Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Across the Lifespan) Certification (PMHNP-BC™)
Credential Awarded: PMHNP-BC™
(Formerly known as Family Psychiatric–Mental Health Nurse Practitioner)
The ANCC Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) (Across the Lifespan) board certification examination is a competency-based examination that provides a valid and reliable assessment of the entry-level clinical knowledge and skills of the PMHNP. This certification aligns with the Consensus Model for APRN Regulation: Licensure, Accreditation, Certification and Education. Once you complete eligibility requirements to take the certification examination and successfully pass the exam, you are awarded the credential: PMHNP-BC (Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner-Board Certified). This credential is valid for 5 years. You can continue to use this credential by maintaining your license to practice and meeting the renewal requirements in place at the time of your certification renewal.
The Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification (ABSNC) and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) accredit this ANCC certification.
FIRST-TIME APPLICANTS: For faster service, please have your documents available in an electronic format to upload during the application process. If your documents are not available upon application, you may upload them at any time by clicking here.
Pass rate: 90% - Find more information on 2023 ANCC Certification Data by clicking here
See below for instruction and pricing for new and renewal applications.
Apply
Apply for Certification
Initial Certification Application
You may apply for this computer-based test year round and test during a 120-day window at a time and location convenient to you. The exam allows 3.5 hours to answer 175 questions (150 scored plus 25 pretest questions that are not scored). For exam prep resources, scroll down to view Study Aids. If you do not pass a certification exam, learn about retesting.
STEP 1: Review Pricing, Eligibility Requirements, and FAQs
Review certification pricing and eligibility requirements below. FAQs provide a deeper dive into topics including online application, document submission, APRN and RN specialty certification requirements, and renewal requirements.
See Pricing & Discounts
| Pricing & Discounts | INITIAL CERTIFICATION |
| Non-member | $395 |
| American Nurses Association members* | $295 |
| American Association of Nurse Practitioners member | $340 |
| American Association of Nurse Practitioners student member | $290 |
| American Psychiatric Nurses Association member | $220 |
| International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses member | $340 |
| Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association (GAPNA) members | $340 |
- *Excludes ANA e-membership. Offer cannot be combined with other discounts.
- Prices above include $140 non-refundable administrative fee. Additional fees for special services may apply. See application for details.
- Discounts may be claimed for up to 5 business days after ANCC receives your application. Discount claims received after this time will not be honored and refunds will not be issued.
Eligibility
RN License
Hold a current, active RN license in a state or territory of the United States or hold the professional, legally recognized equivalent in another country
Master’s, Post-graduate certificate, or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
- Hold a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) (Across the Lifespan) master's, post-graduate certificate, or DNP from an institution with a program accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), or the National League for Nursing (NLN) Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CNEA)**. A minimum of 500 faculty-supervised clinical hours must be included in the PMHNP (Across the Lifespan) program
Three separate, comprehensive, graduate-level APRN Core courses in:
- Advanced physiology/pathophysiology, including general principles that apply across the life span
- Advanced health assessment, which includes assessment of all human systems, advanced assessment techniques, concepts, and approaches
- Advanced pharmacology, which includes pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacotherapeutics of all broad categories of agents
Content In:
- Health promotion and/or maintenance
- Differential diagnosis and disease management, including the use and prescription of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions
And
- Clinical training in at least two psychotherapeutic treatment modalities
*Candidates may be authorized to sit for the examination after all coursework and faculty-supervised clinical practice hours for the degree are complete, prior to degree conferral and graduation, provided that all other eligibility requirements are met. The Validation of Education (VOE) form and official/unofficial transcripts detailing planning coursework and faculty-supervised clinical hour completion must be submitted before authorization to test (ATT) status will be issued. ANCC will accept unofficial transcripts, which ANCC defines as either a photocopy of a transcript, a comprehensive record of your academic progress or a print out of all work completed, to date, including coursework, grades and degree(s) earned or in progress. Unofficial transcripts allow ANCC to process and review applications for ATT status. ANCC reserves the right to reject any unofficial transcript that appears to be altered.
For candidates in ATT status, ANCC will retain exam results and issue certification only after all eligibility requirements are met, a passing exam result is on file, and on the date the final, degree-conferred official transcript is received.
**Please note that ANCC is not an accreditor of nursing programs. ANCC’s review of accreditation is designed only for purposes of evaluating eligibility for certification. If you need more details specifically related to the CCNE or ACEN or CNEA accreditation status of a program and/or institution, we encourage you to review the CCNE and/or ACEN websites directly at https://www.aacnnursing.org/CCNE, https://www.acenursing.org/, OR https://cnea.nln.org/.
STEP 2: Apply
STEP 3: Submit Education Verification Documents
Download, complete the VOE with support from your program’s faculty director, and submit* the faculty-signed form.
- Only electronic PDF forms will be accepted; printed, scanned, hand-written, or paper versions of this form will not be processed.
*Online application and/or portal submission options are preferred and will result in faster processing time. Completed VOEs may be sent to aprnvalidation@ana.org.
- Transcript(s)
Submit transcript(s) relating to all APRN degrees/programs inclusive of universities indicated on the VOE form for transfer courses.
- ANCC accepts varying levels of transcripts for APRN applicants. Submission of official transcripts without degree conferral and unofficial transcripts may result in Authorized to Test (ATT) status.
- Final, official transcript (FOT) = transcript sent to ANCC directly from university and must show program of study, degree conferred, and date degree/post-graduate certificate was awarded. Submission of FOT via aprnvalidation@ana.org is preferred.
- Official transcript (*ATT Status) = transcript sent to ANCC directly from university, either via hard-copy mail or through an electronic transcript submission service missing degree conferral. Submission of official transcript via aprnvalidation@ana.org is preferred.
- Unofficial transcript (*ATT Status) = copy of a transcript sent to ANCC from university OR applicant showing completion of an academic program OR a comprehensive record showing completion of an academic program. Submission of unofficial transcript via the online application or portal is preferred.
- Transcripts that appear to be altered will not be processed. ANCC reserves the right to reject any transcript that appears to be altered.
- ANCC strongly recommends submission of e-transcripts. Sending hard-copy transcripts via U.S. postal service mail will result in a delay of application review. Hard copy transcripts may be sent to:
American Nurses Credentialing Center
ATTN: Certification
8403 Colesville Road, Suite 500
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Step 4: Testing
To schedule your exam, visit the Prometric website at https://www.prometric.com/ancc and use your certification number to schedule your exam
Maintain & Renew
Maintain Certification
To maintain certification, complete professional development requirements between the start and end dates of your certification, and provide this information on your renewal application.
CALENDAR Your Renewal Date
Certifications are renewed every 5 years. You may submit a renewal application up to 1 year prior to your expiration. You may be ineligible to practice beyond your expiration date.
CREATE an ANCC Account
Track professional development, mail preferences and purchases in one place. Online applications are also stored in your account. Visit Access My Account
UPDATE Contact Information
If you move, change names or acquire a new phone or email, please update contact details in your account. Or email Customer Care or call 1.800.284.2378.
DISPLAY Your Credentials
Learn common questions and answers about displaying your credentials in the proper order.
Download How to Display Your Credentials.
TRACK PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WITH ANCC
Online renewal is simpler when you store professional development activities in your ANCC account immediately upon completion. At renewal, you can transfer stored information to the renewal application, saving time. Note: To renew online, you must store professional development activities before starting the online renewal application.
- After each activity, gather proof of professional development.
- Click Track Professional Development to the right.
- Enter and save professional development activities.
- From account summary, top right column, under Professional Development find links to enter continuing education (contact hours), academic credits, presentations, publications/research, preceptorship and professional service.
- Log out.
Renew Certification
Renewal Certification Application
You may submit a renewal application up to 1 year prior to your expiration.
STEP 1: Review Requirements, FAQs, and Pricing
See Pricing & Discounts
| Pricing & Discounts | RENEWAL |
| Non-member | $375 |
| American Nurses Association members | $275 |
| American Association of Nurse Practitioners member | $295 |
| American Psychiatric Nurses Association member | $250 |
| International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses member | $320 |
| Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association (GAPNA) members | $320 |
- Prices above include $140 non-refundable administrative fee. Additional fees for special services may apply. See application for details.
- Discounts may be claimed for up to 5 business days after ANCC receives your application. Discount claims received after this time will not be honored and refunds will not be issued.
STEP 2: Submit Renewal Application
Required: BEFORE starting a renewal application online, proof of professional development must be entered and stored in your ANCC online account. To record professional development activities go to Track Professional Development with ANCC. Then return to renew online.
RENEW ONLINE TRACK PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
RENEW BY MAIL
If you would like to renew by mail, please send a request to certification@ana.org.