If you need help studying for the Trauma Certified Registered Nurse® (TCRN®) exam or just want some more information about what the exam is like, you’ve come to the right place.
Click below to take a free TCRN practice exam!
Exam Eligibility
Before you can register to take the TCRN exam, you’ll need to ensure that you hold a current, unrestricted RN license in the US, Canada, or Australia.
Having two years of trauma nursing experience and 20 to 30 hours of trauma-specific coursework is recommended but not strictly required.
What’s on the Exam?
First, let’s talk about the questions on the TCRN exam. There are 175 multiple-choice questions total, but only 150 of the questions will count toward your score. Why is that?
The 25 unscored questions on the TCRN exam are called “pretest” questions. These are added to the exam to determine if they’re good enough questions to add to future versions of the test.
The trick is that you won’t have any way of knowing which questions are scored and which ones are pretest. They will appear just like the scored questions throughout the test.
The time limit for the exam is 3 hours. There aren’t any scheduled breaks, but you’re free to take restroom breaks as needed.
Let’s take a closer look at each section of the exam.
1. Clinical Practice: Head and Neck
31 scored questions
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Secondary injury prevention
- Ocular trauma
- Facial fractures
- Neck trauma
2. Clinical Practice: Trunk and Pelvis
38 scored questions
- Thoracic trauma
- Abdominal trauma
- Pelvic and genitourinary trauma
3. Clinical Practice: Musculoskeletal and Wound
13 scored questions
- Vertebral injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Dislocations
- Compartment syndrome
- Extremity fractures
- Amputations
4. Special Populations
22 scored questions
- Thermal burns
- Inhalation injuries
- Bariatric
- Chemical burns
- Electrical burns
- Victims of violence
- Substance use disorder
- Comorbidities and pre-existing conditions
5. Continuum of Care for Trauma
36 scored questions
- Resuscitation
- Complications and hospital events
- Psychosocial issues
- Shock
- Acute care
- Rehabilitation and multi-disciplinary care
- Injury prevention
- Pre-hospital care
- Patient transfer
- Discharge planning
- End-of-life
6. Professional Practice
10 scored questions
- Patient safety
- Disaster management
- Trauma quality improvement
- Regulations and standards
How to Register
The first thing you’ll need to do is create a BCEN account via their website. Then, you can use this account to select “TCRN” as your certification and create a new application.
Once your payment is processed, you’ll receive an email from BCEN confirming your eligibility and giving you information about scheduling your exam date. You’ll have 90 days after your application is approved to schedule your testing appointment.
TCRN Study Guide and Flashcards
Get practice questions, detailed study lessons, and complex subjects broken down into easily understandable concepts.
Exam Scores
The scoring method for the TCRN exam is a raw score directly based on your performance. For example, if you get 115 questions right, your score will be 115.
You should receive your score report the day you complete the exam.
Retaking the Exam
In the unlikely event you fail the exam, you can retake it again! And again! And again! You can retake the TCRN as many times as you want. You must wait until at least 90 days after the initial testing date, and you may still need to pay to take it again, but you can retake it over and over again until you pass.
Here’s some good news: if your retest is within a year of your initial exam, you get a $180 discount!
FAQs
How many questions are on the TCRN certification exam?
The exam contains 175 questions.
What is the time limit for the TCRN certification exam?
The exam is timed at 3 hours.
What is the passing score for the TCRN certification exam?
You’ll need to answer at least 96 questions correctly to pass the exam.
How much does the TCRN certification exam cost?
The testing fee is $380.
TCRN® and Trauma Certified Registered Nurse® are registered trademarks of the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (“BCEN”), who does not endorse, nor is affiliated in any way with the owner of or any content on this page.