CNOR

Theccicertifiedperioperativenurse(Cnor)Exam

The CNOR exam is developed and administered by the Competency & Credentialing Institute (CCI). Passing it earns the Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR) credential, the only accredited certification for perioperative registered nurses. The exam validates the knowledge and judgment a perioperative RN needs to care for surgical patients safely across the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases. It is offered through continuous testing, so you can schedule it year-round at a PSI test center or as a remotely proctored exam.

Exam Pattern

The exam contains 200 multiple-choice questions, each with four answer options and one best answer. Of these, 185 are scored and 15 are unscored pretest questions that CCI is evaluating for future forms. Pretest questions are mixed in with scored questions and look exactly like them, so treat every question as if it counts. You have 3 hours and 45 minutes, about 67 seconds per question. Most items are written as clinical situations that ask for the priority action, the best intervention, or the correct application of a standard, rather than simple recall.

The Seven Content Domains

CCI's content outline organizes the scored questions into seven domains. Management of Intraoperative Activities is by far the largest and is divided into two parts: patient care and safety, and personnel, services, and materials.

Domain	Scored Questions	Weight	Focus
1 Pre/PostoperativePatientAssessmentand .	28	15%	History allergies physicalandpsychosocial , ,
Diagnosis			assessment labs risktools postoperative , , ,
			assessment
2 IndividualizedPlanofCareDevelopmentand .	15	8%	Nursingdiagnoses measurableoutcomes , ,
ExpectedOutcomeIdentification			risk -based and procedure-specific planning
3a Management of Intraoperative Activities: .	46	25%	Asepsis positioning skinantisepsis energy , , ,
PatientCareandSafety			devices hemostasis specimens counts , , ,
3b Management of Intraoperative Activities: .	17	9%	Teamroles delegation supplies equipment , , , ,
Personnel Services andMaterials , ,			implants andsupportservices ,
4 CommunicationandDocumentation .	20	11%	Briefings time-out handoffs SBAR , , , ,
			intraoperativerecords consent ,
5 InfectionPreventionandControlof .	30	16%	Sterilizationanddisinfection SSIprevention , ,
Environment Instrumentation andSupplies , ,			precautions environmentalcleaning ,

Domain	Scored Questions	Weight	Focus
6 EmergencySituations .	19	10%	Malignanthyperthermia cardiacandairway ,
			emergencies hemorrhage fire anaphylaxis , , ,
7 ProfessionalAccountabilities .	10	6%	Standards ethics legalpractice quality , , ,
			improvement professionaldevelopment ,

CCI has announced that an upcoming update to the CNOR exam will consolidate the seven domains into six competency areas, based on its most recent job analysis. Until the new outline takes effect, the exam follows the seven-domain outline described here. Confirm the outline in effect for your test date on the CCI website when you schedule.

Scoring and Passing Requirements

Only the 185 scored questions count toward your result. Your raw score is converted to a scale from 200 to 800, and a scaled score of 620 or higher passes. Scaling holds every candidate to the same standard regardless of which exam form they take. You see a preliminary pass or fail result on screen when you finish, and candidates who do not pass receive a breakdown of their performance by domain. There is no penalty for guessing, so answer every question.

With 200 questions in 225 minutes, aim for about one minute per question. Check that you have reached roughly question 55 at the one-hour mark, question 110 at two hours, and question 165 at three hours, leaving 15 to 20 minutes to revisit flagged items.

Eligibility Requirements

RN License

A current, full, and unrestricted registered nurse license in the United States or its territories.

Current Perioperative Role

Currently working full-time or part-time in perioperative nursing in clinical practice, education, administration, or research.

Perioperative Experience

At least 2 years and 2,400 hours of experience in perioperative nursing, with at least 1,200 of those hours (50%) in the intraoperative setting. Nurses who hold the CFPN, CST, or TS-C credential, or a military equivalent, qualify with at least 18 months of experience.

Exam at a Glance

ExamAspect	Details
Credential	CertifiedPerioperativeNurse(CNOR) awardedbytheCompetency&CredentialingInstitute(CCI) ,
Delivery	Computer-based through continuous testing: at a PSI test center (Monday through Saturday) or by
	remotesecureproctoredexam available24hoursaday 7daysaweek , ,
Questions	200 multiple-choice (four options each): 185 scored and 15 unscored pretest questions
Time	3hours45minutes
Content	Assessment15%·PlanofCare8%·Intraoperative34%·Communication11%·InfectionPrevention
	16%·Emergencies10%·Professional6%
Scoring	Scaled200–800;620orhigherpasses;preliminarypassorfailshownattheendoftheexam
Fees	$475applicationfee whichincludesthefirstattempt;$175perretake;a$40discountforholdersof ,
	anotheractiveCCIcredentialorDAISYAwardrecipients
Schedulingandretakes	12 -month eligibility period from approval; first attempt within 90 days of approval; unlimited retakes
	withintheeligibilityperiodwithatleast30daysbetweenattempts
Certificationterm	5years;recertifywithprofessionalactivitypoints includingatleast500hoursofperioperative ,
	practiceduringthecycle

Why the CNOR Credential Matters