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he ANCC Nurse Executive Board Certified (NE-BC) credential validates the leadership competency of registered nurses who manage daily unit operations, staffing, and staff development. Awarded by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the NE-BC exam contains 150 questions (125 scored plus 25 unscored pretest items), allows 3 hours, and requires a scaled score of 350 out of 500 to pass. In 2024, 1,317 candidates sat for the exam, and approximately 66 percent passed on their first attempt. This guide covers every detail you need — eligibility requirements, domain breakdowns, a week-by-week study plan, and a side-by-side comparison with the NEA-BC credential.

The NHA Certified Patient Care Technician/Assistant (CPCT/A) exam is a 120-question, 2-hour certification test that validates competency across patient care, phlebotomy, and EKG — three skill sets employers increasingly want in a single hire. The exam costs $165, uses scaled scoring from 200 to 500 with a passing threshold of 390, and is offered at PSI testing centers, through schools, or via live remote proctoring. A major blueprint update arriving in Fall 2026 shifts Patient Care from 30 % to 45–49 % of scored items, so the timing of your exam matters. This guide covers every domain, the upcoming changes, eligibility, salary data, and a week-by-week study plan to get you past 390 on the first attempt.

Choose the CCA if you are an entry-level coder with no professional experience. Choose the CCS if you have 2 or more years of hands-on coding experience and want to specialize in complex hospital inpatient coding. The CCA validates foundational competency across both inpatient and outpatient settings, while the CCS is a mastery-level credential recognized as the gold standard for hospital-based medical coding. The CCS exam has a first-time pass rate estimated at just 40–50%, compared to approximately 70% or higher for the CCA, reflecting a significant gap in difficulty (AMBCI).

The AHIMA Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) exam has one of the lowest pass rates among healthcare certifications: approximately 50% of first-time test takers fail. With 107 total questions — including 33 medical coding scenarios requiring real-time abstraction — this is not an exam you can cram for. Successful candidates invest 8–12 weeks of structured preparation, practice 2 inpatient and 2 outpatient coding cases per day, and master the CCS content domains before sitting for the test. This guide gives you the exact study plan, domain strategy, and time management framework to pass on your first attempt.

Key Facts Box

• Total Questions: 107 (97 scored, 10 pretest) — 64 multiple-choice items + 33 medical coding scenarios

• Exam Duration: 4 hours

• Passing Score: 300 (scaled)

• First-Time Pass Rate: Approximately 50% (industry estimate)

• Code Books Required: Candidates must bring approved ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS, and CPT code books to the test center

• 2026 Code Book Update: Exams on or after May 1, 2026 require 2026 code books

• Recommended Study Time: 8–12 weeks (10–15 hours per week)

• Daily Practice Target: 2 inpatient + 2 outpatient coding cases per day

The ANCC Informatics Nursing board certification (NI-BC) is the gold-standard credential for registered nurses working at the intersection of healthcare and information technology. The exam contains 150 questions — 125 scored and 25 unscored pretest items — and you have 3 hours to complete it at a Prometric testing center. You need a scaled score of 350 out of 500 to pass, and the certification is valid for 5 years. With employment in health information technology projected to grow 15 percent from 2024 to 2034 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, earning the NI-BC has never been more career-relevant.