CCRN eligibility hours planner
AACN gives two clinical-practice routes to the CCRN. The two-year option needs 1,750 hours of direct care of acutely or critically ill adults in the previous two years, with 875 of those hours in the most recent year before you apply. The five-year option needs 2,000 hours in the previous five years, with only 144 hours in the most recent year. Both require a current, unencumbered US RN or APRN licence.
| Hours remaining | 1,750 of 1,750 |
|---|---|
| Weeks at this pace | 88 |
| Projected finish | 2028-06-21 |
| Hours must fall within | the previous two years |
| Required in the most recent year | 875 h — about 44 weeks at this pace |
Half the hours must fall in the most recent year, which is usually the harder half.
Planning aid only. AACN defines which hours qualify and may audit your application; the handbook governs.
How this works
Hour totals, windows and most-recent-year minimums are taken from the eligibility section of the CCRN Exam Handbook (Direct Care, July 2026). The planner divides your remaining hours by the hours you work in direct care each week to project a completion date, and converts the most-recent-year requirement into weeks at that same pace. It does not audit which of your shifts count as direct care of acutely or critically ill adults — that definition is in the handbook, and AACN may audit your application.
Worked examples
A nurse with 1,200 qualifying hours working 24 direct-care hours a week reaches the 1,750-hour two-year threshold in about 23 weeks, and clears the 875-hour most-recent-year requirement in about 37 weeks — so the most-recent-year rule, not the total, is the binding constraint. On the five-year option the same nurse needs 800 more hours but only 144 in the recent year, which takes about 6 weeks.
Study the topic
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Primary references
- CCRN Exam Handbook — Direct Care (July 2026) — AACN Certification Corporation · primary · retrieved 2026-09-22, verified 2026-09-22
- CCRN (Adult) certification — eligibility and fees — AACN Certification Corporation · primary · retrieved 2026-09-22, verified 2026-09-22