How I Passed My CCRN Exam On The First Attempt

There are so many perks to getting certified, most of which we won’t get into here (because ain’t nobody got time when that’s not what the post is about, obviously).

For me, taking the CCRN exam was a way of learning more. I had lost a lot of my joy for the ICU after COVID hit, and thought that maybe knowing more and diving deeper would bring some of that joy back. Plot twist: it didn’t, but that’s a story for another time. I’m still very glad I took the exam, because knowledge is power, amirite?

How long I studied for

Let me preface by saying I had only been an ICU nurse for about 2 years (as a new grad, no less) when I decided to sign up for the exam. I had absolutely no problem meeting the eligibility requirements, but mentally I didn’t feel confident in my ability to pass AT ALL. I kept hearing from everyone how difficult the exam was, and while it was definitely a whirlwind of a test, it was doable when preparing with the right information.

I signed up to take the exam through the AACN. They have a very detailed, very well laid out guide as to what the exam covers, what the requirements are to sign up, and how to actually sign up to take the test. You can find it here. I gave myself two months, which I found to be pretty standard based on my creeping on hundreds of other blogs and websites.

Honestly though? It was not necessary. After studying for about 3-5 hours a day for a few weeks, I actually ended up moving the exam up by a week, for fear that I would lose my sanity and just stress myself out more if I continued to put it off.

Resources I used (**in order of most to least helpful)

• Barron’s Adult CCRN Exam Book:
  • 100000% would recommend using this as your primary (but not only) study resource. I am a serial overpreparer and a notoriously type A, organized studier. This book is clear, concise, & tells you everything you need to know (and nothing more) with charts, lists, and visuals.
  • The content in this book most closely correlated to the exam in my opinion. It was updated after the test content was updated.
  • It contains practice questions after each section as well as 3 practice tests at the end. The questions are hard and will make you feel like a dumb dumb. You’re not.
  • Price: $20.00
  • Where to get it: You can find it on Amazon here.
• PASS CCRN Question Bank
  • Do not get the book unless you want to pull your hair out. JUST get the question bank.
  • Over 1,000 practice questions, broken down by every single topic.
  • You can practice your weakest areas, or throw in a jumble of things for some variety.
  • Price: $70.00 for the book AND the question bank. I returned the book and believe the bank itself was just $20.00.
  • Where to get it: Elselvier ‘s website.
• AACN CCRN Review Course and Question Bank
  • Since they write the actual test, this was a great refresher on many topics.
  • I was underwhelmed by the content. Some modules went into way too much detail while others went into barely any.
  • The question bank (which I purchased separately) was not helpful to me. I found the questions to be much easier than the actual exam, and the wording was not the same.
  • If I had just used this resource, I don’t know if I would have passed.
  • Price: You can find pricing information here
  • Where to get it: the AACN website
• Laura Gasparis Vonfrolio videos
  • Laura Gasparis is kind of a god in the nursing world. She’s an italian lady with a crude, sarcastic, quite frankly hilarious sense of humor. I love her as a person and want to be her friend.
  • BUT. Her videos are very old and a bit outdated as to what exactly is on the exam.
  • She has great pneumonics and laura-isms that help you remember random obscure facts that the CCRN tests on.
  • Lots of people watch these videos on the way to and from work (hello it’s me), when they’re cooking, etc. She’s fun to listen to.
  • She also has a CCRN review course. I didn’t do that & honestly don’t know much about it.
  • Price: I honestly got these for free from a very nice coworker, but I’ve heard they’re quite expensive.
  • Where to get them: It looks like the videos can be found here, but many places (reddit, allnurses.com) seem to have them circulating.
• Youtube
  • I only really used videos from Lifelong Nursing, which are pretty much a word for word copy of the Barron’s book
  • Still nice to listen to though!
  • No purchasing anything necessary, just be mindful of the creator of the information you are listening to (do you ever get a sense that some people in critical care always think they know what they’re talking about? they don’t).
• Nicole Kupchik (**honorable mention that I didn’t use but heard was helpful)

**Top Tips**

• DO NOT (I repeat) DO NOT attempt to study EVERYTHING that a critical care nurse needs to know. You will overwhelm yourself. Be selective about what you study.
• And on that note, go over the test blueprint. Understand what you are expected to know, inside and out. Use this to guide your studying.
• Sign up for the test before you start to study for it. There’s nothing like an actual deadline to light a fire under your butt. I told myself many times I would “just start studying”. You won’t.
• Don’t overprepare. You either know it or you don’t. When you feel ready to take the test, take it. You can always retake it, and it will be a learning experience.
• Practice, practice, and practice some more. Practice questions will be your best friend. They are the easiest way to identify weaknesses and get you thinking at a higher level.
• Don’t forget about the ethics section. I read so many posts about this exam because I’m a psychopath. Almost everyone said they were surprised at how tricky the ethics questions are (think: “what would you do if this happened with a family member”), and how these questions can make or break your passing or failing. Practice questions are the best way to tackle these!
• Do AT LEAST 3-4 TIMED full length practice tests in the weeks leading up to your exam. You have 3 hours to do 150 questions. You do need to know how to pace yourself.
• BE CONFIDENT! You’ve prepared, you have bedside experience, you are a wonderfully competent nurse. Breathe & take a second to think about what the question is asking you. You got this!!

Wishing you all the best of luck on your exam!! You’ll feel amazing when it’s over, I promise 😉