Steps to CRRN Certification
1. Confirm Your Eligibility
As a candidate for the CRRN® examination and as stated in the CRRN Candidate Handbook, you must meet the following eligibility criteria at the time of application:
- Current, unrestricted US, US territories, or Canadian RN licensure; AND
- Completion of at least one of the following at the time of application:
- Two years of practice as a registered professional nurse in rehabilitation nursing within the last five years; or
- One year of practice as a registered professional nurse in rehabilitation nursing and one year of advanced study (beyond baccalaureate) in nursing within the last 5 years.
2. Verify Your Rehab Nursing Experience
When you apply, you will be asked to provide contact information from two professional colleagues who can verify your rehabilitation nursing experience. One must be your immediate supervisor or another CRRN. The second can be any other colleague such as a nurse, physician, therapist, or social worker.
If you are in independent practice or have left paid employment to provide rehabilitation nursing care to a family member and you do not have a supervisor or CRRN colleague, you may be eligible for alternative verification.
3. Take Note of Deadlines and Fees
The next opportunity to take the CRRN exam is June 1-30, 2023. The application process will open in January 2023.
2023 Examination Fees*
ARN members: $300
Nonmembers: $460
Late fee: $100
If you are not currently an ARN Member but would like to become a member and receive the reduced rate, join ARN prior to submitting your application. Allow 24 hours for your membership to be processed before you register at the member rate.
Testing takes place in June and December. To register for the exam, you must submit a complete application with payment by the deadline below. Find the Test Site closest to you. (Test sites outside of the US, US territories, and Canada are not available.)
Test Date: June 1-30, 2023
April 15, 2023, regular deadline
May 1, 2023, late deadline with an additional fee
Test Date: December 1-31, 2023
October 15, 2023, regular deadline
November 1, 2023, late deadline with an additional fee
*Fees are subject to change. Fee as of 2/1/2021.
4. Review the Candidate Handbook and Apply
Candidates are strongly encouraged to review the CRRN Candidate Handbook and apply for the exam via the online portal. Scheduling begins approximately 45 days prior to the start of examination window. You will receive an e-mail containing a link to the exam schedule so you can arrange your exam time based on test site availability. Appointments are made on a first-come, first-served basis. Not all international test sites are available for this examination.
Candidates access the CRRN examination application using the username and password for their ARN online account. Please note: ARN membership is NOT required to take the CRRN examination and there is no cost to set-up an online account. If you do not have an account, you will be prompted to create one when you first access the application portal.
5. Prepare for the Exam
While preparing for the exam, candidates are strongly encouraged to review the CRRN examination content outline. RNCB recommends a variety of resources to prepare for the exam. Additionally, ARN has developed study resources to help you prepare to earn and continue to use the CRRN credential, throughout your career.
6. Take the Exam
Once you are prepared, take the CRRN exam, so you can join the specialty of rehabilitation nursing -- nurses who are passionate about the specialty and the patients they restore to independence!
