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United States · Certification exam

ACNP certification: the two acute care exams

An acute care nurse practitioner (ACNP) trained in adult-gerontology can certify with the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). Both exams are for graduates of an adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner program, and the two lead to different credentials.

  • 80%ANCC’s AGACNP-BC pass rate, 2025
  • $385AACN’s exam fee for non-members
  • AGACNP-BC or ACNPC-AGCredential, depending on the board
Where to study

Updated November 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

What is an ACNP?

AACN describes ACNPs as nurse practitioners educated at the graduate level to give continuous, comprehensive care to acutely ill adult-gerontology patients: young adults, older adults and the frail elderly. Their patients have an episodic illness, a flare-up of a chronic illness or a terminal illness.

The ANCC route: AGACNP-BC

ANCC’s exam leads to AGACNP-BC, Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner-Board Certified. You need an active registered nurse license and a master’s, post-graduate certificate or Doctor of Nursing Practice in adult-gerontology acute care, from a program accredited by one of the three nursing accreditors ANCC names, with at least 500 faculty-supervised clinical hours.

Its fees and retest rules are on the ANCC page.

ANCC’s format, fees and retests →

The AACN route: ACNPC-AG

AACN Certification Corporation awards ACNPC-AG. You need an active, unencumbered US registered nurse or advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) license, meaning one with no formal discipline or practice limits, and a graduate adult-gerontology ACNP program at a nationally accredited school of nursing.

The exam has 175 multiple-choice items, 150 of them scored, and you get 3½ hours, the same length as ANCC’s exam. You can skip, mark and come back to items. It’s given by computer at more than 300 PSI test sites across the US.

AACN members pay $275. AACN says the exam is accepted for APRN licensure or designation in all states, and the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification accredits it.

AACN: ACNPC-AG certification ↗

Renewing ACNPC-AG

ACNPC-AG lasts five years. AACN lists three ways to renew:

  • 1,000 practice hours and 150 continuing education points
  • 1,000 practice hours, the exam and 25 pharmacology continuing education points
  • 150 continuing education points and the exam
Renewing ANCC certification →
Sources: ANCC · AACN Certification Corporation and 1 more. Checked November 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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The two boards

AANPCB examsANCC examsAANPCB vs ANCC

After you pass

RenewalVerification