If you need help studying for the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) exam or just want some more information about what the test is like, you’ve come to the right place.
Click below to take a free PMHNP practice test!
What’s on the Exam?
How to Register
Exam Scores
Retaking the Exam
Online PMHNP Prep Course
FAQs
Exam Eligibility
Before you can register to take the PMHNP exam, you’ll have to meet these requirements:
- You need a current RN license
- You need a master’s degree, post-grad certificate, or DNP in PMHNP
- You need to have taken three separate, comprehensive, graduate-level APRN Core courses
- You need clinical training in at least two psychotherapeutic treatment modalities
If you meet these requirements, you’re set to begin the registration process!
What’s on the Exam?
First, let’s talk about the questions on the exam. There are 175 multiple-choice questions total, but only 150 of the questions will count toward your score. Why is that?
The 25 unscored questions on the exam are called “pretest” questions. These are added to the exam to determine if they’re good enough questions to add to future versions of the test.
The trick is that you won’t have any way of knowing which questions are scored and which ones are pretest. They will appear just like the scored questions throughout the test.
The time limit for the exam is 3 hours. There aren’t any scheduled breaks, but you’re free to take restroom breaks as needed.
Let’s take a closer look at the different sections of the PMHNP exam.
1. Scientific Foundation
33 scored questions
- Advanced pathophysiology
- Advanced pharmacology
- Advanced psychopharmacology
- Neurodevelopment
- Neuroanatomy
- Neurophysiology
- Psychogenomics
- Advanced physical assessment
2. Advanced Practice Skills
41 scored questions
- Clinical interviewing
- Health promotion and disease prevention
- Mental health screening tool selection and interpretation
- Mental status exam
- Psychiatric emergency management
- Psychoeducation
- Recovery and resilience promotion
- Risk assessment
- Substance use screening tool selection and interpretation
3. Diagnosis and Treatment
33 scored questions
- Diagnostic and laboratory test selection and interpretation
- Diagnosis
- Evidence-based practice
- Psychopharmacotherapeutic management
- Pharmacotherapeutic management
- DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria
- Complementary and alternative treatments
4. Psychotherapy and Related Theories
17 scored questions
- Psychotherapy principles
- Change theories
- Developmental theories
- Family theories
- Therapeutic alliance development and management
5. Ethics, Legal Principles, and Cultural Care
26 scored questions
- Patient’s Bill of Rights
- Scope of confidentiality
- ANA Scope and Standards of Practice: Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing
- Cultural and spiritual competence
- Equity, diversity, and inclusion
- Ethics in clinical decision-making
- Patient advocacy
How to Register
Once you’ve ensured that you meet all of the eligibility requirements, you can register for the exam.
To get started, you’ll need to submit an application to ANCC. The application will ask you for your contact information and any documentation to prove your eligibility (among other things).
When you submit the application, you’ll also need to submit the testing fee, which is $395. Being a member of certain organizations can reduce your cost:
PMHNP Study Guide and Flashcards
Get practice questions, detailed study lessons, and complex subjects broken down into easily understandable concepts.
Exam Scores
The test is scored using a scaled scoring method. Here’s how it works:
For every question you answer correctly, you get one point added to your raw score. At the end of the test, your final raw score will be converted to a scaled score. This scaled score will range somewhere between 1 and 500.
The reason your raw score is converted to a scaled score is because everyone who takes the test is given a slightly different set of questions. Since everyone has a different arrangement of questions, and because some questions are harder than others, converting your raw score to a scaled score ensures a more even playing field.
Retaking the Exam
If you didn’t get a passing score on your first try, that’s okay! You can retake the test after a 60-day waiting period.
Keep in mind that you will have to pay the full testing fee every time you retake the test.
Online PMHNP Prep Course
If you want to be fully prepared, Mometrix offers an online PMHNP prep course. The course is designed to provide you with any and every resource you might want while studying. The PMHNP course includes:
- Review Lessons Covering Every Topic
- 700+ PMHNP Practice Questions
- More than 550 Digital Flashcards
- Over 30 Instructional Videos
- Money-back Guarantee
- Free Mobile Access
- and More!
The PMHNP prep course is designed to help any learner get everything they need to prepare for their PMHNP exam. Click below to check it out!
FAQs
How many questions are on the PMHNP exam?
The exam contains 175 questions.
What is the time limit for the PMHNP exam?
The exam is timed at 3 hours.
What is the passing score for the PMHNP exam?
You’ll need to get a final scaled score of at least 350 to pass.
How much does the PMHNP exam cost?
The testing fee is $395.
