SCRN

It is a computer-based test taken at a PSI testing center and consists of 170 multiple-choice items with 3 hours of total testing time. Twenty of the 170 items are unscored pre-test questions being evaluated for future use, so they do not affect your result. Plan your pacing around roughly one minute per item.

ABNN reports that over the past 5 years, 71% of certification candidates passed. It is a generalist exam, not tied to any single level of care, so the main difficulty is breadth: a nurse who works only in an inpatient stroke unit may still be tested on rehabilitation, prevention, and care coordination content.

You need an active RN license and 1 year of full-time direct or indirect stroke nursing experience - 2,080 hours - as an RN within the past 3 years at the time of application. Experience is verified through your application, and a random sample of applications is audited each year.

For credit card payment, the application fee is $300 for AANN members and $400 for nonmembers. Paying by check costs $325 for members and $425 for nonmembers. All applications are completed online; check payments must be received, not postmarked, at the ABNN office by the registration deadline.

ABNN uses a criterion-referenced process with stroke nursing experts and professional psychometricians from PSI. The raw number of correct answers needed is set to reflect what a minimally competent candidate would be expected to answer correctly, and the ABNN Board of Trustees makes the final determination. A fixed percentage correct is not published.

Candidates are notified of official pass or fail status immediately after completing the exam. Certificates are mailed to those who pass approximately 1 month after the close of the exam window. Twenty pre-test items are excluded from scoring, so your result reflects the 150 scored items.

ABNN's public pages do not publish a separate retake policy or retake fee; retake and reapplication details sit in the SCRN Candidate Handbook and with ABNN Member Services (847.375.4733). Check those sources before assuming a waiting period, and note that you would need to apply within a future exam window's registration deadline.

Start from the published content outline, then allocate review time by domain rather than by what you see on your unit. Cover anatomy and pathophysiology and assessment first, since acute management, prevention, and rehab questions all depend on them. Finish with psychosocial, ethical, and care coordination topics, which are commonly under-studied.

You can recertify by earning continuing education credits before your expiration date or by retaking the SCRN exam. For the CE route, the early-bird deadline is October 1, 2026, with applications still accepted until January 31, 2027 at the standard fee, and all CE must be earned by December 31, 2026.

The 2026 windows are February 1–28 (register by January 8), May 1–31 (register by April 2), and September 1–30 (register by August 6). All applications must be submitted online by 5 pm CT on the registration deadline. Schedule your PSI appointment early - do not wait until the last day of the window.