HN-BC

No. The HN-BC requirement is graduation from a nationally accredited nursing program, without a baccalaureate stipulation; the baccalaureate requirement belongs to the separate HNB-BC level. You also are not required to sit for the top level you qualify for, so an associate-prepared or internationally prepared RN can apply for the HN-BC exam.

AHNCC states holistic nursing is not setting dependent but rests on the nurse's philosophy. If you facilitate health, wellness, and well-being and plan care and interventions integrating the client's mind-body-spirit, you are practicing holistically. Using therapies such as aromatherapy or energy work is not what defines holistic practice; your way of thinking and being does.

Yes, if the credit was completed through an accredited higher education institution with a grade of C or higher, or a pass in a pass/fail system. Conversion is one semester credit equals 15 contact hours and one quarter credit equals 10 contact hours. The hours must fall in holistic nursing theory, research, practice, or related topics within three years of applying.

Three years. AHNCC notes that effective March 17, 2026, the required 48 CE hours must be earned in the previous three years before applying for certification, instead of two years. Plan your CE purchases and course dates around that window rather than the older two-year assumption.

Applications and testing are managed by the Center for Nursing Education and Testing (C-NET). Testing is year-round once you are approved, and you have a three-month window in which to sit for the exam. Results are reported to you immediately after the examination, so you do not wait weeks for a score.

Yes. C-NET offers handbooks, practice tests, and applications, and AHNCC lists practice tests at a $65 fee. The practice test is a low-cost way to see how items are worded before your three-month testing window begins. Purchase it through C-NET, which handles all application and testing questions.

Start with the Holistic Nurse (HN) Core Essentials and Competencies, which contain the competencies the items are developed to test, then the ANA/AHNA Holistic Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice. Review the content outline and reference list in the HN-BC handbook and use a variety of resources. AHNCC states it has not vetted, reviewed, or approved independently published exam guides.

AHNCC notes that graduates or faculty of an AHNCC Endorsed academic university-based holistic nursing program within the past three years meet most of the eligibility requirements. Confirm exactly which requirements remain outstanding by reading the Endorsed Program Overview and by contacting AHNCC or C-NET before you submit an application.

Your RN license must be current and unrestricted, with no provisions or conditions limiting practice, and you must hold it when you sit for the exam. Candidates and certificants are responsible for notifying AHNCC when any restriction is placed on their license and for submitting updated licensure information. Only nurses certified by AHNCC may use the credential.

The AHNCC pages reviewed for this guide do not publish a passing standard, item count, or retake policy, so treat any specific number you hear as unverified. Examination results are issued immediately, and the HN-BC handbook obtained through C-NET is the authoritative place to confirm scoring and retake procedures before you test.