If you need help studying for the Certified Ostomy Care Nurse (COCN®) 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 COCN practice test!
Exam Eligibility
Before you can register to take the Certified Ostomy Care Nurse exam, you’ll need one of the following licenses: RN, LPN/LVN, NP, PA, PT, PTA, OT, OTA, MD, DO, DPM, or AP.
You’ll also need to meet ONE of the education requirements and ONE of the experience requirements:
- You need to graduate from a skin and wound management education course
- You need to have a current CECN, CWON, CEOCN, or CWS certification
Experience Requirements
- You need at least 120 hours of hands-on clinical training
- You need at least two ears of full-time (or four years of part-time) experience in an approved profession in relation to wound care
If you meet the necessary 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 120 multiple-choice questions total, but only 110 of the questions will count toward your score. Why is that?
The 10 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.
Each question falls under one of the following three cognitive levels:
- 🧠 Recall: The recall questions test your ability to recall/recognize information.
- 🛠️ Application: The application questions test your ability to apply knowledge to given situations.
- 🔍 Analysis: The analysis questions test your ability to analyze and evaluate solutions.
Let’s take a closer look at the different sections of the COCN exam.
1. Assessment and Care Planning
36 scored questions
- Obtaining patient health history to determine the patient’s current health and risk status
- Performing focused assessments to determine current status of ostomies, fistulae, or percutaneous tubes
- Developing a patient-centered plan of care to establish goals for the management of ostomies, fistulae, or percutaneous tubes
- Evaluating the patient-centered plan of care
- Assessing health-related quality of life of patients with ostomies, fistulae, or percutaneous tubes
2. Intervention and Treatment
44 scored questions
- Recommending and/or providing interventions to promote optimal management of ostomies
- Recommending and/or providing interventions to promote optimal management of fistulae
- Recommending and providing interventions to promote optimal management of percutaneous tubes or drains
3. Education and Referral
30 scored questions
- Instructing patients and caregivers on management techniques
- Instructing other healthcare clinicians and providers on care principles and techniques
- Collaborating with other healthcare professionals and make referrals to support patient-centered care
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 NAWCO’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 testing fee, which is $395.
COCN 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 100 and 800.
The reason your raw score is converted to a scaled score is because everyone who takes the exam 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 take the test three more times within the next two years. After that, you’ll have to wait a full year before trying again.
Keep in mind that you will have to pay the full testing fee every time you retake the test.
FAQs
How many questions are on the COCN exam?
The exam contains 120 questions.
What is the time limit for the COCN exam?
The exam is timed at 2 hours.
What is the passing score for the COCN exam?
You’ll need to get a final scaled score of at least 600 to pass.
How much does the COCN exam cost?
The testing fee is $395.