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An independent study site · every fact links to the exam bodyFacts last checked: November 2026
Nurse Leader & Educator Certs

Every exam on this site

Facts checked against nursingworld.org, codeofethics.ana.org and 6 more sites · Last checked Nov 6, 2026 · Not affiliated with ANCC, ANA, AONL, NLN or AACN.

Six exams have their own section here, each with an exam overview, cost, study plan, a practice test and pages for the content domains (a few small domains share a page or sit in the practice test). They are listed by group below; the four credentials we track without pages yet close the list.

Leadership and management

Scroll sideways for every column.

Table 1.The exams side by side. Checked Nov 6, 2026.
ExamCertifying bodyWho it is forQuestionsExam timePracticeSourceChecked
NE-BCANCCUnit or department1503 hPractice testExam facts12
NEA-BCANCCOrganization or system1503 hPractice testExam facts34
CNMLAONL-CCUnit manager1152 hPractice testExam facts56

Nurse educators

Scroll sideways for every column.

Table 2.The exams side by side. Checked Nov 6, 2026.
ExamCertifying bodyWho it is forQuestionsExam timePracticeSourceChecked
CNENLNAcademic faculty1503 hPractice testExam facts78
NPD-BCANCCStaff educator1503 hPractice testExam facts910

Nursing informatics

Scroll sideways for every column.

Table 3.The exams side by side. Checked Nov 6, 2026.
ExamCertifying bodyWho it is forQuestionsExam timePracticeSourceChecked
NI-BCANCCInformatics nurse1503 hPractice testExam facts1112

Tracked without pages yet

These credentials appear in the comparison tables, with the same dated facts, but have no exam section or practice questions here yet:

  • CENP, AONL's exam for nurse executives.
  • CNL, the Commission on Nurse Certification's credential for clinical nurse leader graduates.
  • CNEcl, NLN's credential for clinical teaching faculty.
  • CNEn, NLN's exam for faculty in their first three years.

Where they fit against the six exams above: credentials by role.

Comparisons and guides

Sources

  1. ANCC: Nurse Executive Certification (NE-BC) nursingworld.org · checked Nov 6, 2026
  2. ANCC: NE-BC Test Content Outline, effective Oct 15, 2025 (PDF) nursingworld.org · checked Nov 6, 2026
  3. ANCC: Nurse Executive, Advanced Certification (NEA-BC) nursingworld.org · checked Nov 6, 2026
  4. ANCC: NEA-BC Test Content Outline, effective Nov 11, 2025 (PDF) nursingworld.org · checked Nov 6, 2026
  5. AONL-CC: CNML Candidate Handbook, revised May 2025 (PDF) aonl.org · checked Nov 6, 2026
  6. AONL: CNML FAQ aonl.org · checked Nov 6, 2026
  7. NLN: CNE Candidate Handbook, March 2026 (PDF) nln.org · checked Nov 6, 2026
  8. NLN: CNE eligibility nln.org · checked Nov 6, 2026
  9. ANCC: Nursing Professional Development Certification (NPD-BC) nursingworld.org · checked Nov 6, 2026
  10. ANCC: NPD-BC Test Content Outline, effective Feb 26, 2025 (PDF) nursingworld.org · checked Nov 6, 2026
  11. ANCC: Informatics Nursing Certification (NI-BC) nursingworld.org · checked Nov 6, 2026
  12. ANCC: NI-BC Test Content Outline, effective May 3, 2023 (PDF, reposted Aug 29, 2025) prd.healthynursehealthynation.org · checked Nov 6, 2026

Each figure is reread against its document on a fixed cycle, and the date beside a source is its latest pass. Where a number here and the document part ways, the document wins (how corrections happen).