Every CE requirement verified against official state nursing board sources. How RenewRN verifies the data →
Every CE requirement verified against official state nursing board sources. How RenewRN verifies the data →
Field guide · Certifications
Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner · PNCB · Last reviewed
Built by Keegan, a travel RN · verified against official board sources
The CPNP-PC is the credential for primary care pediatric nurse practitioners: well-child care, development, and chronic-condition management for kids. One board (PNCB), a retired ANCC alternative, and an annual recert model that surprises people. Here is how to pass and stay certified.
| Certifying body | PNCB · CPNP-PC (primary care) |
| Exam format | 175 items (150 scored); 3 hours; fixed-form via PSI |
| Passing standard | Scaled score of 400 (200 to 800 scale) |
| Recent pass rate | ~81% first-time (2024) |
| Exam fee | $407 initial (includes $134 registration); $288 re-exam |
| Recertification | Annual, within a 7-year competency cycle |
Exam specifications and fees change, so always confirm current details with PNCB before registering.
The CPNP-PC certifies you for primary care of infants, children, and adolescents: health promotion, developmental surveillance, and management of common and chronic pediatric conditions in the outpatient setting. It is issued by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB). Since the ANCC retired its pediatric primary care exam in 2020, the CPNP-PC is the primary route to become a primary care pediatric NP. It is distinct from the acute-care CPNP-AC, which covers hospitalized, acutely ill children.
Passing the CPNP-PC is the credential that lets you practice and bill as a primary care pediatric nurse practitioner, a licensure gateway, not the optional pay bump an RN specialty cert is. The income change comes from moving into the NP role, not from the certificate itself, and it depends on your state (especially full- vs reduced-practice authority), setting, and employer. Note that BLS does not publish a pediatric-NP-specific wage; it groups nurse practitioners with nurse anesthetists and nurse midwives (combined median $132,050, May 2024), and primary-care and pediatric roles generally sit lower in the NP range than acute-care or procedural ones. The cert without an NP position behind it does not raise an RN's pay.
See how this ranks on nurse pay
BoardVitals Pediatric Primary Care NP Question Bank
Subscription qbankBoard-style pediatric primary-care NP pool with rationales: a solid primary qbank for CPNP-PC prep.
PNCB Online Practice Tests
Official practice examsThe board's own timed practice tests with answer rationales and a score report. (Listed for completeness; PNCB is the certifying body, not an affiliate.)
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Want to gauge your readiness before buying a full qbank? Start with a set of pediatric primary care NP practice questions and find your weak domains first.
CPNP-PC certifies PRIMARY care pediatric NP practice: well-child care, development, and chronic-condition management in the outpatient setting. It is distinct from the CPNP-AC (acute care) exam, which covers acutely and critically ill children in the hospital; PNCB ties the required 500 clinical hours to primary care specifically, so pick the exam your program prepared you for. The ANCC's pediatric primary care exam (PPCNP-BC) was retired: since January 1, 2020, PNCB's CPNP-PC is the route to BECOME a primary care pediatric NP, and only pre-2020 PPCNP-BC holders still renew that credential. The FNP covers all ages including children but is not pediatric-specialized.
PNCB uses an ANNUAL recertification model, not the 5-year cycle some NP certs use. Each year between November 1 and January 31 you complete 15 contact hours and pay a fee, layered over a 7-year competency cycle that also requires four PNCB Pediatric Updates modules (passed at 70% or higher) and 15 hours of pediatric pharmacology. Practice hours are not required. Recert fees are tiered by option and timing rather than one flat figure. Confirm current requirements with PNCB.
Certification renewal is one of up to four clocks an APRN keeps current, alongside the RN license, the state APRN license, and DEA registration. See the NP & APRN renewal hub for how they fit together by state.
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CPNP-PC renews on a cycle with CE and practice-hour requirements. Log it all in one place so a recert deadline never sneaks up on you. Free, 60-second setup.