All Nursing Exams

How much do the AANP and ANCC exams cost?

The AANP board exam costs US$315, or US$240 for AANP members. The ANCC exam costs US$395, or US$295 for ANA members. Fees checked November 10, 2026.

Checked November 10, 2026

Short answer: The AANP board exam costs US$315, or US$240 if you are an AANP member. The ANCC exam costs US$395, or US$295 if you are an American Nurses Association (ANA) member.

These prices are the same for the family nurse practitioner exam and the adult-gerontology primary care exam at each board. The AANP board is the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB), which now operates under the name NPCB. ANCC is the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

The exam fee at each board

Who you are AANP board (FNP-C, AGNP-C) ANCC (FNP-BC, AGPCNP-BC)
Not a member of any association US$315 US$395
AANP member US$240 US$340
ANA member no discount US$295
AANP student member not listed separately US$290
GAPNA member no discount US$340

You do not have to join an association to take either exam. At ANCC, the ANA price does not apply to ANA e-membership, and you cannot combine two discounts.

Is it worth joining an association first?

A membership saves US$75 at the AANP board. At ANCC, the ANA member price is US$100 lower than the non-member price. Whether that is a saving for you depends on the price of the membership, which each association sets and which is not part of the exam fee. Check the membership price before you apply.

The timing matters at both boards:

  • AANP board: you can email your membership details within 30 days of applying and still receive the US$75 discount.
  • ANCC: you can claim a discount for up to 5 business days after ANCC receives your application. After that, ANCC does not honor the discount and does not refund the difference.

Fees you can avoid

Situation AANP board ANCC
Your 120-day testing window ends before you test US$75 for a new window, one time only US$100 for a new 120-day window, one time only
You move your appointment No fee 30 or more days before the test. US$50 from 5 to 29 days before No fee up to 2 days before the appointment
You withdraw before scheduling or testing Refund minus a US$120 processing fee Refund minus the US$140 administrative fee
You cancel late or miss the appointment Less than 5 days before, or a missed appointment: the full test delivery fee applies and there is no refund. The board does not publish the amount Less than 2 days before the test: you forfeit the testing fee

At ANCC, US$140 of every exam price is a non-refundable administrative fee. ANCC gives this example: if you paid US$395 and withdraw, ANCC keeps US$140 and refunds US$255.

What a retake costs

At the AANP board, a retake costs the same as the first attempt: US$315, or US$240 for members.

ANCC requires a new retest application and a retest fee. ANCC does not publish the retest fee amount on its certification pages or in its handbook, so confirm it in your ANCC account before you apply. The waiting rules are in How many times can you retake an NP board exam?.

Optional costs

  • AANP board practice exam: US$50 per attempt, with 50 multiple-choice questions.
  • ANCC Readiness Test: US$85 per session, with 60 questions.
  • Sending your certification to a state board of nursing: free at both boards.

The exam fee is not the whole cost of becoming a nurse practitioner. Your state board of nursing charges its own fees for the advanced practice license, and each state sets its own amount.

What to do next

  1. Decide which exam you will take. See AANP or ANCC: which FNP exam should you take?.
  2. If you plan to use a member price, join before you apply and have your membership number ready.
  3. Schedule your appointment early in the 120-day window so you do not pay for a new window.

Common questions

Did the NP exam fees change for 2027?

Neither board has announced an exam fee change for 2027. We checked both boards' fee pages on November 10, 2026.

Can I pay less if I cannot afford the fee?

ANCC allows a request for one fee modification every 10 years, which can be a deferral, a reduction or a waiver.

Do I pay again when I renew?

Yes. Certification lasts 5 years at both boards, and each board charges a renewal fee. See How do you renew NP certification?.

Prep from our team

NPractitioner has 2,500+ practice questions for the FNP and adult-gerontology primary care board exams, written to American guidelines, with study sheets by topic. All Nursing Exams, NCLEXPace and NPractitioner are run by the same team. See https://www.npractitioner.com.

Sources