Nursing
CCI CNAMBCertified Ambulatory Surgery Nurse
The Certified Ambulatory Surgery Nurse (CNAMB) credential is issued by the Competency & Credentialing Institute (CCI) for RNs practicing in ambulatory surgery centers and hospital-based outpatient surgery units. The blueprint is scoped to the same-day surgical continuum — high-volume preop assessment, intraop, PACU phase I/II, and discharge — not inpatient OR or general ambulatory care.
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Exam facts
Everything you need to know about the CCI CNAMB exam.
- Passing score
- Scaled score (CCI does not publish numeric cut score for CNAMB)
- Format & length
- 200 questions (185 scored + 15 pretest) · 3 hours 45 minutes
- Voucher cost
- $400 USD (application + first attempt) · $175 retake · $441 Take 2 (two attempts within 12 months)
- Prerequisites
- Current unrestricted RN license + pre-licensure nursing degree (diploma/ADN or higher) + 2 years and 2,400 hours in an ambulatory surgery setting (≥500 intraoperative); 18 months/2,400 hours if holding CFPN, CST, TS-C, or military equivalent
- Validity
- 3 years (recertify via CE contact hours or re-exam)
Exam facts sourced from the official CCI (Competency & Credentialing Institute) certification page. Last reviewed June 2026.
What’s tested
Key topics on the CCI CNAMB® exam.
The Cert Climb question bank is mapped to every domain on the official CCI CNAMB® exam blueprint, so what you study is what the test asks.
- Intraoperative Care
- Preoperative Patient Assessment & Diagnosis
- Communication
- Preoperative Plan of Care
- Postoperative / Transfer of Care
- Professional Accountability
- Management of Personnel, Services & Materials
- Instrument Processing & Supply Management
- Emergency Situations
Who it’s for
Built for the people taking this exam.
RNs in freestanding ASCs, hospital outpatient surgery departments, and office-based surgical suites whose practice spans preop through PACU discharge. CNAMB is the scope-correct alternative to CNOR for nurses who don't work in inpatient ORs.
Why it matters in 2026
The career signal.
ASC volume has surpassed hospital inpatient surgery in the US (~70% of all elective surgical procedures), but most ambulatory-specific nurses default to CNOR or ANCC's AMB-BC — neither of which truly fits ASC workflow. CNAMB is the only credential explicitly built around the same-day surgical pathway, and AAAHC- and Joint Commission-accredited ASCs increasingly cite it on credentialing files.
Sample question
What a CCI CNAMB question looks like.
A perioperative nurse is preparing a non-English-speaking patient for an elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The patient's adult daughter offers to interpret the informed consent discussion. Which action by the nurse is MOST appropriate?
See the answer & explanation
Correct: B. Use a trained, qualified medical interpreter instead of a family member for the consent discussion
Why: Federal law (Title VI of the Civil Rights Act) and Joint Commission standards require healthcare organizations to provide qualified medical interpreters at no cost to patients with limited English proficiency; using a family member for high-stakes communications such as informed consent is strongly discouraged because family interpreters may omit, alter, or editorialize clinical information and cannot be held to professional standards of accuracy or confidentiality. Using written translated materials alone (C) does not allow for questions or verification of understanding. Delaying the procedure (D) is unnecessary and places an unfair burden on the patient.
What you get
Everything you need to actually pass.
Full question bank
80 questions covering every objective on the official CCI CNAMB® 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 CNAMB® 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.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about CCI CNAMB
What is the CCI CNAMB exam?
The Certified Ambulatory Surgery Nurse (CNAMB) credential is issued by the Competency & Credentialing Institute (CCI) for RNs practicing in ambulatory surgery centers and hospital-based outpatient surgery units. The blueprint is scoped to the same-day surgical continuum — high-volume preop assessment, intraop, PACU phase I/II, and discharge — not inpatient OR or general ambulatory care.
How many questions are on the CCI CNAMB exam, and how long is it?
200 questions (185 scored + 15 pretest) · 3 hours 45 minutes
What is the passing score for the CCI CNAMB exam?
Scaled score (CCI does not publish numeric cut score for CNAMB)
How much does the CCI CNAMB exam cost?
$400 USD (application + first attempt) · $175 retake · $441 Take 2 (two attempts within 12 months)
Are there prerequisites for the CCI CNAMB exam?
Current unrestricted RN license + pre-licensure nursing degree (diploma/ADN or higher) + 2 years and 2,400 hours in an ambulatory surgery setting (≥500 intraoperative); 18 months/2,400 hours if holding CFPN, CST, TS-C, or military equivalent
How long is the CCI CNAMB certification valid?
3 years (recertify via CE contact hours or re-exam)
How many questions does the CCI CNAMB bank have?
80 questions, organized into 9 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 CNAMB® 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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