Cost · as of Nov 6, 2026
NEA-BC cost, exam through first renewal
Facts checked against nursingworld.org, codeofethics.ana.org and web.archive.org · Last checked Nov 6, 2026 · Not affiliated with ANCC, ANA, AONL, NLN or AACN.
The exam costs $395 as of November 2026, or $295 for ANA members. Over the 5 years the credential lasts, the bill can also include a moved window, a retake, optional prep and the renewal.
Open the NEA-BC practice test60 questions, mixed content domainsNurse executive certification
Every NEA-BC charge, dated
| Fact | Detail | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam fee | $395, or $295 for ANA membersBoth prices include a $140 non-refundable administrative fee. The member price needs American Nurses Association membership, claimed within 5 business days after ANCC receives the application. | ANCC: Nurse Executive, Advanced Certification (NEA-BC)1 | |
| Other fees | $100 to move to a new 120-day testing window (once); Prometric may charge to reschedule or cancel | ANCC Certification Handbook, effective June 2025, version 5, Oct 12, 2026 (PDF)2 | |
| Retakes | After 60 calendar days, up to 3 attempts in any 12 months, with a new retest application and feeApply at least 5 days after the exam; eligibility is checked again. ANCC does not publish the retest fee on its exam pages, handbook or retest page. | ANCC Certification Handbook, effective June 2025, version 5, Oct 12, 2026 (PDF) · ANCC: Scores and retest application23 | |
| Renewal fee | $350, or from $250 for ANA membersIncludes the $140 administrative fee. | ANCC: Nurse Executive, Advanced Certification (NEA-BC)1 | |
| Prep from the certifying body | ANCC Readiness Test ($85, 60 questions in 75 minutes); Nurse Executive, Advanced PracticeIQ ($149, $104 for ANA members); 25 free sample questions | ANCC: Readiness Tests · 2 more456 |
The five-year bill, line by line
- Exam: $395, or $295 for ANA members. Both prices include a $140 non-refundable administrative fee. The member price needs American Nurses Association membership, claimed within 5 business days after ANCC receives the application.
- Moving your window: $100 to move to a new 120-day testing window (once); Prometric may charge to reschedule or cancel.
- A retake: a new retest application with its own fee. The amount is not published, so budget for a second fee of unknown size.
- Prep (optional): the cheapest paid item from the certifying body is the $85 Readiness Test; the other options are under study guide.
- Renewal after 5 years: $350 for non-members, and the continuing education the renewal asks for (75 CE hours + 1 of 8). The rules: certification renewal.
Does ANA membership pay for itself?
On the exam, membership saves $100. At renewal the member price is lower again ($350, or from $250 for ANA members), so over one cycle the saving can reach $200.
ANA dues are not printed on the exam pages. Look up the current ANA price and compare it with that $100 to $200 before you join.
Money that does not come back
The $140 non-refundable administrative fee is kept whatever happens to the application. The avoidable loss is applying with hours that are really unit-level: read eligibility before paying. Joining ANA after the claim period does not bring the member price back.
Fees across the executive credentials
The NE-BC, NPD-BC and NI-BC use the same grid: ANCC certifications compared. Side by side with AONL's exams, including the CNML at $425–$450 for non-members: nurse executive certification.
More NEA-BC facts
- NEA-BCANCC's exam for organization- and system-level nurse executives
- NEA-BC practice testExecutive-level questions in the outline's proportions
- NEA-BC exam factsForm, outline, scaled scoring, pass rates, retakes, renewal
- NEA-BC eligibilityDegree rule, organization-wide hours, CE and documents
- NEA-BC study guideEight weeks in outline order, ANCC's reading list and the traps
The NEA-BC outline
Before you buy a review course
The same NEA-BC questions with every option explained, in a study app.
Paying for the NEA-BC
Is a retest cheaper than the first sitting?
ANCC does not print the retest fee on the exam page, in the handbook or on the retest page, so ask ANCC Customer Care before you budget.
Is the NE-BC any cheaper?
No. It uses the same grid: $395, less with ANA membership.
Is there a deadline for the ANA discount?
Yes. You can claim it up to 5 business days after the application is received; later claims are not honored and no refund is issued (exam page).
Sources
- ANCC: Nurse Executive, Advanced Certification (NEA-BC) nursingworld.org · checked Nov 6, 2026
- ANCC Certification Handbook, effective June 2025, version 5, Oct 12, 2026 (PDF) nursingworld.org · checked Nov 6, 2026
- ANCC: Scores and retest application nursingworld.org · checked Nov 6, 2026
- ANCC: Readiness Tests nursingworld.org · checked Nov 6, 2026
- ANCC: Nurse Executive, Advanced PracticeIQ nursingworld.org · checked Nov 6, 2026
- ANCC: NEA-BC sample test questions nursingworld.org · checked Nov 6, 2026
Each figure is reread against its document on a fixed cycle, and the date beside a source is its latest pass. Where a number here and the document part ways, the document wins (how corrections happen).