Format and scoringNCC
The RNC-OB exam: format, scoring and retakes
Facts read in NCC's 2026 Candidate Guide and 3 other documents listed under Sources
The RNC-OB exam is 175 questions with three options per question (A, B, C), taken in 3 hours, with no breaks during testing time. Of those, 150 scored questions decide the result, and there is no percentage you have to reach, because the standard is criterion-referenced.
Inpatient OB exam rules, 2026 edition
| Item | Fact | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Question format | Multiple choice: each question has a stem and three answer options, one of them correct Options are listed alphabetically and questions appear in random order. Lab values use conventional units with SI units in parentheses; drugs are named by generic and trade name. | 2026 Candidate Guide [1] |
| Answer options | Three options per question (A, B, C) | 2026 Candidate Guide [1] |
| Questions | 175 questions | 2026 Candidate Guide [1] |
| Scored questions | 150 scored questions | 2026 Candidate Guide [1] |
| Unscored questions | 25 unscored pretest questions, not marked as such | 2026 Candidate Guide [1] |
| Exam time | 3 hours, with no breaks during testing time | 2026 Candidate Guide [1][2] |
| Calculator and aids | An on-screen calculator in the exam; personal calculators are not allowed | Guide to Testing Methods [2] |
| How it is scored | Criterion-referenced: each candidate's ability level is estimated with Rasch analysis, and exam forms are equated | 2026 Candidate Guide [1] |
| Passing score | No set percentage: NCC uses a criterion-referenced passing standard set with Rasch analysis on equated exam forms There is no penalty for a wrong answer. | 2026 Candidate Guide [1] |
| Score report | Pass or fail, with a word rating for each content area from "very weak" to "very strong" The report shows no percentages or standard scores. A hand score costs $55 and must be requested within 60 days of the report. | 2026 Candidate Guide [1] |
| Results | Not given at the test site; results reach your NCC account within 15 business days (up to 21 for new exam forms) The certification date is the date of the results. | Guide to Testing Methods [1][2] |
| Wait before a retake | 45 days after the attempt | 2026 Candidate Guide [1] |
| Retake limit | No lifetime limit, but no more than two attempts at the same exam in a calendar year | 2026 Candidate Guide [1][3] |
| Retake fee | The full $325 again, with a new application | 2026 Candidate Guide [1][3] |
| Content outline in force | 2026 Candidate Guide; weights unchanged from the 2025 guide | 2026 Candidate Guide [1][4] |
| Next change | None announced NCC republishes its candidate guides each year (read Nov 6, 2026). | 2026 Candidate Guide [1] |
Each row read on Nov 6, 2026. Fees, the testing window and booking: registration page.
Why there is no 70 percent cut score
A 70 percent pass mark is sometimes quoted for this exam, but the candidate guide sets none. Scoring is criterion-referenced: your ability is estimated with Rasch analysis, and forms of different difficulty are equated so that the same level of knowledge passes on any of them.
In practice the share of correct answers needed can differ slightly from form to form. Aim to be solid across all five categories rather than at a target percentage.
Reading the inpatient OB score report
Your report carries pass or fail, with a word rating for each content area from "very weak" to "very strong". There are no percentages and no scaled score, so a fail tells you where to work rather than how close you came. If you need to retake, start with the categories rated weakest and weight them by their share of the outline.
Waiting for the inpatient OB result
You leave the test site without a result; it is posted to your online account within 15 business days, a little longer for a new exam form. The credential takes effect once the official result is posted, so plan any employer deadline around that wait.
Retakes: wait, limit and cost
The wait, the yearly cap and the fee are in the table. In practice the cap shapes planning more than the wait: a nurse who fails twice in one calendar year cannot sit again until the next one. A second try is billed like the first, application included.
The weights and format here follow the 2026 Candidate Guide; weights unchanged from the 2025 guide. As of our Nov 6, 2026 check, no outline change had been announced; candidate guides are republished each year.
Also on the RNC-OB
- RNC-OBWho can sit the inpatient obstetric exam, what it covers, and renewal
- RNC-OB practice testA free set of inpatient obstetric questions in the three-option format
- RNC-OB registrationCertification cost, the application and booking with PSI
- RNC-OB study guideThe five content categories: what each covers, its weight, its traps
Sources
- [1]NCC: 2026 Candidate Guide, Inpatient Obstetric Nursing (PDF) nccwebsite.org, opened Nov 6, 2026
- [2]NCC: Guide to Testing Methods (PDF, modified Sept. 9, 2026) nccwebsite.org, opened Nov 6, 2026
- [3]NCC: 2026 Registration Catalog, core RNC exams (PDF) nccwebsite.org, opened Nov 6, 2026
- [4]NCC: 2025 Candidate Guide, Inpatient Obstetric Nursing (archived copy, Jan. 2025) web.archive.org, opened Nov 6, 2026
RNC-OB exam day questions
How many questions on the inpatient OB exam go unscored?
25 of the 175 are pretest items being field-tested for later forms. You cannot pick them out, so give each stem equal care.
Is a calculator allowed on the inpatient OB exam?
Only the on-screen one built into the exam; personal calculators are not allowed. Rehearse dosage and blood-loss math with a plain desktop calculator so the tool feels familiar.
Will I see my inpatient OB result before leaving the exam?
No. It appears in your online account within 15 business days; the session ends without a result.