The Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR) exam is for candidates pursuing certification in cancer registry work through eligible education or experience routes. This page brings together free topic practice sets, worked explanations, and verified exam details to help you plan your preparation. Practice Test Geeks uses AI tools to write content. These are our practice questions, not real exam questions; check rules and requirements against the official material.
The CTR takes about 4 hours and costs $435[1][2] (National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA), Council on Certification, verified Oct 25, 2026).
Numbers in brackets link to the official sources listed under Sources & last verified. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
| Item | Detail | Source · Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Time limit | 4 hours (2 h closed-book + 2 h open-book, 15-minute break)[1] | National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA), Council on Certification · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Passing score | Criterion-referenced cut score (Modified-Angoff), combined total[1] | National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA), Council on Certification · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Exam fee | $435 ($335 NCRA members)[2] | National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA), Council on Certification · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Retake policy | Once per testing window; reapply for a later window[1] | National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA), Council on Certification · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Renewal | 20 CE every 2 years + annual fee; due Jan 31[3] | National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA), Council on Certification · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Delivery | Meazure Learning test center or remote online testing[4] | National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA), Council on Certification · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Eligibility | Route 1/2: NCRA-accredited program + practicum; Route 3: 1,950 hours registry experience + associate degree incl. A&P[1] | National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA), Council on Certification · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Score release | About 6–8 weeks after the exam window[1] | National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA), Council on Certification · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Registration deadline (Fall 2027) | October 8, 2027[2] | National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA), Council on Certification · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Registration deadline (Spring 2027) | March 5, 2027[2] | National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA), Council on Certification · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Registration deadline (Summer 2027) | June 18, 2027[2] | National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA), Council on Certification · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Testing window (Fall 2026) | Oct 23 – Nov 14, 2026[1] | National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA), Council on Certification · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Testing window (Fall 2027) | October 22 – November 13, 2027[2] | National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA), Council on Certification · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Testing window (Spring 2027) | March 19 – April 10, 2027[2] | National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA), Council on Certification · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Testing window (Summer 2027) | July 2 – 24, 2027[2] | National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA), Council on Certification · Oct 25, 2026 |
According to National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA), Council on Certification, “The cut score or passing point used in this examination is determined by a criterion-referenced approach called the Modified-Angoff method.”[1]
The certification exam is administered through the National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA), Council on Certification. Candidates can test at a Meazure Learning assessment center or use remote online testing. The exam allows 4 hours of answering time: 2 hours closed-book and 2 hours open-book, with a 15-minute break.
Eligibility depends on your route. Routes 1 and 2 require an NCRA-accredited program and a practicum. Route 3 requires 1,950 hours of cancer registry experience plus an associate degree that includes anatomy and physiology. Use NCRA’s official candidate handbook to check the requirements for your route before applying.
The passing point uses a criterion-referenced method called Modified-Angoff. The result is based on the combined total; the supplied facts do not establish a fixed passing percentage. Scores are available about 6–8 weeks after the exam window, so plan around the window’s end rather than your appointment date.
You may take the exam only once per testing window. A retake requires a new application for a later window. Consult NCRA’s Certification Exam page for application dates and its candidate handbook for exam rules. The practice topics below are site categories; no verified official content-area outline was supplied for mapping them to the exam.
Prepare for the CTR - Certified Tumor Registrar exam with our free practice test modules. Each quiz covers key topics to help you pass on your first try.
These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.
Question: Which U.S. national program collects population-based cancer incidence and survival data from registries across the country?
Answer: A. SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results)
Explanation:
A, SEER, is the intended answer. NCI describes SEER as collecting cancer incidence and survival data from population-based registries. See the [SEER overview](https://seer.cancer.gov/about/overview.html). B, NCDB, uses hospital registry data, as explained by the [American College of Surgeons](https://www.facs.org/quality-programs/cancer-programs/national-cancer-database/). C, CoC, refers to the Commission on Cancer associated with accredited cancer programs, rather than the named surveillance program. D needs a caveat: NPCR also supports population-based incidence and survival statistics, according to [CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/united-states-cancer-statistics/dataviz/index.html). It cannot be dismissed cleanly under this wording. Remember to distinguish programs by their sponsoring organization and data sources. Specifying NCI in the question would make SEER the clear answer.
Question: What does 'resection margin status' (R classification) describe in surgical pathology reports?
Answer: B. Presence of residual tumor after surgical resection
Explanation:
B is correct because R classification describes whether tumor remains after treatment, including surgical resection. The [AJCC staging principles](https://www.facs.org/media/xuxfkbpb/principles_cancer_staging.pdf) distinguish residual tumor status from the anatomical extent of cancer. A describes how deeply the tumor invades tissue, which does not by itself establish whether tumor remains after surgery. C describes the quantity of lymph nodes removed, not residual disease. D concerns tumor involvement of lymphatic or blood vessels, which is also a separate finding. Remember to ask what the report statement measures: remaining tumor, invasion depth, lymph node removal, or lymphovascular invasion. Margin findings inform residual tumor assessment, but these terms should not be treated as interchangeable.
Question: Under CoC standards, what is the maximum number of days from date of first contact at a facility to the date a case must be abstracted?
Answer: A. 6 months
Explanation:
A, 6 months, is the supplied answer key, but this item needs source verification before you use it to learn a reporting deadline. The stem asks for days while the keyed answer uses months. The supplied verified facts do not establish this CoC requirement or support the standard cited in the existing explanation. B, 3 months, and D, 30 days, describe shorter intervals than the keyed answer; C, 1 year, describes a longer interval. Those differences explain the intended choice, but do not establish the current rule. For deadline questions, verify the applicable standard, case category, starting event, and time unit before memorizing an answer.
Start with the NCRA candidate handbook. Check your eligibility route, read the testing rules, and identify the reference materials permitted for your exam. Keep the official material available when reviewing practice explanations.
Use CTR Casefinding and CTR Cancer Registry Data Collection to examine how you identify reportable information. Then work through CTR Abstracting & Coding and CTR Staging & Prognostic Factors. Choose topics according to your errors; these categories do not establish official exam weighting.
For each missed question, record the clue you overlooked, the rule you applied, and the source that resolves the answer. Separate recall mistakes from difficulty locating a rule. Revisit uncertain explanations before repeating the set, especially questions that assert a reporting deadline.
Practise closed-book recall separately from looking up answers in permitted references. Use CTR Data Quality & Completeness to review checking decisions. Before test day, confirm your appointment instructions and review the handbook’s requirements for your chosen delivery method.
Route 3 requires 1,950 hours of experience in the cancer registry field plus an associate degree that includes anatomy and physiology. Routes 1 and 2 use an NCRA-accredited program and practicum. Consult NCRA’s candidate handbook to check the requirements for your route before applying.
The exam fee is $435 for non-members and $335 for NCRA members. These are the rates listed on NCRA’s Certification Exam page. Membership status determines which listed exam fee applies; check that official page when preparing your application and payment.
For Spring 2027, apply by March 5 for testing March 19–April 10. For Summer 2027, apply by June 18 for testing July 2–24. For Fall 2027, apply by October 8 for testing October 22–November 13. NCRA’s Certification Exam page lists these application deadlines separately from the testing windows.
The exam includes 2 hours closed-book and 2 hours open-book, for 4 hours of answering time, with a 15-minute break. Delivery is available at Meazure Learning assessment centers or through remote online testing. Refer to NCRA’s candidate handbook for the exam rules.
Scores are available approximately 6–8 weeks after the exam window. Passing is determined from the combined total using a criterion-referenced Modified-Angoff cut score. You may take the exam only once during a testing window; a retake requires reapplying for a later window.
Renewal requires 20 hours of continuing education every 2 years, plus an annual fee, with requirements due January 31. NCRA’s Current ODS page is the official source for maintenance requirements. The continuing education cycle and annual fee have different schedules, so keep track of both.
How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.