If your are applying for certification the first time, there are two primary costs involved. The first is a $100.00 registration fee paid to NAPNES at the time you apply. You will also be paying a testing fee to Castle Worldwide when you log-in to take the certification exam. The current fee for the Castle testing is $60.00 for the first try and $50.00 for each additional attempt.

Recertification costs $150.00. There are no testing fees unless you recertify by examination. Recertification costs more because we must verify your continuing education and employment.

There can be other fees that are dependent on the candidate and not NAPNES. For example, you can order study materials at an additional cost. There are also fees if you do not take the exam within 60 days of application or if a check you send to NAPNES bounces. If you apply for renewal late, there are late filing penalties as well. NAPNES will not issue membership cards or certification cards if any fees are unpaid or outstanding.

Certification is for a period of three (3) years from the date it is issued. NAPNES makes resonable attempts to notify certified nurses that their credential is expiring, however, it is the nurses responsibility to maintain certification.

Much of the time required will depend on you. Basically it takes NAPNES four to six weeks to process an application. You can reduce this time by using online payments, faxing or emailing applications, etc. DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE. The process requires time as we conduct verifications on every application.

No. Membership in NAPNES has not bearing on certification. NAPNES members do get discounts on membership study materials for example. If you want to be a member of NAPNES, this is a separate process and you must apply for and pay member dues.

While many employers do pay an additional hourly rate to nurses who have a national certification, we cannot promise your employer does. You will need to check with your employer.

When you take the long-term care certification exam you will be asked 150 multiple choice questions. The test is time limited. You can take the test from any computer that is connected to the Internet. We strongly recommend that you have a place that will be quite and where you will be uninterrupted during the testing process. A score of 75% is required to pass the exam.