2 
5About the SCRN® Exam
The American Board of Neuroscience Nursing (ABNN) is a not-for-profit corporation with the purpose of creating and overseeing programs for certification of professional nurses within neuroscience nursing (www.abnncertification.org).
The American Association of Neuroscience Nurses (AANN) was founded in 1968 with the purpose of advancing the science and practice of neuroscience nursing. It accomplishes this through provision of continuing professional education, information sharing, research support, standard setting, and advocacy of not only neuroscience nursing, but also advocacy of patients and their families (www.aann.org).
These two organizations work closely together for the mutual goal of advancement of stroke nursing certification via the SCRN® (Stroke Certified Registered Nurse) exam. The SCRN certification exam is only available through the ABNN and the AANN. The SCRN certification is valid for 5 years.
1. A current, unrestricted RN license in the United States, Canada, or in a United States Territory that utilizes the U.S. State Board Test Pool Exam or National Council for Licensure Exam. Audits to validate current licensure will be conducted. Candidates from other countries must meet comparable 6license requirements, and must be able to read and understand English, as the test is administered in English.
2. Status as a professional nurse working in stroke care including bedside (direct practice), research, educator, administrator or consultant (indirect practice)—with a minimum of 2 years of stroke care experience as a registered nurse within the past 5 years. The ABNN indicates that the experience criteria established does not preclude a candidate with less experience from taking the exam.
3. Completion of the online certification application and submission with fee—must be received by ABNN prior to the application deadline.
Questions about eligibility can be addressed by emailing info@abnncertification.org.
• The SCRN exam is a computer-based test (CBT) in a multiple-choice format. Each question has four answer options with only one of the answers being correct. There are 170 questions (20 of which are possible future questions and do not count toward your score), with 4 hours allowed for completion.
• The exam will be automatically terminated after 4 hours. A digital clock is included for tracking time, and this feature may be turned off during the exam if desired.
• The questions are presented one at a time, with the question number appearing in the lower right area of the screen. You may change your answer as many times as you want until the allotted time is exhausted. To advance to the next question, click on the forward arrow in the lower right area of the screen.
• Questions can be bookmarked for later review by clicking on the blank square to the right of the Time button. To advance to the next unanswered or bookmarked question, click on the hand icon.
The ABNN has based the exam categories and percentage of the total score dedicated to each category on extensive research of stroke and stroke care nursing. The content is divided as follows:
Anatomy and physiology: 12%
Preventive care: 10%
7Hyperacute care: 20%
Stroke diagnostics: 10%
Acute care: 25%
Medications: 10%
Postacute care: 8%
Systems and quality care: 5%
• Exam results will be provided to the test taker upon completion of the exam, and certificates will be mailed to those who achieved the passing score.
• Those who fail the exam may reapply and retake it as often as they desire. The eligibility criteria must be met each time, along with a new application and fee.
• Examination services are provided by Applied Measurement Professionals (AMP), a PSI business, in contract with ABNN.
• The exam is offered year-round at more than 190 AMP assessment centers across the United States and internationally. Registration at a testing site will be possible after you receive confirmation of the completed online exam application from ABNN. For a list of test sites, see online.goamp.com/CandidateHome/assessmentCenterNetworkLocations.aspx
• The exam is by appointment—Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Some locations may have evening and Saturday appointments.
• Candidates requesting special accommodations must call AMP at 888-519-9901 to schedule their exam.
Scheduling an Exam Appointment
• Online: www.goAMP.com and select “Candidates.”
• By phone: call toll-free 888-519-9901 Monday through Thursday, between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. (Central Time), Fridays between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., and Saturdays between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00.p.m.
• Be prepared to confirm a date and location for testing, and to provide your name and candidate identification number (from AMP’s email scheduling notice).
8Rescheduling an Exam Appointment
• You may reschedule your exam appointment one time at no charge as long as the new date is within your eligibility window. To do so, call AMP at 888-519-9901 at least 2 business days prior to your scheduled appointment date.
Postponing an Exam Appointment
• If your exam has not yet been scheduled, you may postpone your exam window to the next exam window one time; contact AMP: 888-519-9901.
• If you have completed the application process, but have not yet scheduled your exam date, and wish to cancel your application, contact ABNN at info@abnncertification.org. Refunds (minus a $100 administrative fee) will only be made for requests received a minimum of 7 days prior to the scheduled exam window.
This information, along with more details, is available at www.abnncertification.org or www.aann.org.
Common Questions About the SCRN Exam
1. Do I have to be a member of AANN to take the SCRN exam?
Answer: No, nonmembers can take the test. Members receive a discounted exam fee.
2. Is there a penalty for guessing on the SCRN exam?
Answer: No, there is no penalty for guessing.
3. Can I skip a question and return to it later?
Answer: Yes, questions can be left unanswered and returned to later during the exam time period.
4. How soon can I retake the exam if I fail it?
Answer: The ABNN does not specify a waiting period to retake the exam as do some other certifying organizations.
5. What if I do not think any of the answer choices for a question are correct?
Answer: You will need to make your best guess from the choices provided. Be assured that the test questions have been reviewed by multiple content 9experts at AANN. It is possible to post an online comment by clicking on the button displaying an exclamation point to the left of the time button. The comments will be reviewed, but an individual response will not be provided.
6. What is a passing score for this exam?
Answer: The passing score is determined by a procedure that involves the judgment of national neuroscience nursing experts and professional psychometricians from AMP, the company that administers the exam, so there is no specific passing score. A scaled score is utilized to ensure a consistent scale of measurement, regardless of which exam a candidate was given. In other words, the raw score of a more difficult version of the exam would not equate with the raw score of a less difficult version. So the raw scores are converted to scaled scores for determination of pass or fail.
7. What if there is a snowstorm, hurricane, tornado, tsunami, earthquake, or massive highway closure on the day of my exam and I cannot get to the testing site?
Answer: The testing administrator, AMP, will determine if circumstances warrant cancellation or rescheduling. Scheduled candidates will be notified regarding rescheduling if this occurs. You can also visit their website at www.goAMP.com for information.
8. Which certification should I pursue, the SCRN or the Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse (CNRN), or both?
Answer: This is a personal choice based on professional experience, goals, and employment setting. Neuroscience nurses working in a setting that includes a variety of neuroscience populations, including stroke, might be interested in pursuing both certifications. Stroke is covered on the CNRN exam, but obviously not in the detail that it is covered in the SCRN exam. It might help to understand the distinctions between the two certification exams (see Table 2.1).
TABLE 2.1 Comparison of SCRN and CNRN Exams
|
SCRN |
CNRN |
Year of origination |
2013 |
1978 |
Number certified |
Over 2,250 |
Over 4,900 |
Experience required |
2 years stroke care nursing |
2 years full-time neuroscience nursing |
Duration of certification |
5 years |
5 years |
Cost of certification |
Same for both |
|
Categories covered |
Adult stroke–specific |
Pediatric and adult neuroscience spectrum |
Number of questions |
170 (150 count toward score) |
220 (200 count toward score) |
Testing time |
4 hours |
4 hours |
CNRN, Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse; SCRN, Stroke Certified Registered Nurse.
1. Consider attending a review course, if there is one available. Also, consider a group of colleagues who might be interested in studying together for the SCRN certification exam. Each member could outline a different topic to present to the group.
2. A few weeks before your exam date, design a notes sheet that you will memorize right before the exam. Common items might be the cranial nerves, or generic/trade names of important drugs.
3. Ensure that you have your ID and the test date confirmation information to take along with you.
4. Ensure that you know the route to the testing center, and plan for extra time to get there.
5. Get adequate sleep—avoiding heavy meals and alcohol 3 to 4 hours prior to bedtime is helpful.
6. Arrange for wake-up time that allows you to get ready and eat without rushing.
7. 11Avoid a heavy breakfast, and try to include a combination of protein and complex carbohydrate for sustained energy.
8. When you start the exam, utilize any time left from the tutorial session, and jot down the notes you have memorized. This often helps you to relax as you know you have those things jotted down now.
9. The first several questions are often some of the hardest. Keep this in mind, and remember to use the feature that allows you to mark a question so you can skip it and come back to it later, after you’ve gotten into your rhythm with more questions.
10. Familiarize yourself with the generic names of common stroke medications (refer to the list provided in this study guide). The test will only refer to the generic names, so be prepared.
11. If the choices of a particular question do not make sense to you, try reading them in reverse order—the last one first.
12. Sometimes there is more information provided than is needed. Try not to read into the questions or answer choices—take them at face value. If there is a large paragraph, consider reading the last sentence first to get an idea of what they’re asking, then read the paragraph.
13. Do not leave any questions unanswered. Remember, there is no penalty for guessing, so you have a 25% chance of being right, which is better than a 0% if you leave it blank.
14. If you find yourself feeling panicky or overwhelmed, consider a quick break. There is no pause in the time window for breaks, so keep it to less than 5 minutes. But a change of scenery, a quick drink, a bathroom stop, and maybe even splashing water on your face may be helpful. Also remember the simple technique of slow deep breaths.
15. When you have finished, take the time to congratulate yourself and your colleagues for having the discipline and focus to prepare for and take this important certification exam.12