CNRN Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the CNRN 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.
CNRN exam key facts
- The CNRN exam consists of 220 multiple-choice items, 20 of which are unscored pretest items. Source
- The CNRN exam has a total testing time of 4 hours. Source
- The CNRN passing point is set equal to a scaled score of 200 using a criterion-referenced procedure, with the final determination made by the ABNN Board of Trustees. Source
- The CNRN exam application fee is $300 for AANN members and $400 for nonmembers by credit card, or $325 and $425 by check. Source
- CNRN candidates may test once per exam window and no more than three times in 12 months. Source
📋 CNRN Exam Format at a Glance
📚 CNRN Topics to Study (25)
✍️ Sample CNRN Questions & Answers
1. The nurse is preparing a patient for lumbar puncture to assess for meningitis after TBI. Before performing the LP, the priority is to:
CT head must be obtained first to rule out elevated ICP before LP; antibiotics should be started empirically without delaying treatment pending imaging.
2. A nurse notes Cushing's triad in a neuroscience patient. Which set of findings is characteristic?
Cushing's triad consists of hypertension (widening pulse pressure), bradycardia, and irregular respirations, signaling impending brainstem herniation.
3. A nurse caring for a patient with advanced Parkinson's disease observes excessive drooling (sialorrhea). This is BEST explained by:
Sialorrhea in Parkinson's disease results from impaired and infrequent automatic swallowing due to bradykinesia — saliva production is not increased, but clearance is reduced.
4. Which post-operative position is recommended after infratentorial (posterior fossa) craniotomy to minimize cerebellar and brainstem edema?
Head elevation at 30–45 degrees with midline head positioning promotes venous drainage and reduces posterior fossa edema after infratentorial craniotomy.
5. The nurse is caring for a patient in refractory status epilepticus requiring continuous EEG monitoring. The therapeutic goal of treatment is to achieve:
In refractory status epilepticus, treatment with anesthetic agents aims to achieve burst suppression on EEG, indicating adequate seizure suppression.
6. ICP is 30 mm Hg in a patient with an external ventricular drain (EVD). When the drain is opened, the output is extremely slow. What comes after that?
An ICP of 30 mmHg is significantly elevated and requires immediate attention. If the external ventricular drain (EVD) is open but output is extremely slow, it suggests a potential malfunction, obstruction, or inadequate drainage, which can lead to further neurological compromise. This situation warrants immediate medical evaluation and intervention from the attending physician or resident.
🎯 Free CNRN Practice Tests
📖 CNRN Guides & Articles
What Practice Test Geeks adds beyond an AI chat for CNRN
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 CNRN mock exam — 220 questions in 240 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 CNRN 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 CNRN cheat sheet you can print or save as a PDF.
- CNRN flashcards built from the same question bank.
- Free CNRN 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
- abnncertification.org — Eligibility, test delivery, exam format, passing score, retake policy, score release, test dates, time limit, fees · verified Oct 2026