Nursing
ANCC NE-BC®Nurse Executive Board Certification
The ANCC Nurse Executive Board Certification (NE-BC) validates competency for nurse manager and director-level leadership — staffing, budgeting, quality, and unit operations. It sits below the advanced-level NEA-BC (which targets CNOs and system executives). The exam draws from AONL's Nurse Manager Competencies framework.
30 free questions · no credit card · cancel anytime
Exam facts
Everything you need to know about the ANCC NE-BC® exam.
- Passing score
- 350 / 500 (scaled)
- Format & length
- 150 questions (125 scored + 25 pretest) · 3 hours
- Voucher cost
- $395 USD (non-member) · $295 ANA member
- Prerequisites
- Active RN license + BSN or higher + 2 years RN experience in an executive role (or 30+ semester hours of graduate coursework in nursing administration including a 2-year practicum) + 30 CE hours in nursing administration within the last 3 years
- Validity
- 5 years (75 CE hours for renewal)
What’s tested
Key topics on the ANCC NE-BC® exam.
The Cert Climb question bank is mapped to every domain on the official ANCC NE-BC® exam blueprint, so what you study is what the test asks.
- Human Resource Management
- Quality & Safety
- Business Management
- Health Care Delivery
Who it’s for
Built for the people taking this exam.
Nurse managers, assistant nurse managers, charge nurses on a leadership track, and clinical directors. Frequently a job-posting requirement (or strongly preferred) for nurse manager openings at Magnet hospitals.
Why it matters in 2026
The career signal.
Nurse manager is the most common nursing leadership role in the US and a near-universal step toward director and CNO positions. NE-BC pass rates are notably lower (~66%) than clinical specialty exams because the content is operational rather than clinical — earning it signals genuine readiness for an operational portfolio, not just promotion-by-tenure.
What you get
Everything you need to actually pass.
Full question bank
450 questions covering every objective on the official ANCC NE-BC® exam blueprint, with detailed explanations on every option — right and wrong.
Quiz modes
Timed exam simulation, missed-only review, topic drills, and a daily question of the day. Practice the way you study best.
Flashcards
Spaced-repetition flashcards generated from each topic. Pull them up on a phone in the gap between meetings.
Progress tracking
See per-topic accuracy and answered counts. Find weak areas before they cost you on test day.
Per-category premium
Unlocking ANCC NE-BC® unlocks every other Nursing exam in the Cert Climb catalog — pay once, stack credentials.
No-fluff explanations
Every wrong answer comes with a 2-3 sentence explanation of why it’s wrong, not just “the correct answer is X.” Pattern recognition is the whole game.
Read while you study
ANCC NE-BC® articles & study guides
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about ANCC NE-BC®
How many questions does the ANCC NE-BC® bank have?
450 questions, organized into 4 subject areas mapped to the official exam objectives.
Is the free trial really free?
Yes. 30 questions, no credit card, no email-trap, no “activate by Friday or pay” spam. You either upgrade because the bank’s good, or you don’t.
What does premium cost?
Premium is sold per category and unlocks every Nursing exam in the Cert Climb catalog. Plans are 1-month, 3-month, or 12-month — see the upgrade modal for current pricing.
How current is the ANCC NE-BC® content?
We track exam version updates and refresh the bank within weeks of new objectives. Where the version of an exam matters (e.g. CompTIA SY0-701 vs. SY0-601), question explanations call it out.
Can I cancel my subscription anytime?
Yes. Cancellation is one click from your profile. Your access continues through the end of the period you’ve already paid for.
Stop researching. Start drilling.
30 free questions on ANCC NE-BC® — no card, no commitment.
Start free trial