Change ahead : Revised CMC test plan from AACN’s 2025 study of practice · AACN
What the CMC costs, exam, retest and first renewal
Cost · fees read Nov 11, 2026
The exam is $240, or $150 for members of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (fees as of November 2026). The specialty certification underneath is a cost you have already paid; what remains is this fee, a retest if you need one, and the first renewal.
Each cardiac medicine charge and its source
Fees from the August 2026 exam handbook, the certification page, the July 2026 renewal handbook and the membership page, read November 11, 2026. Check the price in your AACN account before paying.
- 01
Exam fee
$240, or $150 for AACN membersThe handbook’s own sum: $150 plus a $78 one-year membership comes to $12 less than the $240 non-member fee. - 02
Discount through
AACN membership: $78 for one year, $148 for two, $200 for threeassociation dues (read Nov 11, 2026) - 03
Retest and add-ons
Retest: $170, or $125 for members, available until you pass - 04
After a fail
At most 4 attempts in any rolling 12 months, each at the retest price - 05
Renewal fee
By CERPs $130, or $75 for members; by exam $170, or $125[5] AACNchecked
Joining the association for one attempt
For a nurse who is not a member yet and takes the exam once.
| Non-member exam fee | $240 | |
|---|---|---|
| Member exam fee | $150 | |
| One year of dues | $78 | |
| Member fee plus dues | $228 | |
| Saved by joining | $12 | |
Our arithmetic from the fees in the table; the handbook prints the same comparison on its application form.
The first three-year term, two ways
Route A: never a member. A first-attempt pass, then renewal by CERPs.
| Exam fee, non-member | $240 | |
|---|---|---|
| Renewal by CERPs, non-member | $130 | |
| Paid over the term | $370 | |
Route B: a member only in the two years you pay a fee.
| Dues, exam year | $78 | |
|---|---|---|
| Exam fee, member | $150 | |
| Dues, renewal year | $78 | |
| Renewal by CERPs, member | $75 | |
| Paid over the term | $381 | |
Our arithmetic. A nurse who keeps membership anyway, for a CCRN or PCCN renewal, pays only the two member fees, $225. CERPs bought from other providers are not counted in either route.
What the two routes say
For someone buying only this credential, joining for the exam year saves a little, but joining again for the renewal year costs more in dues than the renewal discount returns, so route B ends slightly higher. Membership pays when it is already carried for the specialty credential, or when a retest is needed, since the member retest price is lower too. The same comparison for the board's other exams is on member prices against dues.
A second CMC attempt
A retest is priced $170, or $125 for members, below the first-attempt fee, and that price holds until you pass. Attempts are capped at 4 tries in 12 months.
Renewal: CERPs or a second sitting
- By CERPs: $130, or $75 for members, plus the cost of earning 25 Category A CERPs on cardiology topics.
- By exam: $170, or $125 for members, the same as a retest.
- Inactive status: $145, or $55 for members, for a nurse who cannot meet the hours.
Either active route also needs the cardiac practice hours, and the specialty certification has to stay current, with its own renewal fee (renewal handbook, p. 6).
A few questions before you pay
Practice on your phone
Before or after paying: other CMC pages
- CMCAACN cardiac medicine subspecialty: format, revised plan, fees, who qualifies
- CMC practice testPractice questions on the revised plan, each option explained
- CMC exam factsOld and new test plans, booking, scoring, pass rates, retakes, renewal
- CMC eligibilitySpecialty certification, license and two cardiac hour routes
- CMC study guideDevices and drugs first, the lines the revised plan added, AACN's reading list
Paying for the cardiac subspecialty
Does the cardiac surgery subspecialty cost the same?
Yes. CSC is priced $240, or $150 for AACN members, identical to this exam as of November 2026.
Is renewing cheaper than sitting the exam again?
Yes. Renewal by CERPs costs $130 / $75 (non-member / member) against $170 / $125 by exam, before the cost of the CERPs themselves.
Do I pay for my specialty certification again?
Not to apply here. The specialty only has to be current; you renew it on its own schedule and at its own fee.
Sources
all read Nov 11, 2026
- [1]AACN: CMC Exam Handbook, August 2026 (PDF), pp. 1–8, 12–13 aacn.org
- [2]AACN: CMC (Adult) certification page aacn.org
- [3]AACN: Membership aacn.org
- [4]AACN: CMC and CSC frequently asked questions aacn.org
- [5]AACN: CMC Renewal Handbook, July 2026 (PDF), pp. ii–iii, 3–6 aacn.org