Nursing
PNCB CPNP-AC®Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Acute Care
The Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Acute Care (CPNP-AC) credential is issued by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) for nurse practitioners providing pediatric acute, critical, and complex-chronic care. The blueprint was revised after the 2024 PNCB Job Task Analysis (current outline effective December 2024). CPNP-AC is scope-distinct from CPNP-PC — acute-care NPs manage PICU, pediatric inpatient, and specialty acute services, not well-child primary care.
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Exam facts
Everything you need to know about the PNCB CPNP-AC® exam.
- Passing score
- 400 / 800 scaled score (criterion-referenced)
- Format & length
- 175 questions (150 scored + 25 pretest) · 3 hours
- Voucher cost
- $395 USD (includes $130 nonrefundable registration) · $280 retake
- Prerequisites
- Current unrestricted RN license + graduation from an accredited acute-care pediatric NP program (MSN, DNP, or post-master's certificate) aligned to the NONPF acute-care competencies
- Validity
- 7 years (PNCB annual Recertification Program; advanced-practice pharmacology CE required each year)
What’s tested
Key topics on the PNCB CPNP-AC® exam.
The Cert Climb question bank is mapped to every domain on the official PNCB CPNP-AC® exam blueprint, so what you study is what the test asks.
- Assessment
- Diagnosis
- Management (Acute, Critical, Complex Chronic)
- Professional Practice & Role Management
Who it’s for
Built for the people taking this exam.
Pediatric NPs practicing in PICU, pediatric ED, pediatric hospitalist services, cardiac/critical care, and pediatric surgical/specialty inpatient teams. State boards of nursing increasingly enforce population-and-scope alignment, so acute-care pediatric NP roles legally require CPNP-AC, not CPNP-PC.
Why it matters in 2026
The career signal.
The APRN Consensus Model and the post-2008 acute/primary scope split mean a CPNP-PC cannot legally fill most inpatient pediatric NP roles — hospitals require CPNP-AC. With pediatric hospitalist and PICU NP staffing models expanding in academic and quaternary children's hospitals, CPNP-AC programs remain capacity-limited, so credentialed candidates have outsized leverage in inpatient pediatric job markets.
What you get
Everything you need to actually pass.
Full question bank
450 questions covering every objective on the official PNCB CPNP-AC® 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 PNCB CPNP-AC® 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
PNCB CPNP-AC® articles & study guides
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about PNCB CPNP-AC®
How many questions does the PNCB CPNP-AC® 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 PNCB CPNP-AC® 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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