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.
Certification details
- Certifying body: National Certification Corporation (NCC).
- Eligibility: Unencumbered RN license and 24 months of specialty experience comprising at least 2,000 hours, worked within the last 24 months.
- Exam format: 175 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 outline: Labor & 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).
- Recertification: Every 3 years via NCC's Continuing Competency Assessment, generating an individualized education plan requiring roughly 15–50 continuing education hours.