ANCC Exam Retake Policy: When You Can Retest and What It Takes
Under the ANCC exam retake policy, if you don't pass an ANCC certification exam, you can test again after 60 calendar days from the date you last tested. You can't test more than three times in any 12-month period, and your first attempt counts toward that limit. Each retest needs approval of a new application; wait 5 days after your exam before submitting it. ANCC reviews it under the eligibility rules in effect on the day you submit (ANCC retest policy).
By the Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team · Last verified September 17, 2026
This covers all 17 ANCC certification exams: nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, and registered nurse (RN) specialty. The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB), operating as NPCB, has its own rules.
ANCC retest rules at a glance
| Rule | What ANCC says |
|---|---|
| Wait before testing again | 60 calendar days from the date you last tested. Weekends and holidays count. |
| Attempt limit | No more than 3 tests in any 12-month period. It's a rolling window, not a calendar year, and your first attempt counts. |
| When to apply | Online, after the 5-day application wait. Applying starts a review; it doesn't book a seat. |
| Eligibility | Checked again under the requirements in effect when you submit the retest application. |
| Testing window | A new 120-day window to test once you're authorized. |
| What you retake | The entire exam, not only your weak areas. |
| Fee | Retest fees apply. The public sources checked do not state a universal retest amount (see costs). |
Sources: ANCC Retest Application policy; ANCC Certification Handbook, Version 4 (January 23, 2026), pp. 11 and 16; ANCC APRN Faculty Toolkit, "Retesting."
Count your retest dates
Start from the day you sat for the exam, not the day you opened your results.
- Wait 5 days before submitting your retest application. ANCC's instruction says 5 days, without specifying calendar or business days. The table below shows calendar-day arithmetic.
- Add 60 days. That marks the minimum retest interval, not an approved appointment. ANCC's policy page says you may retest "after 60 calendar days," and its faculty toolkit says "as soon as 60 days" from your last test. Confirm an exact boundary date with ANCC before scheduling.
- Count your tests in the last 12 months, including this one. If that makes three, your next test has to wait until the oldest is outside the relevant 12-month period. Ask ANCC to confirm the boundary date; a new calendar year does not reset the count.
- Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs): find the fifth anniversary of your degree or certificate conferral date. Your retest application has to be submitted by then (details below).
| You tested and didn't pass on | 5 calendar days later | 60 calendar days later | 61 calendar days later |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2026 | July 6, 2026 | August 30, 2026 | August 31, 2026 |
| September 17, 2026 | September 22, 2026 | November 16, 2026 | November 17, 2026 |
| January 31, 2027 | February 5, 2027 | April 1, 2027 | April 2, 2027 |
Dates are our calendar arithmetic, not ANCC-approved application or test dates. The 61-day column is another arithmetic reference, not a separate rule. Approval, your attempt history, your authorization window and appointment availability still control booking.
Sixty days isn't the same as two months. A July 1 test puts the 60-day mark on August 30, not September 1.
When the three-test limit kicks in
The limit only bites when you've tested three times within a year. After that, a new calendar year doesn't reset anything. The oldest of the three has to age out first.
| Test | Date | Where you stand |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | January 12, 2026 | Starts the count |
| 2nd | March 16, 2026 | Two tests in 12 months |
| 3rd | May 18, 2026 | Three tests in 12 months. The 60-day mark is July 17, but that isn't enough on its own. |
| 4th | January 12–13, 2027: boundary to confirm | January 12 is the first test's anniversary; January 13 is the following day. ANCC's public policy does not explain inclusion of the anniversary itself. Neither date here is an approved appointment. |
This example uses attempts at the same certification. Our calendar arithmetic illustrates ANCC's rule; it is not a personal eligibility determination. ANCC's faculty guidance describes the limit as three opportunities to pass an exam within a 12-month period (APRN Faculty Toolkit). ANCC's retest policy doesn't state a lifetime limit. It also does not prescribe an automatic year-long wait counted from the third failure; your actual attempt history and current eligibility matter.
Your retest checklist
- Save your score report and your dates. You'll get an email with instructions for viewing your results in Prometric's online score portal, and ANCC doesn't release results by phone, fax, or email (Handbook, p. 16). Write down your certification and every test date from the last 12 months.
- Recheck your eligibility before you pay. Your retest is judged by today's rules, not the ones that approved you last time. See what can block a retest.
- Apply after the 5-day wait. Open your certification from ANCC's certification list, then choose Apply → Initial Certification Application → Apply Online. That's the route ANCC gives for retests (retest policy).
- Confirm your retest fee, send any documents ANCC asks for, and claim applicable discounts on time. ANCC's published pricing notes allow discount claims at application or within 5 business days after it receives your application; confirm which discounts apply to your retest (FNP certification page, pricing notes). Need a faster review? Expedited processing costs $200 (nonrefundable) and targets 3 business days for a complete application (Expedited Review).
- Request accommodations after you apply. Ask ANCC whether a previous approval needs to be renewed or resubmitted. Wait for ANCC's confirmation before you schedule. Accommodations can't be added to an existing appointment (Special Accommodations).
- Book once your Authorization to Test arrives. Pick a date that's past your wait, inside your 120-day window, and not a fourth test in 12 months. Schedule through Prometric.
- Prepare for the whole exam. Use the test content outline for your new test date and your score report to decide where your study time goes (more below).
Questions about a retest application or score report go to customerservice@ana.org or 1.800.284.2378.
What can block or delay a retest
ANCC reviews each retest as a unique application and may ask for supporting documentation (retest policy). These are the situations that can hold one up.
Some certifications require supporting documents
ANCC's FAQ says first-time and retest applicants for FNP, PMHNP, AGACNP, AGPCNP, AGCNS, Informatics Nursing, Nurse Executive, Nurse Executive Advanced, and Nursing Professional Development must submit supporting documents (ANCC FAQs, "Application Instructions"). Have yours ready when you reapply.
APRNs: five years from conferral, counted on the day you apply
Since January 1, 2026, APRN candidates must apply within five years of the date their degree or post-graduate certificate was conferred. The rule covers initial and retest applications, and ANCC measures it on the day you submit, not the day you test (Time Limit to Apply for APRN Certification).
- Conferred December 15, 2021; didn't pass on September 17, 2026. Adding 5 calendar days reaches September 22; the five-year application deadline is December 15, 2026. Submit after ANCC's application wait and no later than that deadline. The test itself can come later, inside your window.
- Conferred May 8, 2021; didn't pass on May 5, 2026. Even adding 5 calendar days reaches May 10, already past the five-year mark. Contact ANCC before paying for anything.
If you're close to the line, apply after the 5-day application wait instead of waiting until day 60. Keep in mind that once more than five years have passed, ANCC won't accept a new application. Withdrawing after that deadline would prevent a fresh application under this rule. An unused testing window is different: ANCC allows a one-time window reassignment under its separate conditions. Ask ANCC about that route before withdrawing or assuming you must reapply.
Applied before your degree was conferred? You may be in what ANCC calls Authorized to Test (ATT) status, and you can still retest (ANCC FAQs, "APRN Application Instructions"). Once you pass, ANCC needs your final degree-conferred transcript within two years. If it doesn't arrive, the application is closed and the score doesn't carry over (Handbook, p. 6).
Post-graduate certificate holders: the certificate program's accreditation counts
Since January 1, 2026, ANCC accepts only the post-graduate certificate program's own APRN accreditation for PGC applicants. Accreditation of the school's master's or DNP program doesn't substitute, and the PGC program must have held that accreditation when you graduated (ANCC FAQs, "APRN Eligibility Requirements"). If your first application was approved before 2026, check this before you reapply.
RN specialty: hours and CE can age out
ANCC's RN specialty certifications generally require practice hours in the specialty and specialty continuing education (CE) from within the last three years (Handbook, pp. 1–2). A retest is measured from its own submission date, so hours that counted in March can drop out by September.
Say your first application counted practice hours starting August 1, 2023. A retest application submitted September 10, 2026 looks back only to September 10, 2023. Recount before you apply, using the eligibility wording on your own certification's page.
Your exam is changing or closing
- FNP-BC. A revised Test Content Outline takes effect October 30, 2026. ANCC announced a 12-business-day testing suspension and tells candidates to test before October 18 or after October 30 (FNP certification page). Its study-aid links label the outlines "on or before October 18" and "on or after October 30," so confirm availability on those two boundary dates with ANCC. A failed attempt on August 19 reaches the 60-day mark on October 18; do not assume that date is bookable. A failed attempt on August 20 reaches October 19, within the announced suspension period. Plan the later retest against the revised FNP outline.
- PED-BC and CMGT-BC. ANCC is moving both to renewal-only. It accepts applications through December 31, 2026, and says candidates may take or retake the exam through December 31, 2027 (ANCC FAQs; Pediatric Nursing page). A retest is a new application, so ask ANCC before counting on one submitted in 2027. For example, a failed attempt on November 2, 2027 reaches the 60-day mark on January 1, 2028—after testing ends. November 1 reaches December 31, 2027, so that boundary needs ANCC confirmation rather than an assumed final retest.
- Every other certification. Before you rebook, open your certification's ANCC page and look for a notice with an "effective" date.
Exam conduct
ANCC can bar candidates who break testing rules, including cheating or copying exam content, from retesting or taking other ANCC exams (Handbook, pp. 12 and 15).
What does an ANCC retest cost?
ANCC says retest candidates pay retest fees (Handbook, p. 16). Its retest policy, its handbook, and the certification pages we checked do not state a universal retest amount. The retest runs through the same application page that lists initial certification prices of $395, or $295 for eligible ANA members, for all 17 certifications (ANCC certifications). ANCC doesn't say those are the retest prices. Check the total before you pay, or email customerservice@ana.org for the amount for your certification.
Other organizations' initial-certification member prices vary by certification. The PMHNP page, for example, lists $220 for American Psychiatric Nurses Association members (PMHNP certification page).
You may see a "$270 retake fee" quoted online. We didn't find that amount in the current official sources checked for this page.
These related fees are published. The $100 charge is for an unused testing window, not a failed-exam retest:
| Item | Amount | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative fee | $140, nonrefundable | Included in the application price |
| Withdrawal refund | Application payment minus $140; special fees are also nonrefundable (ANCC's example: $255 back on $395) | Written request before you test and before your window ends |
| Expedited review | $200, nonrefundable | Optional |
| New testing window | $100, one time | If you can't test within your 120 days |
| Late cancellation or rescheduling | Testing fee forfeited | Fewer than 2 days before your appointment |
Sources: ANCC FAQs; Expedited Review; Test Window Reassignment; Special Accommodations; Handbook, pp. 5 and 11.
Your employer may cover it. In ANCC's Success Pays program, a participating employer gives nurses a code to apply with and is billed for nurses' successful certification attempts. If a nurse doesn't pass the first time, one retest is available at no additional cost (Success Pays). ANCC's program instructions say you can test twice per certification through Success Pays, and a $100 window reassignment isn't covered (Success Pays application steps). This benefit applies through a participating employer's program, not to every ANCC retest. Ask your education or HR department whether your organization takes part.
Money tight? ANCC accepts one fee-relief request every 10 years. Fees can be deferred, reduced, or waived with supporting evidence (Handbook, p. 5). Use the Hardship Relief Request instructions and form to send a written request with supporting documents to customerservice@ana.org.
Use your score report to plan the next attempt
A failing ANCC report shows your scaled score, a fail status, and a LOW, MEDIUM, or HIGH rating for each major content area (Handbook, p. 9). ANCC's definitions, in short:
- LOW: below an acceptable level. ANCC recommends substantial study before retaking.
- MEDIUM: marginally acceptable. ANCC recommends further study.
- HIGH: well above average. A review may still help.
The report won't tell you which questions you missed, which subtopics tripped you up, or how many more correct answers you needed. ANCC converts your number correct to a scale with a maximum of 500, and 350 or higher passes (Handbook, p. 9). The handbook does not provide a raw-score conversion. So don't turn the ratings into percentages. You also can't challenge the passing score, the exam, individual questions, or the validity of the content (retest policy).
Before you study, find the test content outline that covers your new test date. That's ANCC's blueprint: it lists the exam's domains and how many scored questions come from each. A preparation resource's publication year doesn't tell you which outline it follows.
A simple way to use the wait (our suggestion, not an ANCC requirement):
| Phase | When | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnose | Days 1–10 | After the 5-day wait, submit your application. List your LOW and MEDIUM areas. Sort recent practice misses into knowledge gaps, reasoning errors, and misreads. |
| Rebuild | Days 11–45 | LOW areas first, then MEDIUM. Short untimed question sets, writing each rationale in your own words. |
| Rehearse | Day 46 to test day | Mixed, timed sets at exam pace. Keep HIGH areas warm. Confirm your appointment, route, and ID. |
Exam-specific guides from Castleport: ANCC PMHNP · AGACNP · AGPCNP: ANCC vs AANP · NE-BC · NEA-BC
How common is it not to pass?
In 2025, 8,348 of 36,974 first-time ANCC candidates didn't pass, about 23% (2025 ANCC Certification Data).
| Certification | First-time tested | Passed | ANCC pass rate | Didn't pass\* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP | 2,580 | 2,056 | 80% | 524 |
| Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP | 882 | 754 | 85% | 128 |
| Family NP | 7,719 | 6,358 | 82% | 1,361 |
| Psychiatric-Mental Health NP | 10,743 | 8,840 | 82% | 1,903 |
| Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist | 159 | 140 | 88% | 19 |
| Ambulatory Care Nursing | 1,562 | 1,209 | 77% | 353 |
| Cardiac-Vascular Nursing | 1,120 | 754 | 67% | 366 |
| Gerontological Nursing | 599 | 380 | 63% | 219 |
| Informatics Nursing | 352 | 229 | 65% | 123 |
| Medical-Surgical Nursing | 5,330 | 3,807 | 71% | 1,523 |
| Nurse Executive | 1,443 | 907 | 63% | 536 |
| Nurse Executive, Advanced | 973 | 706 | 73% | 267 |
| Nursing Case Management | 286 | 188 | 66% | 98 |
| Nursing Professional Development | 1,486 | 1,064 | 72% | 422 |
| Pain Management Nursing | 156 | 98 | 63% | 58 |
| Pediatric Nursing | 218 | 164 | 75% | 54 |
| Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing | 1,366 | 972 | 71% | 394 |
| All 17 | 36,974 | 28,626 | — | 8,348 |
\Our arithmetic: tested minus passed. The 23% is 8,348 ÷ 36,974. ANCC's report covers first-time test takers only. It doesn't show how repeat test takers did, and none of these rates predicts an individual result.*
Missed, expired, renewing, or switching boards?
Not every "retake" question is about a failed exam. Do not count a no-show, ID refusal or unused window as a failed attempt without ANCC confirming how it is recorded.
| Your situation | What applies |
|---|---|
| You tested and didn't pass | The retest rules on this page |
| You arrived so late that you were treated as a no-show | Your testing window expires, and ANCC requires more documentation and fees to schedule a new date (Handbook, p. 12) |
| You were turned away for ID | You aren't admitted, your window ends, and the same documentation-and-fees step applies (Handbook, p. 14) |
| You can't test within your 120 days | Request one new 120-day window for $100. It must begin less than 6 months after the first one ends; otherwise you reapply as a new applicant (Test Window Reassignment) |
| You want to stop and get money back | Withdraw in writing before you test and before your window ends. The refund is minus $140, and special fees are nonrefundable (Handbook, p. 5) |
| You're renewing by exam | Renewal by assessment means retaking and passing the same exam, alongside the other applicable renewal requirements. It isn't available for retired or "Renewal Only" certifications (Certification Renewal Handbook, p. 15) |
| Your certification lapsed more than two years ago | Reactivating requires a reactivation application, current renewal requirements, fees and passing the exam, if ANCC still offers it (Certification Renewal Handbook, p. 19) |
| You'd rather take the AANPCB (NPCB) exam | ANCC's retest rules don't govern that exam. You'd apply under that board's own eligibility and retest rules. Our AANP FNP guide covers that route for FNPs. |
Other questions
Do I need extra continuing education before I retake? ANCC's retest policy doesn't add a CE requirement for retesting (retest policy; Handbook, p. 16). Your certification's regular eligibility rules still apply, including the CE look-back for RN specialty certifications.
Will my employer or school find out I didn't pass? ANCC says it doesn't release the names of people who fail an exam or individual scores. APRN programs receive aggregate reports, and ANCC gives an individual's score to a school only with that person's written authorization (Handbook, p. 22). The handbook also allows disclosures required for accreditation or ANCC business needs. This is not a promise that an employer cannot infer an outcome: Success Pays coordinators receive lists of applicants and nurses who become certified.
Are the retake rules different for each ANCC certification? The retest policy is the same. What differs is eligibility, document requirements, member pricing, and whether your exam's outline is changing or the exam is closing.
Sources
We opened each of these ANCC documents on September 17, 2026:
- Retest Application policy
- ANCC Certification Handbook, Version 4, January 23, 2026 (effective date June 2025), pp. 1–2, 4–6, 9, 11–16, and 22.
- ANCC Certification FAQs
- Time Limit to Apply for APRN Certification
- APRN Faculty Toolkit, "Retesting"
- Test Window Reassignment Request
- Expedited Review
- Special Accommodations
- Success Pays and its application steps
- Our Certifications, plus the FNP, PMHNP, and Pediatric Nursing certification pages
- Hardship Relief Request, "Request for Financial Relief" and "Process"
- 2025 ANCC Certification Data
- ANCC Certification Renewal Handbook, Version 2, February 10, 2026, pp. 15 and 19 (effective September 10, 2025)
How we made this page: The rules and fees come from the ANCC documents above. The date examples, the refund example, and the "didn't pass" counts are our arithmetic from ANCC's figures. The checklist and study phases are our own guidance. AI-assisted tools helped develop this page; source checking is not professional review (our methodology). Found an error? Report it; corrections are published with dates.
Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or the American Nurses Association (ANA). Exam and credential names identify the subjects discussed, and trademarks belong to their respective owners. This page explains ANCC's published policies. ANCC decides your eligibility and your retest application.