raised Assess from 27% to 32%; since January 2026 candidates get 3 attempts a year instead of 2The 2021–2023 blueprint had 10 age bands, including prenatal as its own band.NPCB · AANPCB [3][5][8]

Program, license and coursework

  • Program, hours and license: Active US RN license and a graduate, post-graduate or DNP family NP program with at least 500 faculty-supervised direct patient care clinical hours.
  • Applying before final transcripts: an unofficial transcript is accepted to apply.
  • Coursework: advanced pathophysiology, advanced health assessment and advanced pharmacology, each as its own course, as quoted in the table.

If you trained as an adult-gerontology NP, this is not your exam: NPCB's AGNP-C and ANCC's AGPCNP-BC cover that population. Family graduates can also take ANCC's FNP-BC instead (see AANP vs ANCC).

Applying online

  1. Create an account in the board's online portal and choose the family exam.
  2. Upload the documents the handbook lists and pay the fee of $315, or $240 with an AANP membership ID, as of November 2026.
  3. Watch your email, spam folder included, for the Authorization to Test (ATT). The 120-day window starts then, not when you submit or when you are approved.

Booking and moving a Prometric date

You schedule through your NPCB account, following the instructions in the ATT, and Prometric delivers the exam. Moving the appointment is free well ahead of time; closer in it becomes a $50 late reschedule, and last-minute changes, or missing the appointment, forfeit the whole exam fee. The day-by-day thresholds are in the table above.

Testing happens only at a Prometric test center.

The exam itself

  • Length: 150 questions; 135 count toward the result, and 15 are pretest items that carry no score.
  • Time: 3 hours.
  • Item type: multiple choice, one correct answer per question.
  • Content: the 2024 blueprint, by clinical task and patient age (weights and section pages).

Blueprint version

The 2024 FNP Examination Blueprint is in force. Its task weights are Assess 32%, Diagnose 26.5%, Plan 26.5% and Evaluate 15%. A study plan built on those weights is on the study guide.

Results on the day and after

At the test center: preliminary result on screen, which becomes final only when the board releases it; letter and certificate timing are in the table. Cut-score mechanics and pass rates by year are on passing score and pass rates.

If you need another attempt

Retest rule: Reapply after the official score; up to 3 attempts per calendar year, each at the full fee. The recent-changes row of the table shows when this allowance was raised.

After you pass: renewal

The certification lasts 5 years. Renewal options, hours and CE are covered once, for every credential of this board, on recertification.

FNP-C questions for the weeks before your date

Study on a phone

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FNP-C pages beyond registration

Registration, quick answers

Do I register with AANP or with NPCB?

With the certification board. AANP membership only matters for the reduced fee.

What happens if my testing window runs out?

The window does not extend by itself. One eligibility reset is allowed within a year of the original application, for a fee; the scheduling-window row of the table above has the terms.

Can I take the exam at home?

No. The handbook and FAQ list only Prometric test centers.

Sources

all read Nov 7, 2026
  1. [1]NPCB: FNP Candidate Handbook, June 4, 2026 (PDF), pp. 1, 3, 6–10, 14–17 aanpcert.org read Nov 7, 2026
  2. [2]NPCB: Exam overview aanpcert.org read Nov 7, 2026
  3. [3]NPCB: Certification FAQ aanpcert.org read Nov 7, 2026
  4. [4]NPCB: Certify, application fees aanpcert.org read Nov 7, 2026
  5. [5]NPCB: FNP certification page, 2024 FNP Examination Blueprint aanpcert.org read Nov 7, 2026
  6. [6]NPCB: FNP Renewal Handbook, June 4, 2026 (PDF), pp. 6–9 aanpcert.org read Nov 7, 2026
  7. [7]NPCB: home page aanpcert.org read Nov 7, 2026
  8. [8]AANPCB: AGNP, FNP and PMHNP Candidate Handbook, 2023 edition (PDF, archived Dec 24, 2023), pp. 16–17, 29 web.archive.org read Nov 7, 2026