How it works
This free PCCN practice test has 60 questions of our own on the test plan for the adult progressive care nursing exam. It is unofficial and not affiliated with the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses or AACN Certification Corporation.
Read the full guide
What the PCCN exam covers
The test plan for exams sat from February 6, 2024 onward, read October 12, 2026, gives clinical judgment 80%: cardiovascular 20, respiratory 14, multisystem 15, and the other body systems 2 to 7 each. Professional caring and ethical practice is 20%. The 60 questions follow those shares.
Pace of the timed test
The timed test here asks 50 questions in 60 minutes: a third of the real exam's questions in a third of its time.
Where the answers come from
Each answer names the public page it was checked on: the MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia of the US National Library of Medicine, AHRQ's TeamSTEPPS and teach-back tools, the Synergy Model pages of the exam handbook, or a Wikipedia article for the stroke and alcohol withdrawal scales.
- The test plan lists nursing actions as well as conditions: blood gases, chest tubes, pacemakers, the NIH Stroke Scale and withdrawal scales such as CIWA.
Questions and answers
How many questions are on the PCCN exam?
150 multiple-choice questions in 3 hours, by the exam handbook of July 2026. 125 are scored. The other 25 gather statistics for future exams and do not count.
What is a passing score on the PCCN exam?
The handbook prints no number. A panel of subject matter experts sets the passing point with a method called the modified Angoff, and each candidate is measured against that standard.
Who can take the PCCN exam?
A nurse with a current, unencumbered US RN or APRN license and direct care of acutely ill adults: 1,750 hours in two years with 875 in the latest year, or 2,000 hours in five years with 144 in the latest year.
Are these real PCCN exam questions?
No. The 60 questions were written for this page from the public test plan and the public page each one names. The handbook's sample questions, the certifying body's practice exam and review books were not used.