AACN certification covering progressive/step-down and telemetry nursing care for acutely ill adults.
Who it's for
Registered nurses caring for acutely ill adult patients in progressive care, step-down, or telemetry units — the AACN counterpart to CCRN for nurses whose patients are seriously ill but not quite ICU-level, built on the same Synergy Model foundation.
What's covered
- Clinical judgment (80% of the scored exam) — cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, GI, renal, neurological, musculoskeletal, and multisystem content
- Professional caring and ethical practice — 20%
What to expect
Like its CCRN sibling exam, PCCN questions are scenario-driven — expect to prioritize interventions and interpret clinical pictures for step-down/telemetry-acuity patients rather than answer pure definition-style questions.
How to prepare
AACN's free PCCN Exam Handbook lays out the full test plan and sample questions; AACN also sells a combined CCRN/PCCN review course and practice-question sets, and most candidates study for several weeks with a focus on cardiovascular content given its share of the clinical judgment domain.
Certification details
- Certifying body: AACN Certification Corporation (American Association of Critical-Care Nurses).
- Eligibility (Direct Care pathway): Unencumbered RN/APRN license, plus 1,750 hours of direct care for acutely ill adults in the prior 2 years (at least 875 in the most recent year), or 2,000 hours over 5 years.
- Exam format: 150 questions (125 scored, 25 unscored pretest), 3-hour time limit, computer-based testing at 300+ sites.
- Content outline: Clinical Judgment (80% — cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, GI, renal, neurological, musculoskeletal, and multisystem content) and Professional Caring & Ethical Practice (20%).
- Official pass rate: 70.10% first-time pass rate (2025).
- Fee: $260 (AACN member) / $375 (non-member).
- Recertification: Every 3 years, via 100 Synergy CERPs or exam retake, with a 90-day grace period after expiration.
