Jumpstart your career, earn recognition, and validate your skills with MSNCB certifications. Read through the MSNCB Support Center for Test Candidates to get started, navigate directly to CMSRN or CAVRN details, or select an area to review by clicking on an icon below.
CMSRN Certification
CAVRN Certification
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Your Account
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Payments & Refunds
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Accommodations & Accessibility
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Scheduling an Exam
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Test Prep & Day of
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Your Account
Create an Account
To submit an exam application, you need to create a profile on MSNCB’s Certification Portal. If you have taken an MSNCB exam in the past, you already have a profile. If you have not taken an exam in the past, you may have to set up a profile. For step-by-step guidance, visit the 2025 Application User Guide.
Tip: Enter your first and last name exactly as they are printed on your identification. This will prevent verification issues on test day.
Account Login
For help logging into your profile, please contact MSNCB Certification Support and a certification care associate will assist within 48 business hours.
Please Note: If you do not know the username or password for your existing profile, or need to change your personal information, please do not create another profile. Doing so could delay your certification. If you have multiple profiles, please contact MSNCB Certification Support, requesting that your profiles be merged, and a certification care associate will assist within 48 business hours.
Update Account
Before you schedule your exam, make sure your profile has your current information. This will prevent verification issues on test day.
To update any other personal information, go to your Certification Portal Profile. After you update your profile, the changes will automatically appear in your Pearson VUE Candidate records.
Access Certification Portal
Payment and Refunds
Exam Fees
Fees apply to both CMSRN and CAVRN programs.
| Exam Attempt |
Exam Fee |
AMSN Member Discount |
| Initial Exam |
$394 |
$267 |
| First-time Retake Exam |
$315 |
$189 |
There is a non-refundable processing fee of $90 associated with each application.
What forms of payment can I use?
For MSNCB exams, you can use the following forms of payment:
- Credit card (Visa, American Express, or MasterCard)
- Debit card (Visa, American Express, or MasterCard)
- FailSafe voucher
Paying With a Voucher
After completing your application, you’ll be prompted to “Pay Fees”. Enter the voucher code provided by your organization’s FailSafe administrator in the “Vouchers and Discounts” bar. This will void your application fee.
For expired vouchers and other voucher issues, please contact MSNCB Certification Support and a certification care associate will assist within 48 business hours.
Refunds
If you decide to withdraw your exam application, you will be eligible for a refund, minus the non-refundable $90 processing fee. You should automatically receive the refund from MSNCB in 5–7 business days.
Please note that FailSafe vouchers are non-refundable.
Where is my refund?
Refunds take 5–7 business days. If more than seven days have passed and you still haven't received your refund, please contact MSNCB Certification Support and a certification care associate will assist within 48 business hours.
Need Financial Support?
CMSRN Certification Grant
FailSafe
The recently revamped FailSafe Program allows eligible nurses at participating facilities the opportunity to apply for the CMSRN or CAVRN exam twice within a 12-month period. The facility never pays for an unsuccessful exam attempt.
Discover how your employer can partner with MSNCB to provide this benefit.
Learn More About FailSafe
Test Accommodations and Accessibility
Accommodations
MSNCB and Pearson VUE are committed to providing access to testing for everyone. You can submit documentation to request accommodations when completing your exam application, such as the following:
- Extra time for learning disabilities, ADHD, or PTSD.
- Use of assistive technology.
- A personal care assistant, reader, and/or scribe to be present during the exam.
- Limited ability to rearrange your home test environment to meet security standards.
All accommodations require approval before scheduling your exam to ensure your test center can support your needs.
Request Accommodations
To request an accommodation for your exam, complete and upload a Test Accommodation Request Form in your application. This form includes the contact information and signature of a licensed healthcare professional qualified to diagnose the specific illness or disability who has completed a professional evaluation of the candidate in the past three years.
You will receive an email confirming your request and notification of further status updates.
Your accommodation must be approved before you can schedule your exam. It may take up to 10 business days for MSNCB staff to review your request. You will receive an email informing you of the decision when the review is complete.
Scheduling, Rescheduling, or Canceling a Test
Test Delivery Method (Online or Test Center)
MSNCB offers two options for your exam experience through Pearson VUE. You can make an appointment in a test center, or you can take your exam online anytime, anywhere with OnVUE. Visit the Pearson VUE site to learn more about online testing, or review test-taker tips for both modalities.
If you want to change your chosen delivery method (for example, from a test center exam to an online exam), you must cancel your first exam appointment. Once your first exam is canceled, you can schedule the exam again and choose your preferred delivery method.
Scheduling a Test
After your exam application is approved, you’ll receive Authorization to Test. You have 90 days to take the exam from the time you receive your Authorization to Test. Don’t wait too long to schedule, as appointment availability at your desired test center may be limited. You can make an appointment up to three days before your desired test date, subject to availability.
You can choose your testing modality, location, date, and time through the Pearson VUE candidate portal, accessible from your exam application. Only dates with appointment availability will be presented. You may need to choose a different test center or test with OnVUE if your preferred test date is unavailable.
You may only test once during your test period. You can submit a retake application for your second test if you miss your exam appointment or fail your first attempt.
Please Note: Scheduled and rescheduled examinations will be confirmed by email. Please do not leave the Pearson VUE rescheduling page without completely confirming your rescheduled exam date. If you do, you have NOT completed the rescheduling of your exam. You will be charged for a no-show appointment, and you will be charged an additional fee to reschedule your exam. If you do NOT receive an email confirmation of your rescheduled appointment, please contact Pearson VUE.
Rescheduling and Canceling
Visit the Pearson VUE candidate portal to reschedule or cancel your exam. You can make changes to an appointment in a test center up to 48 hours before the scheduled exam. OnVUE appointments can be rescheduled or canceled up to the exam time. Whether rescheduling or canceling, you will be able to reschedule your appointment as many times as you need during your 90-day test period.
Please contact Pearson VUE Customer Service if the following situations apply:
- You need more information about how to reschedule or cancel your exam.
- You need to reschedule or cancel due to an emergency.
Please note that if you have an approved accommodation, you may need to contact msncb@msncb.org to reschedule or cancel your exam.
What if I forgot to schedule my exam during the test period or I need more time to prepare?
If your 90-day test period expired and you did not schedule your exam, you will not be refunded your exam fee. You may request an extension to your Authorization to Test, which will grant an additional 90 days to schedule for a $90 extension fee.
Withdrawing Your Application
You must cancel any scheduled exam before you request to withdraw your application. Then, contact MSNCB to request a refund. All exam fees include a non-refundable $90 processing fee.
MSNCB reviews refund requests on a case-by-case basis. Supporting documentation must be provided.
FailSafe candidates are not eligible to withdraw their application.
Retaking a Test
You can retake a failed exam once before you must submit another CMSRN or CAVRN application. There is a retake fee, which is a discounted price on the initial exam fee. FailSafe vouchers allow candidates to retake for free. Read more about FailSafe.
Test Preparation
We publish the current exam blueprint and exam reference list to guide your study. The Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (AMSN) provides additional materials to help you prep for the CMSRN.
CMSRN Resources
CAVRN Resources
Important: These resources do not include current examination questions and are not a requirement to sit for the CMSRN certification examination. These resources are not the only or preferred route to adequate preparation. Using these study resources does not imply advantage or successful performance on the examination.
We also recommend that you review MSNCB’s Pearson VUE landing page for additional information on what to expect on exam day. Be sure to complete the Pearson VUE demo test so that you are already familiar with the look and feel of the testing platform and tools.
Test Day
Review helpful resources from MSNCB's testing partner so you are fully prepared for test day.
Resources for Test Takers
Before the Test
Pearson VUE wants you to have the best testing experience possible. On exam day, give yourself enough time to get to the test center if you are taking an in-person exam. If you are taking an online exam, prepare your testing space and complete any necessary system checks.
What to Bring
If you are taking an online exam, you will need identification (ID) and a personal computer. For a test center exam, all you need to bring is your ID.
Required Identification
You must present a government-issued photo ID with a signature and future expiration date on the day of your exam appointment. Your ID must be unexpired.
Whether or not you are a citizen of the country you are testing in, any of the following can be your primary form of ID:
- Driver’s license
- Military ID card
- Passport
- National identification card
Please note that the first and last name on your ID should match the first and last name on your Certification Portal. This will prevent verification issues on test day.
If you have any questions about ID requirements, please contact MSNCB Certification Support and a certification care associate will assist within 48 business hours. Any exceptions to the ID policy must be pre-approved by MSNCB at least 10 business days before your scheduled exam appointment.
Test Center Directions
After you register for an exam, you will receive a confirmation email that includes directions to the test center.
Day-of-Test Emergencies
If you’re unable to take your exam because of weather or a health-related emergency, please contact Pearson VUE Customer Service.
Test Scores
When will I get my score report?
If you take your exam at a test center, you will receive a printed score report. The score report will include a pass/fail result. For both test center and OnVUE exams, detailed information about your test results will be provided in an online score report accessible from the Pearson VUE candidate portal within 24 hours.