If you need help studying for the NCC Inpatient Obstetric Nursing exam or just want some more information about what the exam is like, you’ve come to the right place.
Click below to take a free Inpatient Obstetric Nursing practice test!
What’s on the Exam?
How to Register
Exam Scores
Retaking the Exam
Online Inpatient Obstetric Prep Course
FAQs
Exam Eligibility
Before you can register to take the Inpatient Obstetric Nursing exam, you’ll need to have a valid RN license in the US or Canada.
You’ll also need to meet BOTH of the requirements below:
- You need at least 2,000 hours of specialty RN experience within the last two years
- You need to have been employed in the specialty at some point in the last two years
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 about 150 of the questions will count toward your score. Why is that?
The 25 unscored questions on the exam are “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 exam:
1. Pregnancy Complications, Treatment, and Management
28% of the exam
- Maternal/birthing person complications affecting the fetus and newborn
- Maternal/birthing person psychological and environmental factors
- Preterm labor
- Multiple gestation
- Placental disorders
2. Fetal Assessment
17% of the exam
- Antenatal testing
- Electronic fetal monitoring
- Non-electronic fetal monitoring
- Acid-base interpretation
3. Labor and Birth
36% of the exam
- Physiology of labor/li>
- Assessment and management of labor/li>
- Obstetric and perioperative procedures/li>
- Pain management and coping/li>
- Labor and obstetric complications/li>
- Induction and augmentation/li>
4. Recovery, Postpartum and Newborn Care
16% of the exam
- Recovery and postpartum physiology and complications
- Family dynamics, social determinants of health, and discharge
- Readiness
- Lactation and infant nutrition
- Newborn physiology and complications
5. Professional Practice Issues
3% of the exam
- Legal
- Ethics
- Evidence-based practice
- Safety
- Quality improvement
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 on NCC’s website. 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 application fee, which is $50.
Once your application is approved, you’ll be given information on how to register for a testing appointment. During registration, you’ll need to pay the $275 exam fee.
Inpatient Obstetric Exam Study Guide and Flashcards
Get practice questions, detailed study lessons, and complex subjects broken down into easily understandable concepts.
How is the Exam Scored?
The Inpatient Obstetric Nursing exam is scored using two methods: criterion-referenced scoring and scaled scoring.
The NCC board of directors have determined the specific knowledge and skills required to be a competent inpatient obstetric nurse and created the questions based on the criteria they came up with. They then came up with a cut-off score that reflects the minimum level of knowledge and skills you need.
Scaled Scoring
For security and validity reasons, each administration of the exam contains a slightly different set of questions. Since everyone has a different arrangement of questions, and because some questions are harder than others, the cut-off score and your final score are converted to a scaled score to ensure a more even playing field.
When you get your score report, it gives you a short descriptor of how you did on each section of the exam instead of giving you exact scoring information. There are five levels of feedback you can receive:
- VERY WEAK
- WEAK
- AVERAGE
- STRONG
- VERY STRONG
Here’s an example of what this looks like:
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 90-day waiting period.
Keep in mind that you will have to pay the full testing fee every time you retake the test.
Online Inpatient Obstetric Nurse Certification Prep Course
If you want to be fully prepared, Mometrix offers an online Inpatient Obstetric Nurse prep course. The course is designed to provide you with any and every resource you might want while studying. The Inpatient Obstetric Nurse course includes:
- 58 Review Lessons Covering all the Topics
- 700+ Inpatient Obstetric Nurse Practice Questions
- More than 350 Electronic Flashcards
- Money-back Guarantee
- Free Mobile Access
- and More!
The Inpatient Obstetric Nurse prep course is designed to help any learner get everything they need to prepare for their Inpatient Obstetric Nurse exam. Click below to check it out!
FAQs
What is the Inpatient Obstetric Nurse certification?
The Inpatient Obstetric Nurse certification exam is a test used to evaluate an applicant’s knowledge and practice in obstetrics.
How much does it cost to take the Inpatient Obstetric Nurse exam?
There is a non-refundable application fee of $50 and a testing fee of $275.
How do you become Inpatient Obstetric Nurse certified?
To become certified as an Inpatient Obstetric nurse, you must have a current RN license, 2 years of RN experience, employment sometime in the last year, and pass the Inpatient Obstetric Nurse certification exam.
Is the Inpatient Obstetric Nurse exam all multiple choice?
Yes, there are 175 multiple-choice questions on the Inpatient Obstetric Nurse exam, including 25 unscored questions.
How long do you have to take the Inpatient Obstetric Nurse?
Test-takers are given 3 hours to complete the exam.
How do you sign up for the Inpatient Obstetric Nurse exam?
To sign up for the Inpatient Obstetric Nurse exam, visit the National Certification Corporation website.
What is a passing score for the exam?
There is no set percentage passing level, according to the NCC. There is no penalty for wrong answers; your score is based on how many answers were answered correctly.
