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TCRN exam facts, test day to renewal

Exam facts · TCRN · handbook and FAQ read Nov 11, 2026

The rules that decide how you book, sit, retake and renew, with the board's source beside each value. Fees are broken down on the cost page; eligibility and pass data are on requirements.

Start the TCRN practice testTCRN overview

TCRN rules, value by value

From the board's FAQ, delivery, cost and recertification pages and the candidate handbook, read November 11, 2026.

  1. 01

    Awarded by

    Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN)

    [1][2] BCENchecked

  2. 02

    Credential

    Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN)

    [1] BCENchecked

  3. 03

    Program accreditation

    Program accredited by ABSNC

    [1] BCENchecked

  4. 04

    Before you apply

    An unrestricted, current RN license from the US, Canada, Australia or a US territory (a foreign equivalent goes through BCEN’s CGFNS review); no hours, course or TNCC are requiredBCEN recommends two years of trauma nursing at about 1,000 hours a year, plus 20–30 hours of trauma coursework.

    [2][3] BCENchecked

  5. 05

    Total questions

    175 questions150 are scored and 25 are unscored pretest questions. Five practice questions come before the clock starts.

    [4] BCENchecked

  6. 06

    Questions that are scored

    150 scored questions

    [4][5] BCENchecked

  7. 07

    Question type

    Multiple-choice questions scored by the number answered correctly (raw score)

    [2][4] BCENchecked

  8. 08

    Time allowed

    3 hours (180 minutes)

    [4] BCENchecked

  9. 09

    How you sit it

    At a PSI testing center, or from home with a live remote proctorA PSI appointment can be moved without a fee until 24 hours before it, inside the 90-day window.

    [2][6] BCENchecked

  10. 10

    When you can test

    Any day PSI has a seat, within 90 days of BCEN approving the application

    [2][6] BCENchecked

  11. 11

    Passing mark

    96 of 150 scored questions (64%), in effect since November 29, 2025The previous outline required 104 of 150. BCEN sets the mark with the Angoff method and equates forms; it is not graded on a curve.

    [4][7] BCEN · BCEN blogchecked

  12. 12

    Score report

    Pass or fail right away: a score report handed over at the testing center, or on screen after remote testing, plus an emailCandidates who do not pass get their raw score in each content area.

    [2] BCENchecked

  13. 13

    Exam fee

    $380, or $285 for Society of Trauma Nurses (STN) membersActive-duty service members, reservists and veterans pay $195.

    [8] BCENchecked

  14. 14

    Retest and add-ons

    A retest booked within 12 months of the first attempt: $200. With BCEN Test Assurance the second attempt is included: $450, or $355 for STN members ($265 military)

    [2][8] BCENchecked

  15. 15

    After a fail

    Wait 90 days between attempts and reapply each time; the $200 retest price applies for a year after the first exam

    [2][4][8] BCENchecked

  16. 16

    Valid for

    4 years

    [2] BCENchecked

  17. 17

    How to renew

    Every 4 years: pass the exam again or attest to 100 contact hours, at least 75 of them clinical; at least 50 must come from accredited providers, and 75 for applications from January 1, 2027

    [9] BCENchecked

  18. 18

    Renewal fee

    $280, or $210 for STN members; $195 military

    [9] BCENchecked

  19. 19

    Outline in force

    Exam content outline effective November 29, 2025

    [5][7] BCEN · BCEN blogchecked

  20. 20

    Outline split

    Head and Neck 31 · Trunk and Pelvis 38 · Musculoskeletal and Wound 13 · Special Populations 22 · Continuum of Care 36 · Professional Practice 10 (scored questions)

    [5] BCENchecked

Three hours, scored by raw count

Of the 175 items on screen, 25 carry no points; BCEN calls them pretest items. The clock gives 3 h, about 62 seconds per item. Only right answers add to the total; a skipped item earns nothing, exactly like a miss, so leave none blank.

The outline in force

Since Nov 29, 2025, the board has used a new outline with renamed domains (the announcement). Review material organized under other domain names was written for the earlier version.

  1. Clinical Practice: Head and Neck

    31 items20.7%

  2. Clinical Practice: Trunk and Pelvis

    Chest · Abdomen and pelvis

    38 items25.3%

  3. Clinical Practice: Musculoskeletal and Wound

    13 items8.7%

  4. Special Populations

    22 items14.7%

  5. Continuum of Care for Trauma

    36 items24.0%

  6. Professional Practice

    10 items6.7%

In the order the board lists them; bars on one scale[5]

Booking a PSI seat or a remote session

  1. Apply and pay online with the board.
  2. Choose a date in the 90-day window that starts with approval; any date with an open PSI seat counts.
  3. Pick the setting: a PSI test center, or a live remote proctor from a private, secure location that meets BCEN's technical rules (exam delivery).
  4. Moving the date: free up to a day before, as long as the new date stays inside the window (table above).

Results before you leave

Results are given immediately. Test-center candidates walk out holding a printed report, at home the result shows on screen, and an email follows (handbook, p. 15). A failing report breaks the raw score down by domain, which makes it the starting list for the next attempt.

After a failed TCRN attempt

Attempts are spaced by a 90-day wait, and every retake means applying to BCEN again. The reduced retest price lasts a year from the first exam. Whether to buy Test Assurance at the first application instead is a price question, worked through on the cost page.

TCRN renewal: exam or contact hours

The credential runs 4 years. To renew you either pass the current exam again or attest to contact hours, mostly clinical, earned during the cycle; hours cannot be added after the application is filed (recertification rules). The fee is $280, or $210 for STN members.

The accredited share of those hours rises for applications filed from January 1, 2027. BCEN applies it to all six of its credentials, so it is explained once on BCEN certifications.

Before your PSI appointment

Practice on your phone

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TCRN pages to read next

  • TCRNWhat the trauma board exam covers, who can sit it, fees and scoring
  • TCRN practice testMixed trauma items in outline proportions, a reason for each choice
  • TCRN costExam, STN and military prices, retest against Test Assurance, renewal
  • TCRN requirementsWho can sit the exam, the pass mark, four years of pass counts
  • TCRN study guideA plan by item counts, the 2026 resource list, guideline editions

TCRN logistics, short answers

Does a failing score report show where I went wrong?

It shows your raw score in each domain, not the individual items. Treat the lowest domains as the first weeks of the next plan.

Can I renew the TCRN by retaking the exam instead of logging hours?

Yes. Renewal is by exam or 100 CE hours: either route keeps the credential for another cycle.

Sources

all read Nov 11, 2026

  1. [1]BCEN: About the TCRN exam bcen.org
  2. [2]BCEN: Candidate Handbook (PDF), pp. 5–7, 15 bcen.org
  3. [3]BCEN: TCRN eligibility bcen.org
  4. [4]BCEN: TCRN FAQs bcen.org
  5. [5]BCEN: TCRN Exam Content Outline, effective November 2025 (PDF), pp. 1–3 bcen.org
  6. [6]BCEN: TCRN exam delivery bcen.org
  7. [7]BCEN blog: updating the TCRN certification exam bcen.org
  8. [8]BCEN: TCRN cost bcen.org
  9. [9]BCEN: Recertify (requirements and pricing) bcen.org