Official Certification Exam Name: American Association of Critical-Care Nurses: Progressive Care Certified Nurse
Number of Questions with Accurate Answers: 650
Exam Vendor / Provider: Nursing
Required Passing Marks: 70%
Maximum Allowed Time: 180
Content Updated On: January 23, 2026
PCCN accreditation confirms your expertise in care for acutely sick adult patients. The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) Certification Corporation issues the three-year-valid credential. PCCN Nursing certification promotes continuing excellence in progressive care nursing. In addition to defining a particular level of patient care, the AACN uses the term “progressive care” to collectively describe the settings in which they care for acutely ill patients. Including intermediate care units, direct observation units, step-down units, telemetry units, transitional care units, and emergency departments. AACN acknowledges progressive care as a component of the continuum of critical care.
The PCCN certifications help to maintain your knowledge of the care of acutely ill adult patients. The PCCN test is for nurses who work in settings like step-down or telemetry units or other units as necessary and give direct care to acutely unwell adult patients. The particular skills and knowledge needed for progressive care nursing are reinforced by PCCN accreditation.
PCCN exam candidates must meet the following requirements:
The registration fee for this course is $195 for members but for outsiders, it will cost $300. The exam has 125 multiple-choice questions with a 2.5-hour time limit. You need to get 100 correct answers to pass the certification exam. The exam will ask questions only about adult patients. Here are the relevant topics for the exam:
| Clinical Judgment
Cardiovascular |
80%
27% |
| Professional Caring and Ethical Practice
Advocacy/Moral Agency; Caring Practices; Response to Diversity; Facilitation of Learning; Collaboration; Systems Thinking; Clinical Inquiry |
20% |
If you take this test online and on the computer, you’ll get your score report as soon as you complete the test. But if you attempt this exam on paper, you’ll receive results by mail after six to eight weeks.
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