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Candidate guides
All rules and policies concerning taking a NCC examination are summarized in the Candidate Guides. Listed below are download links to each guide.
It is important that you familiarize yourself with these rules and policies as they will apply to all applicants/candidates. Select the guide for your certification exam specialty.
- Inpatient Obstetric Nursing Guide
- Inpatient Antepartum Nursing Guide
- Low-Risk Neonatal Nursing Guide
- Maternal Newborn Nursing Guide
- Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing Guide
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Guide
- Neonatal Neuro-Intensive Care Guide
- Women's Health Care Nurse Practitioner Guide
- Electronic Fetal Monitoring Guide
- Neonatal Pediatric Transport Guide
- Care of the Extremely Low Birth Weight Neonate
- Obstetric and Neonatal Quality Safety
Eligibility status on existing applications
You can track the status of your certification application on the website after you login. Once you login go to your email history. Please check your account within 5-7 days after you have registered to ensure your application was complete and nothing was needed. If it is more than 2 weeks from the time you have submitted your application and you have not received your eligibility letter by email, contact us with specific details on when and how you submitted your application at CONTACT US and choose "My application that I already submitted". NCC will not provide eligibility status via phone. You should receive your eligibility within 2 weeks via email once you submitted your application. All communication is done directly by email and a copy of these emails can be found in your account.
Computer testing (Computer Test Center or by Live Remote Proctoring for Ten of the Exams)
It can take up to two weeks to process an application. Once you have been determined eligible, you will be notified of your eligibility status by email and assigned a 90-day eligibility window in which to take the examination. A copy of your eligibility letter will also be available in your account.
Along with your eligibility letter, you will be reminded to download (print) a Candidate Guide, which provides an overview of all test policies & procedures, test outlines, competency statements, and sample questions to familiarize you with the test format. Candidate Guides can be downloaded from the NCC website at any time.
Your eligibility letter will outline how to set up a test appointment with our testing vendor PSI (Direction from your NCC account after signin in or by phone to PSI). NCC does not make appointments. You need to schedule your email using the "schedule or launch exam" link or by calling the number on your eligibility letter. You will need the NCC exam control ID number on your eligibility letter to set up any testing appointment by phone.
Lost or didn't receive an eligibility letter to test
Missing eligibility letter for computer candidates
If you lost your eligibility letter or it has been over 2 weeks since you submitted your application and you have not received an eligibility letter; please contact us, or leave a message with the call center at 312-951-0207. Remember to provide your full name, address, email address, phone number, exam registered for and approximate date submitted. You should receive a reply no later than 48 hours (business days).
INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS: Pay the reprocessing fee
Any application that is incomplete (those applications submitted with missing information, containing incomplete or incorrect information, does not have the required license with the expiration date, name in the account/registration does not match the name on the license (for NNP/WHNP this also includes the transcripts and diploma), or does not include full fee payment) is subject to a non-refundable $30 reprocessing fee upon the submission of proper documentation. Please check your email or the email in your account between 5 and 7 days if you have not heard from NCC to ensure your application is not incomplete. An email will be sent requesting the correct information. If the requested documentation is not provided in 14 days with the application fee, the application will be marked ineligible. Paid test fees will be reimbursed when applicable, minus the $50.00 application fee.
Additional information requests must be submitted online along with the reprocessing fee of $30.
Need a receipt?
If you need a receipt for any purchase made through the NCC website view order history in your account. All of your purchases are kept together in an easy-to-access format for you to view or print at any time. Simply click on a line item to view details and print a receipt.
Change your Testing Date, Method of Testing or Exam Category
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Computer exam candidates testing at a test center (TC) or using live remote proctoring (LRP) can change their scheduled testing date to another date or change the method of testing (TC or LRP), within their eligibility window. Candidates can make a change request by logging in and going to their “schedule or launch exam” link in their account. The candidate should click on view details to cancel a scheduled exam or reschedule an exam. To make a change using the scheduling link the candidate must
- have a minimum of 4 business days left in the 90-day eligibility window.
- be done 4 business days prior to the scheduled test date.
- ensure that there are available test centers or live remote proctoring times before canceling the existing appointment.
Test Centers fill up and can be difficult to schedule towards the end of an eligibility window. Candidates making a change at a test center or trying to go from live remote to a test center should work with PSI directly to ensure a test center appointment is still available in their eligibility window. The PSI scheduling number is (833) 256-1426. Candidates can check for available test centers before making a change by using the following link: FIND TEST CENTERS
CHANGE REQUESTS: Computer exam candidates who wish to take their exam outside their current window and all candidates who cannot take their currently scheduled examination and are unable to reschedule for any reason, have missed their testing date, or need to take a different exam - can request a change. A change request can be submitted to change the examination category, reschedule the test date, or change the method of testing, provided that the requirements below are met.
Candidates are only allowed one change option (ex. if you reschedule your examination date, you will not be able to change your examination category). All change requests must be approved by NCC and you may be required to provide additional information. There will be no refund of original fees or Change Request fees. Candidates who fail to take the examination under this change option must re-apply with full fees.
• Submit the change request within one calendar year from the first date of the original assigned eligibility window
• If you have an exam date scheduled, you MUST cancel with PSI FIRST before submitting a change. Scheduled exams may also be canceled using the "schedule or Launch exam" link in your account.
• Exams must be canceled 4 business days prior to the scheduled exam and 4 business days prior to the end of the eligibility window.
Submit a non-refundable fee of $125 with the Change Request Form
• Use the NCC website online Change Request Form (changes requested in any other format, will not be accepted)
Reschedule a computer testing date or changing the method of testing within the eligibility window.
• A testing date or method or method of testing can be completed within the eligibility window if done at least 4 business days prior to the scheduled test date and before the end of the eligibility window. (Refer to the NCC Testing Guide for details).
• Inability to change a test date or method of testing for any reason, within your assigned 90-day eligibility window, will require a change request and change request fee to move the date or method of testing to a new eligibility window.
• Changes to move the eligibility window require filing an Exam Change Request Form and a non-refundable payment of $125.00. If you have an exam date scheduled, you MUST cancel with PSI FIRST before submitting a change request. Once a change request is submitted there is no refund even if you decide to take the exam as previously scheduled or in the original eligibility window.
To change examination category (Subspecialty to RN core or RN core to subspecialty):
• Examination category cannot be changed from a subspecialty or RN Core application to a NNP or WHNP certification. If you registered for an RN Core exam or subspecialty exam and need to change to NNP or WHNP you will have to submit an exam withdrawal for a partial refund and complete the full registration for one of these APRN certification exams.
• Eligibility must be re-established for the new exam category, and additional documentation and fees may be required.
• The time to consider eligibility for the new category will count toward the original assigned 90-day computer testing window.
• Examinees must take the exam for which they have been determined eligible. No changes will be permitted on examination day. If a candidate knowingly or unknowingly takes an examination other than the one she/he was found eligible to take, the examination will not be scored. No refunds will be allowed, and all fee policies will apply if the candidate reapplies for an examination.
• All Computer Candidates must submit their request at least 30 days prior to the end of their testing window
Withdrawing from the examination process
Withdrawal Policy - Computer Testing
- All withdrawal requests must be submitted online at the NCC website BEFORE the final day of the original eligibility window.
- Candidates who register using a bulk purchase voucher cannot withdraw from the exam
- Candidates who missed a scheduled appointment for testing are no longer eligible to withdraw.
- To withdraw you CANNOT have a scheduled appointment to take an exam through PSI
- If you have a scheduled appointment you will be unable to withdraw until you cancel the appointment directly with PSI. You must call scheduling at 833-256-1426 and UNSCHEDULE the exam prior to submitting the withdrawal application with NCC. You can also cancel your appointment by logging into your account and clicking on the "Scheduling" link.
- Any test appointment with PSI must be canceled/unscheduled no later than four business days prior to the scheduled testing date.
- PSI can only remove you from the test schedule after you have canceled the test date. After you have canceled, you can complete the NCC online withdrawal below.
- Anyone who has previously requested an exam change of any kind, including a requested extension or deferral is not eligible to withdraw.
- A withdrawal request cannot be submitted on the last day of the eligibility window.
- No refund will be considered after the original eligibility window expires.
Refunds for Withdrawing Candidates
- Computer candidates withdrawing from a Core or NP Certification exam will receive a $160 refund of their $325 payment.*
- Computer candidates withdrawing from a Subspecialty exam will receive a $105 refund of their $210 payment.*
- There are no refunds for those who register using a bulk purchase voucher
Substitutions
Candidate substitutions cannot be made for ineligible, withdrawn or extension/deferral candidates.
Other questions about applications already submitted
If you have other questions regarding your submitted application, please use contact us. Remember to provide your full name, address, email address, phone number, exam registered for and approximate date submitted. You should receive a reply no later than 48 hours (business days).