CEN Exam
The CEN Exam: Are You Ready?
Are you ready for the CEN Exam? Passing it allows a person to use the title of Certified Emergency Nurse, and doing so is a valuable boost to any nurse who works in an emergency room setting. Holding the title of CEN demonstrates to patients, coworkers, and employers that a nurse has achieved the very highest level of the profession and has mastered the knowledge and skills necessary to be among the absolute best emergency room nurses. In many cases, passing the CEN Exam can lead to an immediate raise; certainly, it leads to better employment prospects in the future. Given the choice between otherwise equally qualified emergency room nurses, nearly every hospital is going to hire the one who is CEN qualified.
However, no one in emergency room nursing should attempt to take the CEN exam without being confident that he or she is going to pass it before walking into the testing room. The test costs several hundred dollars to take, and if you fail, you have to pay that fee all over again. On top of the extra fee, there will be a long wait involved, as the CEN test is given only during certain calendar windows throughout the year. Failing the test could be a serious setback to your emergency room nursing career.
Do not assume the CEN Exam is easy. Many very intelligent and experienced nurses fail it every year. Most people who fail are quite shocked; they assumed they would ace the exam because of their extensive experience in emergency room situations. However, there is a lot more to the CEN exam than just what happens in the day-to-day operations of an emergency room. Much of the test revolves around theory, definitions, and other technical matters that all ER nurses once knew but may have forgotten because they do not use the information on a regular basis. Do not take passing the CEN exam for granted. The best way to prepare is to purchase a good CEN study guide and review the material well in advance for a few hours a night so that you are well prepared when test day arrives.
CEN Test Strategies to Help You Pass the First Time
If you are hoping to become a Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN), then the CEN Test looms large in your future. Passing it is the only way of achieving this coveted nursing designation. The test itself is several hours long, and it costs hundreds of dollars to register for the exam. In the event you do not pass, you will have to take the test again (likely several months later) and pay the hefty testing fee again as well. These are just a couple of reasons you want to make sure you pass the CEN test the first time you take it.
Although the test is difficult, there is no reason a competent ER nurse should fail it. Of course, thousands of nurses do fail the test every year, but in almost every case they could have passed if they had done a few things differently. One of the biggest mistakes is spending too much time on any single question. The CEN test is timed, and there are 150 questions to answer in the given time period of three hours. This leaves a little over a minute to read, think about, and answer each question. That is not much of a cushion, so do not get hung up on any question and always keep your eye on the clock. If you have no clue as to the correct answer, take a guess, as a wrong answer does not lower your score any more than a blank answer field. In fact, that is the second most common mistake leading to failure: leaving answer fields blank. Always guess if you do not know the answer.
The biggest mistake by far, though, is not preparing for the CEN test adequately. It is not enough to know the day-to-day tasks of your ER job, even if you are very good at it. The exam covers every conceivable aspect of ER nursing, even some you may have never encountered, as well as some you have forgotten. Every aspiring CEN should begin preparing for the exam with a good CEN study and review guide several months before the test date. Last minute cramming does not work; there is simply too much material on the test. Regular review and study sessions started well before the test are of utmost importance in making a passing score on the CEN test.
CEN Questions: What to Expect on the CEN Examination
If you are an ER nurse who wants to pass the Certified Emergency Nurse exam, it is imperative that you understand the CEN questions that will be on the test. The exam is comprehensive, and the in-depth questions are demanding. You will have only three hours to complete the test, which is comprised of 150 questions, so you must work efficiently in order to answer all the questions within the time limit. (There are also 25 "pre-test" questions, but these are a warm up and do not count toward your score.) In order to pass, you will need to answer correctly at least 109 out of the 150 CEN questions.
Here are the areas you will be questioned on and the approximate number of questions in each area: Substance Abuse and Toxicological and Environmental Emergencies-13 questions; Obstetrical, Genitourinary, and Gynecological Emergencies-10 questions; Patient Care Management-12 questions; Neurological Emergencies-12 questions; Maxillofacial and Ocular Emergencies-9 questions; Professional Issues-7 questions; Psycho/Social Issues-7 questions; Gastrointestinal Emergencies-9 questions; Medical Emergencies and Communicable Diseases-13 questions; Cardiovascular Emergencies-17 questions; Respiratory Emergencies-18 questions; Shock and Multi-System Trauma Emergencies-8 questions; Orthopedic Emergencies and Wound Management-15 questions.
As you can see, CEN questions are all-inclusive and challenging, and they will cover much more then you encounter in your daily duties as an ER nurse. It is easy to see why so many aspiring Certified Emergency Nurses fail the test and do not qualify for the CEN designation. Anyone who wants to pass the CEN must take the test seriously and start prepping well in advance. Using a good CEN study guide several weeks or months before the exam to master all the CEN questions you will face is the only viable strategy for achieving a passing score.
Become a Certified Emergency Nurse to Open Up Career Doors
If you are an emergency room nurse who has not yet obtained the Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) designation, you may be holding your career back, even though you may not realize it. While it is true that you do not have to earn your CEN in order to work in most hospital emergency rooms, there is no denying that being a CEN can boost your career in different ways, and earning the CEN is an excellent investment in yourself and your career. It is true that the test does cost a few hundred dollars to take, which is one of the main reasons many nurses put off getting the designation, but this should not hold you back. In fact, many hospitals have policies to reimburse nurses for their CEN testing fees if they pass the exam.
Even if you are not required to be a Certified Emergency Nurse at the hospital where you are presently employed, it is still a good idea to earn the CEN title. For one thing, it may entitle you to an immediate raise upon passing, as many hospitals give an automatic raise to any nurse who achieves CEN status. Even if this is not the case at your own hospital, being a Certified Emergency Nurse will certainly be a feather in your cap when it comes time for your employee review and can help you negotiate a raise.
Furthermore, there may come a day when the hospital where you are employed decides to require all ER nurses who have not already done so to pass the CEN test. It is far better to sit for the test of your own volition rather than have the added pressure of being required to take it by your employer. Test day jitters are bad enough when taking the CEN is optional, but they are far worse when you must pass the test to keep your job. Finally, being a Certified Emergency Nurse gives you more options when and if you decide to seek employment at another hospital. Whether you hope to move across the country or just to another hospital in the same town, having the CEN on your resume will give you a substantial advantage over non-certified nurses who are applying for the same position.