CARN Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the CARN exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
CARN exam key facts
- The CARN exam has 150 questions, of which about 25 are unscored pilot questions. Source
- Candidates have three hours to complete the CARN exam. Source
- A passing score on the CARN exam requires correctly answering 75% of the test items. Source
- CARN retake links are emailed no sooner than 30 days after the last test date, and new links are issued after each unsuccessful attempt for up to one year from the original application. Source
- CARN certification is valid for four years from the date of passing the exam. Source
📋 CARN Exam Format at a Glance
📚 CARN Topics to Study (44)
✍️ Sample CARN Questions & Answers
1. A CARN is asked to sign documentation attesting to treatment services that were not actually provided. This action would constitute:
Signing attestations for services not rendered constitutes healthcare fraud, which is illegal and violates professional ethics.
2. What is a major concern when using pharmacological interventions in addiction treatment?
A significant concern with pharmacological interventions in addiction treatment is the potential for patients to misuse the prescribed medication or develop a new dependence. This risk necessitates careful monitoring by healthcare professionals, appropriate prescribing practices, and thorough patient education. The goal is to support recovery without inadvertently creating new substance use issues.
3. When a patient threatens to harm a specific, identifiable third party, a nurse's legal duty under Tarasoff principles requires:
Tarasoff establishes a duty to warn identifiable potential victims when a credible threat of harm exists, overriding typical confidentiality.
4. A CARN discovers a colleague is diverting controlled substances for personal use. What is the nurse's primary ethical obligation?
The CARN has an ethical and legal obligation to report suspected diversion immediately to protect patient safety and uphold professional standards.
5. Which approach to trauma-informed care is MOST important when working with patients with co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorders?
Trauma-informed care emphasizes creating physical and emotional safety, building trust, offering choice and collaboration, and empowering patients — foundational elements especially critical for patients with co-occurring PTSD and substance use disorders.
6. A patient with opioid use disorder is court-ordered to treatment but refuses medication-assisted treatment on religious grounds. The ethical principle most relevant to honoring this refusal is:
Autonomy supports a patient's right to refuse treatment, including specific modalities, even when court-ordered for the treatment program itself.
🎯 Free CARN Practice Tests
📖 CARN Guides & Articles
- CARN Practice Test PDF (Free Printable 2026)
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- CARN - Certified Addictions Registered Nurse: Complete Study Guide 2026
- CARN Practice Test
- How to Become a Certified Addictions Registered Nurse: A Step-by-Step Guide
- CARN Exam Prep: Comprehensive Prep for Certified Addictions Registered Nurses
What Practice Test Geeks adds beyond an AI chat for CARN
An AI chatbot can quiz you, but it can't reproduce the exam conditions or keep your record. Here you get:
- A timed, full-length CARN mock exam — 150 questions in 180 minutes with a 70% pass mark, modeled on the official exam's question count and time limit, followed by a score report broken down by exam domain.
- A fixed CARN question bank: the same test every attempt, so your score is comparable from one try to the next instead of changing with every regenerated quiz.
- Progress saved on your device: completed tests, scores and missed questions stay in My Progress, so you can retake only what you got wrong.
- A printable CARN cheat sheet you can print or save as a PDF.
- CARN flashcards built from the same question bank.
- Free CARN practice tests with the correct answer shown after each question.
How this page was made: written with AI tools and published by Nathan Beja, founder of Practice Test Geeks, who is responsible for its content. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy
Sources & references
Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy
- cnetnurse.com — Renewal, score validity, test delivery, exam format, passing score, retake policy, score release, time limit, test dates, exam information · verified Oct 2026