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RNC-OB: Inpatient Obstetric Nursing

RNC-OB is the National Certification Corporation (NCC) certification in inpatient obstetric nursing, covering antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum care. The exam has 175 questions (150 scored) and a 3-hour time limit.

Practice quizzes
5
Time limit
180 min
Our users' pass rate
72%
Modules
4
Our price
FREE
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Certification details

Certifying bodyNational Certification Corporation (NCC).
EligibilityUnencumbered RN license and 24 months of specialty experience comprising at least 2,000 hours, worked within the last 24 months.
Exam format175 questions (150 scored, 25 unscored pretest), 3-hour time limit, computer-based at test centers or via live remote proctoring. Scoring is criterion-referenced with no fixed passing percentage.
Content outlineLabor & Birth (36%), Pregnancy Complications/Treatment/Management (28%), Fetal Assessment (17%), Recovery/Postpartum/Newborn Care (16%), Professional Practice Issues (3%).
Fee$325 total ($50 application fee + $275 testing fee).
RecertificationEvery 3 years via NCC's Continuing Competency Assessment, generating an individualized education plan requiring roughly 15–50 continuing education hours.
Official sourceNational Certification Corporation (NCC)

NCC certification covering the care of patients across the antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum continuum.

Who it's for

Registered nurses with clinical experience in labor and delivery, antepartum, or postpartum units — NCC built RNC-OB as a single credential spanning the full inpatient obstetric journey rather than splitting labor/delivery from postpartum care.

What's covered

  • Labor and birth — 36%
  • Pregnancy complications, treatment, and management — 28%
  • Fetal assessment — 17%
  • Recovery, postpartum, and newborn care — 16%
  • Professional practice issues — 3%

What to expect

Scoring is criterion-referenced with no fixed passing percentage published; questions cluster heavily around labor/birth and pregnancy complications, which together account for nearly two-thirds of the exam, so intrapartum clinical judgment is the core skill being tested.

How to prepare

NCC's official Candidate Guide includes the full content outline as your primary study syllabus; AWHONN (the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses) is the field's main source of review courses and study materials, and NCC's post-certification maintenance uses an individualized Continuing Competency Assessment rather than a fixed CE-hour count.

RNC-OB Practice Quiz 1
Practice quiz · 20 questions · untimed
RNC-OB Practice Quiz 2
Practice quiz · 20 questions · untimed
RNCOB Practice Quiz 3
Practice quiz · 0 questions · untimed
RNCOB Practice Quiz 4
Practice quiz · 0 questions · untimed
RNCOB Practice Quiz 5
Practice quiz · 0 questions · untimed

DISCLAIMER: This exam preparation course is not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Certification Corporation (NCC). The content is designed to assist students in preparing for the RNC-OB: Inpatient Obstetric Nursing (RNCOB) exam but is created and provided by an independent third party. NCC and RNCOB are registered trademarks of the National Certification Corporation. The use of this trademark does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by the NCC.