All Nursing Exams

Who is eligible for the NP board exams, and when can you apply?

You need an active RN license, an accredited graduate NP program and 500 supervised clinical hours. Both boards give a 120-day testing window.

Checked November 10, 2026

Short answer: You need a current, active registered nurse (RN) license, an accredited graduate nurse practitioner program in your specialty and at least 500 faculty-supervised clinical hours. Both boards let you apply before your degree is conferred, and ANCC requires you to apply within 5 years of degree conferral.

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. These rules cover the family nurse practitioner exam and the adult-gerontology primary care exam at each board.

Requirements at each board

Requirement AANP board ANCC
RN license Current and active, in the United States or a U.S. territory Current and active, in a U.S. state or territory, or the legally recognized equivalent in another country
Program Graduate, postgraduate or doctoral program in the specialty Master's, post-graduate certificate or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in the specialty
Clinical hours Minimum 500 faculty-supervised direct patient care hours Minimum 500 faculty-supervised clinical hours in the program
Documents Unofficial transcript and a copy of your RN license Validation of Education (VOE) form, clinical hour documentation, transcripts and a copy of your RN license

Both boards also require three separate graduate-level core courses. At the AANP board they are advanced physical assessment, advanced pharmacology and advanced pathophysiology. At ANCC they are advanced physiology/pathophysiology, advanced health assessment and advanced pharmacology.

ANCC accepts programs accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the NLN CNEA. The AANP board accepts a nursing accrediting organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

The AANP board does not require a VOE form. You attest that your information is true.

Applying before you graduate

AANP board: Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and post-graduate certificate applicants may apply up to 6 months before program completion. DNP applicants may apply up to 12 months before. You may test after all didactic coursework and clinical hours are complete. The board sends the Authorization to Test (ATT) after your program completion date is reached and your eligibility is confirmed.

ANCC: you may apply before your degree is conferred. All required coursework and clinical hours must be complete when you apply. ANCC recommends that you apply one month before graduation.

At both boards, you are certified only after the final official transcript arrives.

ANCC time limits

ANCC requires you to apply within 5 years of degree conferral. This rule began on January 1, 2026. ANCC measures the 5 years on the day you submit the application, not on the test date.

Since January 1, 2026, ANCC also requires that a post-graduate certificate program itself holds advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) program accreditation.

Processing times and the testing window

The AANP board home page shows a current processing time of 3 business days for applications and documents. The board does not publish a paid expedited option.

ANCC has an expedited review that costs US$200 for a review in 3 business days. ANCC states that this service is temporarily unavailable as of September 25, 2026, and that later requests are not processed. Confirm the current review time with ANCC.

Each board gives you a 120-day testing window. You must schedule and take the exam inside it.

Scheduling with Prometric

  • AANP board: log in to your NPCB online account and select Schedule an Exam. The account sends you to Prometric's scheduling system.
  • ANCC: schedule at www.prometric.com/ANCC after the Authorization to Test notice arrives by email.

Both exams are given only at Prometric test centers. Neither board offers remote proctoring for the certification exam. ANCC offers live remote proctoring only for its Readiness Test.

What to do next

  1. Collect your documents. For ANCC, ask your school early for the VOE form.
  2. Read How much do the AANP and ANCC exams cost? before you pay.
  3. If you have not chosen a board, see AANP or ANCC: which FNP exam should you take?.

Common questions

Do I need a doctorate?

No. ANCC states that the DNP is not a requirement for its certification. The AANP board accepts graduate, postgraduate and doctoral programs.

Can work experience replace clinical hours?

Not at ANCC. ANCC does not accept work hours or practice experience for eligibility.

Is the clinical hour minimum going up to 750?

ANCC says its certification requirement remains at 500 faculty-supervised clinical hours.

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