Nursing
CCI CFPN®Certified Foundational Perioperative Nurse
The Certified Foundational Perioperative Nurse (CFPN) is the entry-tier perioperative credential from the Competency & Credentialing Institute (CCI), introduced for OR nurses who do not yet have the experience to sit for the CNOR. Eligibility is capped at 23 months of OR experience from initial hire, making this an explicitly foundational — not parallel — credential to CNOR and CNAMB.
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Exam facts
Everything you need to know about the CCI CFPN® exam.
- Passing score
- 620 / 800 scaled score
- Format & length
- 120 questions (100 scored + 20 pretest) · 2.5 hours
- Voucher cost
- $250 USD (application + first attempt) · $175 retake
- Prerequisites
- Current unrestricted RN license + completion of a perioperative orientation program (didactic + clinical) + currently working in perioperative nursing with ≤23 months OR experience since initial hire
- Validity
- 2 years (non-renewable; CFPN holders get reduced eligibility hours and discounted application fees when moving up to CNOR or CNAMB)
What’s tested
Key topics on the CCI CFPN® exam.
The Cert Climb question bank is mapped to every domain on the official CCI CFPN® exam blueprint, so what you study is what the test asks.
- Intraoperative Care
- Infection Prevention and Control
- Pre/Postoperative Patient Assessment & Diagnosis
- Communication and Documentation
- Emergency Situations
- Individualized Plan of Care
- Professional Accountability
Who it’s for
Built for the people taking this exam.
New OR nurses inside their first ~2 years, particularly those coming through Periop 101-style residency programs. The credential is built specifically as a stepping stone — CNOR requires 2 years and 2,400 hours, which most early-career OR RNs cannot meet.
Why it matters in 2026
The career signal.
CFPN is the only nationally recognized perioperative credential available to nurses under two years of OR experience. Hospitals using AORN's Periop 101 increasingly use CFPN as a competency-gate after orientation, and CFPN holders qualify for reduced CNOR/CNAMB eligibility (18 months and 2,400 hours instead of 24 and 2,400).
What you get
Everything you need to actually pass.
Full question bank
437 questions covering every objective on the official CCI CFPN® 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 CCI CFPN® 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
CCI CFPN® articles & study guides
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about CCI CFPN®
How many questions does the CCI CFPN® bank have?
437 questions, organized into 8 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 CCI CFPN® 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.
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