This CCRN cheat sheet distills the AACN Adult critical-care exam into a printable rundown of the numbers and patterns examiners test most. It's a premium cheat sheet built by Capital Prep — the one premium prep we trust — and it's yours free. Reinforce it with the rest of your free CCRN toolkit: the practice test, study guide, and flashcards.
CCRN exam at a glance
- Questions: 150 multiple-choice (125 scored + 25 unscored pilot)
- Time: 3 hours of seat time
- Passing score: Roughly 70% — a criterion-referenced cut score, reported Pass/Fail
- Cost: $255 AACN members / $370 non-members; administered by AACN via PSI
What’s on the CCRN cheat sheet
- Cardiovascular (13%) — hemodynamic values, the shock-pattern grid, acute coronary syndromes, cardiogenic shock, dysrhythmias, and tamponade.
- Respiratory (12%) — three-step ABG interpretation (ROME), ARDS and lung-protective ventilation, ventilator alarms and DOPE, and pulmonary embolism.
- Endocrine, Heme, GI, Renal & Integumentary (21%) — DKA vs. HHS, SIADH, DIC and HIT, transfusion reactions (TRALI vs. TACO), AKI and CRRT, and hyperkalemia — the largest cluster.
- Musculoskeletal, Neurological & Psychosocial (18%) — rising ICP and Cushing's triad, stroke and spinal cord injury, neurogenic shock, compartment syndrome, and ICU delirium.
- Multisystem (16%) — sepsis and the Surviving Sepsis hour-1 bundle, the shock states and MODS, cardiac arrest and ACLS (H's and T's), toxicology, and burns.
- Professional Caring & Ethical Practice (20%) — the seven non–Clinical-Judgment Synergy competencies — advocacy, caring, collaboration, systems thinking, and clinical inquiry.
How to use it in your final week
- Drill the shock-pattern grid until it's automatic — hypovolemic = LOW preload; cardiogenic = HIGH wedge with low cardiac output; distributive (septic) = LOW SVR. Reading that pattern is the single most testable hemodynamic skill.
- Front-load the two largest clinical clusters: the Endocrine/Heme/GI/Renal/Integumentary block (21%) and the Musculoskeletal/Neurological/Psychosocial block (18%). If you master two areas from the sheet, make them these.
- Read the sheet the morning of the test to lock in the memory numbers — CVP 2–6, PCWP 6–12, MAP goal ≥65, ICP 5–15, and the hour-1 sepsis bundle (lactate, cultures, antibiotics, 30 mL/kg, pressors to MAP ≥65).
- Pair each review pass with a short timed set (150 questions in 3 hours ≈ 72 seconds each) so your pacing stays sharp when you sit the real exam.
The cheat sheet is your review layer — your CCRN practice test drives the exam-readiness ring at the top of this page. Download it, review, then take a full practice exam (or drill with the study guide and flashcards) to see where you stand.
CCRN cheat sheet FAQ
Yes — the CCRN cheat sheet downloads as a PDF at no cost and with no sign-up. It sits alongside Career Employer's free CCRN practice test, study guide, and flashcards, so your entire Adult critical-care review is free.
It condenses the highest-yield Adult CCRN facts into a quick reference: normal hemodynamic values (CVP, PCWP, CO/CI, SVR, MAP), the shock-state pattern grid, ABG interpretation, vasoactive drips, the Surviving Sepsis hour-1 bundle, and the Synergy Model 80/20 split — grouped by the six AACN content areas.
It reflects the revised AACN Adult CCRN test plan that took effect November 12, 2025, which regrouped the body systems into five weighted clinical clusters plus Professional Caring & Ethical Practice. We review it against the AACN Exam Handbook regularly.
No — the sheet is a review and last-week cram layer, not a substitute for working scenario questions. Passing takes roughly 70% on a criterion-referenced cut score, so use the sheet to lock in numbers and the practice test to build the clinical judgment the exam rewards.
Click the download button (or the preview card) at the top of this page to open the PDF instantly. Bookmark the page so you can pull it up again in your final week before your AACN test date.
References
- 1.American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. “CCRN (Adult) Certification.” aacn.org, 2026. ↑
- 2.American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. “CCRN Exam Handbook — Direct Care (test plan effective Nov 12, 2025).” aacn.org, 2026. ↑
- 3.American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. “Revised CCRN Exams Launch Nov 12, 2025.” aacn.org, 2025. ↑
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