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The BCEN Certified Emergency Nurse exam covers the breadth of emergency care.
Here’s the format and the content areas — plus an upcoming change.
Exam format
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Questions | 175 (150 scored, 25 unscored) |
| Time | 3 hours |
| Passing | 106 of 150 currently; 99 of 150 for exams on/after July 6, 2026 |
Content areas (scored items, current outline)
- Cardiovascular Emergencies — 19
- Respiratory Emergencies — 18
- Neurological Emergencies — 18
- Gastrointestinal, Genitourinary, Gynecology, and Obstetrical — 18
- Medical Emergencies — 14
- Environment and Toxicology Emergencies, and Communicable Diseases — 14
- Professional Issues — 14
- Musculoskeletal and Wound Emergencies — 13
- Mental Health Emergencies — 11
- Maxillofacial and Ocular Emergencies — 11
Important: a July 2026 update
BCEN is updating the CEN content outline effective July 6, 2026, which also lowers
the passing standard to 99 of 150 scored items. If you test on or after that date, prepare to the new
outline; before it, the current areas above apply. Confirm the current outline on the BCEN site for your test date.
Unlock 2,100+ CEN practice questions across 14 full-length simulators — $19.99 lifetime →
Sources & references
The exam facts on this page are drawn from official certifying-body materials, reviewed 2026-06-18 by the DrCertifications exam-prep team (10+ years in exam preparation and publishing).