The National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA), an independent organization separate from the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA), administers the National Certification Examination (NCE) and oversees the certification and continued competency programs for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs).

The NBCRNA's certification programs are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification (ABSNC) of the American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABNS).

Nurse anesthesia educational programs in the United States are accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA), the accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation for nurse anesthesia education. Graduation from a COA-accredited program is required for eligibility to take the National Certification Examination (NCE).

The NCE is a variable-length computerized adaptive examination designed to assess the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for entry-level nurse anesthesia practice. The examination consists of a minimum of 100 and a maximum of 170 questions and includes 30 unscored pretest items. Candidates receive a preliminary pass/fail result immediately upon completion of the examination. Additional information, including the content outline, exam policies, and sample questions, is available in the NCE Handbook.

The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Nurse Anesthetist

More information available at The CRNA.

Nurse Anesthesia board commercial prep courses:

• Valley Anesthesia
• Prodigy Anesthesia
• Apex Anesthesia Review
• Core Concepts Anesthesia Review