Nursing, Nursing Non-Clinical , Exam Prep
So, what’s the CNE® exam like?
Jan 18, 2019
It pays to be mentally prepared for what’s to come on exam day! Here, we outline what you can expect—from format to timing and everything in between.
Offered by the National League for Nursing (NLN), the CNE® is a professional certification that serves as a way for nurse educators to demonstrate their qualifications. A number of schools, hospitals, and nurse training programs either prefer or require their faculty to have CNE® certification, plus it can be helpful in terms of career advancement for those working in nursing education.
The CNE® exam is offered through PSI, with certification valid for five years.
The Format
Offered as a computer-based exam (CBT), the CNE® exam format allows you to take the test in one sitting and get your score report as soon as you’re finished. Your report will indicate either Pass or Fail, with additional detail offered in the form of raw scores by major content category (a raw score is the number of questions correctly answered and it determines whether you pass or fail).
The exam features 150 multiple-choice questions with four answer options within the cognitive levels of recall, application, and analysis.
The Questions and Time
Of the 150 questions you’ll encounter, only 130 will be counted toward your score; the additional 20 questions are pretest questions used to validate new questions for future exams. Note that you won’t know which questions are counted and which aren’t, so be sure to answer each one as if it’s being counted.
The exam tests for competencies in six areas, broken down as follows:
The Exam
You’ll be given three hours to complete the exam, which includes a short tutorial.
No questions may be asked during the exam, but don’t worry—there’s no penalty for guessing, so do try to answer every question! If you’re not confident with an answer, bookmark it and return to it once you’ve completed the exam; arrows allowing you to page forward or backward give you the ability to return to a question and change the answer.
The Results
Once you’ve finished your exam and have patted yourself on the back, your pass/fail score report will be presented onsite.
Successful candidates will get their certificates in the mail from the NLN’s Academic Nurse Educator Certification Program six to eight weeks after passing.
Resources
National League for Nursing. (n.d.). Certified Nurse Educator (CNE®) 2018 Candidate Handbook. Retrieved from http://www.nln.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/cne-handbookb203c85c78366c709642ff00005f0421.pdf?sfvrsn=0
National League for Nursing. (n.d.). Certified Nurse Educator (CNE®) Examination Test Blueprint. Retrieved from www.nln.org/docs/default-source/professional-development-programs/blueprint.pdf
Test Center List - National League for Nursing Certified Nurse Educator Exam. (n.d.). Retrieved fromhttp://online.goamp.com/CandidateHome/displayTCList.aspx?pExamID=21426
Wittmann-Price, R. A., Godshall, M., & Wilson, L. (2018). Certified Nurse Educator (CNE®) Review Manual (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Springer Publishing.
Offered by the National League for Nursing (NLN), the CNE® is a professional certification that serves as a way for nurse educators to demonstrate their qualifications. A number of schools, hospitals, and nurse training programs either prefer or require their faculty to have CNE® certification, plus it can be helpful in terms of career advancement for those working in nursing education.
The CNE® exam is offered through PSI, with certification valid for five years.
The Format
Offered as a computer-based exam (CBT), the CNE® exam format allows you to take the test in one sitting and get your score report as soon as you’re finished. Your report will indicate either Pass or Fail, with additional detail offered in the form of raw scores by major content category (a raw score is the number of questions correctly answered and it determines whether you pass or fail).
The exam features 150 multiple-choice questions with four answer options within the cognitive levels of recall, application, and analysis.
The Questions and Time
Of the 150 questions you’ll encounter, only 130 will be counted toward your score; the additional 20 questions are pretest questions used to validate new questions for future exams. Note that you won’t know which questions are counted and which aren’t, so be sure to answer each one as if it’s being counted.
The exam tests for competencies in six areas, broken down as follows:
| Content | % of Exam |
| Facilitate Learning | 22% |
| Facilitate Learner Development and Socialization | 15% |
| Use Assessment and Evaluation Strategies | 19% |
| Participate in Curriculum Design and Evaluation of Program Outcomes | 17% |
| Pursue Continuous Quality Improvement in the Academic Nurse Educator Role | 12% |
Engage in Scholarship, Service, and Leadership
| 15% |
The Exam
You’ll be given three hours to complete the exam, which includes a short tutorial.
No questions may be asked during the exam, but don’t worry—there’s no penalty for guessing, so do try to answer every question! If you’re not confident with an answer, bookmark it and return to it once you’ve completed the exam; arrows allowing you to page forward or backward give you the ability to return to a question and change the answer.
The Results
Once you’ve finished your exam and have patted yourself on the back, your pass/fail score report will be presented onsite.
Successful candidates will get their certificates in the mail from the NLN’s Academic Nurse Educator Certification Program six to eight weeks after passing.
Resources
National League for Nursing. (n.d.). Certified Nurse Educator (CNE®) 2018 Candidate Handbook. Retrieved from http://www.nln.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/cne-handbookb203c85c78366c709642ff00005f0421.pdf?sfvrsn=0
National League for Nursing. (n.d.). Certified Nurse Educator (CNE®) Examination Test Blueprint. Retrieved from www.nln.org/docs/default-source/professional-development-programs/blueprint.pdf
Test Center List - National League for Nursing Certified Nurse Educator Exam. (n.d.). Retrieved fromhttp://online.goamp.com/CandidateHome/displayTCList.aspx?pExamID=21426
Wittmann-Price, R. A., Godshall, M., & Wilson, L. (2018). Certified Nurse Educator (CNE®) Review Manual (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Springer Publishing.