Which NCC exam is right for me?
The National Certification Corporation offers several different exams for nurses that work with babies, from a core exam developed for nurses that work in a Level II NICU to nurses that care for extremely low birth weight neonates.
Core Exams
There are two “core” exams that are designed for nurses working in the NICU to demonstrate their knowledge in their specialty. These include:
RNC-NIC (Registered Nurse- Certified in Neonatal Intensive Care)
-Designed for nurses that work in a Level III or Level IV NICU
RNC-LRN (Registered Nurse- Certified in Low Risk Neonatal Intensive)
-Designed for nurses that work in a Level II NICU
Each of these exams have 175 questions, 25 of which are experimental. Eligibility criteria include practicing as a registered nurse for at least 2,000 hours (about 2 years) in the NICU. Of the two, the RNC-NIC is by far the more popular one, given that most NICU nurses work in a Level III or IV NICU.
Sub-specialty Exams
Besides the “core” exams, there are also a few sub-specialty exams-
C-ELBW (Certified in Extremely Low Birth Weight Neonates)
-Designed for nurses and other providers that regularly care for neonates with a birth weight of <1,000 gm
C-NNIC (Certified in Neonatal Neuro-Intensive Care)
-Designed for nurses and other providers that provide care for neonates
C-NPT (Certified in Neonatal-Pediatric Transport)
-Designed for nurses and other providers that provide care during transport of neonatal and pediatric patients
Each of these exams have 125 questions, 25 of which are experimental. The ELBW and NNIC exams are among the newest exams that the NCC offers. They were released in 2019/2020 and initially went through an experimental test taker phase. Eligibility criteria include being a health care provider (such as a RN, RT, NP, PA, MD, etc.). It’s recommended to have at least one year experience in the field.
So again, which test is right for you?
If you don’t have any certifications yet, I would recommend getting the RNC-NIC or RNC-LRN based on the level of NICU in which you work. These are the most recognized exams in the neonatal nursing world. Then, as you gain more experience, you can go for one or more of the sub-specialty exams. These are highly specialized exams and will require some deeper studying into the topics.
Looking for study materials? Be sure to check out my question review books for each of the exams, linked below. I also have a video review course for the RNC-NIC. Future question review books will include the Neonatal Neuro Intensive Care and Neonatal-Pediatric Transport. If you’d like an advance reader copy, please email me at jcwood@neobabyreview.com and I will add you to the list!
RNC-NIC book (video review course here)
