# NP certification: requirements, exam & jobs

Nurse practitioners earn national certification from the AANPCB or ANCC after a graduate NP program. Here are the requirements, the exam, renewal, and who's hiring.

- **Author:** MedJobList Team
- **Published:** Jul 24, 2026

## What is NP certification?

National NP certification confirms that a nurse practitioner has met the education and competency standards for one clinical role and one patient population, such as family care or adult-gerontology. Two boards issue it in the US: the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB) and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). You earn it by passing a national exam after you finish a graduate NP program. Your state board of nursing then checks that certification before it grants you an APRN license. The certification names your population focus. The state license is what lets you practice and prescribe.

## Who requires NP certification

Every employer hiring a nurse practitioner requires national certification, because state APRN licensure depends on it. In our US listings that covers primary care and specialty clinics, hospitals and health systems, urgent care, and retail and convenient-care clinics. The certification an employer wants is tied to the population you'll treat: a family clinic looks for an FNP, an adult primary care practice looks for an adult-gerontology NP, and a behavioral health group looks for a psychiatric-mental health NP. You can browse current [nurse practitioner openings](/nurse-practitioner-jobs) and see the certification each one names. If you're weighing the NP path against becoming a physician assistant, see [PA-C certification](/guides/pa-c-certification) for that comparison.

## Requirements and eligibility

To sit for an NP certification exam, you need a few things in place first:

- An active, unrestricted RN license. The APRN credential builds on your [RN license](/guides/rn-license), and it has to stay current the whole time you practice.
- A graduate NP degree, either a master's (MSN) or a doctorate (DNP), from an accredited program.
- A declared population focus chosen during your program: family across the lifespan, adult-gerontology, pediatrics, neonatal, women's health, or psychiatric-mental health. You certify in that focus, and it sets the roles you can hold.
- Supervised clinical hours completed inside your program. Both boards verify these through your school.

You don't need prior NP work experience to test. Both boards let you apply as soon as your program confirms your degree and clinical hours. Your state doesn't dictate the board either: either an AANPCB or an ANCC certification satisfies state licensure.

## The exam by population focus

The exam you take matches the population focus you trained in, and the two boards divide the roles differently. AANPCB certifies three: family (FNP), adult-gerontology primary care (A-GNP), and emergency (ENP). ANCC certifies family and adult-gerontology primary care too, plus roles AANPCB does not, including adult-gerontology acute care (AGACNP-BC) and psychiatric-mental health (PMHNP-BC). If you trained for acute or psychiatric care, ANCC usually has the matching exam and AANPCB may not. If you trained for emergency care, the ENP certification comes from AANPCB.

The AANPCB family exam has 150 multiple-choice questions, 135 of them scored, reported on a 200 to 800 scale with a passing score of 500 (AANPCB, 2026). The ANCC family exam has 175 questions, 150 scored, over three and a half hours (ANCC, 2026). Both are computer-based and given at approved testing centers.

## Cost, format, and renewal

Certification costs about $240 to $395 to sit for, depending on your board and membership, and it's valid for 5 years. The figures below are current as of 2026 from the AANPCB and ANCC.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Exam fee (AANPCB) | $240 for AANP members, $315 for non-members, on an online application in 2026 |
| Exam fee (ANCC) | $295 for ANA members, $395 for non-members, in 2026 |
| Format | Computer-based multiple choice: about 150 questions (AANPCB) or 175 (ANCC) |
| Passing standard | AANPCB reports a scaled score of 200 to 800, and you pass at 500 |
| Validity period | 5 years |
| Renewal (AANPCB) | 1,000 NP practice hours plus 100 CE contact hours, at least 25 in advanced pharmacology, or retake the exam |
| Renewal (ANCC) | 75 CE contact hours, at least 25 in pharmacology and at least 60 formally approved, plus one professional development category |
| Renewal fee (AANPCB) | $240 for members, $315 for non-members |
| Issuing body | AANPCB or ANCC |

## Choosing between the AANPCB and ANCC

Pick the board by the population you'll treat and the exam style you prefer. For family and adult-gerontology primary care, both boards certify you and states accept either, so the decision comes down to exam content. The AANPCB exam stays clinical and tests assessment, diagnosis, and management. The ANCC exam adds questions on nursing theory, research, and health policy. If your role is acute care or psychiatric-mental health, only ANCC certifies it, so apply there. If your role is emergency, only AANPCB certifies it. One practical warning: your certification is locked to a single population focus, so moving from family to psychiatric-mental health later means a new graduate track and a new exam.

## How to get certified

1. Hold an active RN license and enroll in an accredited graduate NP program in your chosen population focus.
2. Finish the degree and your supervised clinical hours. Your school reports both to the certification board.
3. Choose your board. Compare the [AANPCB](https://www.aanpcert.org/) and [ANCC](https://www.nursingworld.org/our-certifications/) exams for your population focus.
4. Apply, pay the exam fee, and schedule your test at an approved testing center.
5. Pass the exam. You'll earn a credential such as FNP-C from the AANPCB or FNP-BC from the ANCC.
6. Apply to your state board of nursing for APRN licensure and attach your national certification.

## Demand for NP certification on MedJobList

NP certification is named in 864 of the active US nurse practitioner openings we track right now. Because you can't hold an APRN license without it, employers treat national certification as the baseline for the role. The population focus in a posting tells you which exam it maps to: family clinics list FNP, adult primary care lists adult-gerontology, and behavioral health lists psychiatric-mental health. Filter [nurse practitioner jobs](/nurse-practitioner-jobs) to see which certification each employer asks for.

## On the job

Once you're certified and licensed, your credential appears in your title and on your state license, and payers check it when they credential you to bill. Recertification is due every 5 years, so most NPs log continuing education and practice hours steadily across that period. Many employers cover CE costs and give you paid time for it, since your active certification is what keeps you billable for them. Keep your RN license current the entire time, because the APRN credential sits on top of it.

## FAQ

### What are the requirements to become a certified nurse practitioner?

You need an active RN license, a graduate NP degree (MSN or DNP) from an accredited program in a specific population focus, and a passing score on a national exam from the AANPCB or ANCC. You then apply to your state board for APRN licensure.

### How much does NP certification cost?

The exam costs $240 for AANP members and $315 for non-members through the AANPCB, and $295 for ANA members and $395 for non-members through the ANCC, as of 2026. Graduate tuition and any prep courses are separate.

### What is the difference between AANP and ANCC certification?

The AANPCB exam is clinically focused on assessment, diagnosis, and management. The ANCC exam adds questions on nursing theory, research, and health policy. States accept either for family and adult-gerontology primary care. ANCC also certifies more roles, such as acute care and psychiatric-mental health.

### How long is NP certification good for?

5 years with both boards. To renew, the AANPCB asks for 1,000 NP practice hours plus 100 CE contact hours (or a retake), and the ANCC asks for 75 CE contact hours plus one professional development category.

### Do I need to be certified to work as a nurse practitioner?

Yes. States require national certification in your role and population focus before they grant an APRN license, and you can't practice or prescribe as an NP without that license.

### Which NP certification should I get?

Choose the one that matches the population you'll treat. Family NP (FNP) is the broadest and covers patients across the lifespan. Adult-gerontology, pediatrics, neonatal, women's health, and psychiatric-mental health each certify you for that group and set the jobs you can hold.

Source: https://medjoblist.com/guides/np-certification