Certifications › Specialty nursing board certifications
Board exam · Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC)
OCN — Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN)
OCN is ONCC's certification for registered nurses in adult oncology, requiring 2,000 oncology practice hours and 10 oncology contact hours. It is valid four years and renewed through practice hours, professional development points or retesting.
Named in 87 of 29,080 postings on this site as of 11 Nov 2026, mostly Registered Nurse (82), Nurse Practitioner (5) and Advanced Practice Nurse (2).
The facts, from the issuer
- Eligibility
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You need a current, active, unencumbered RN licence in the US, its territories or Canada.
ONCC — Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN) · checked ·
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“A current, active, unencumbered license as a registered nurse in the US, its territories or Canada at the time of application and examination.”
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You need at least 2,000 hours of adult oncology nursing practice in the four years before applying.
ONCC — Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN) · checked ·
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“A minimum of 2,000 hours of adult oncology nursing practice within the four years (48 months) prior to application.”
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You need at least two years of RN experience within the four years before applying.
ONCC — Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN) · checked ·
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“A minimum of two years (24 months) of experience as an RN within the four years (48 months) prior to application.”
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You need at least 10 contact hours of oncology nursing CE in the three years before applying.
ONCC — Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN) · checked ·
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“Completed a minimum of 10 contact hours of nursing continuing education in oncology or an academic elective in oncology nursing”
- Length
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The test is three hours with 165 multiple-choice questions.
ONCC — Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN) · checked ·
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“The certification test is a three-hour, 165 multiple-choice question test based on the OCN® Test Content Outline (Test Blueprint).”
- How long it lasts
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Once you pass, OCN certification is valid for four years.
ONCC — Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN) · checked ·
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“Once you pass the test, your certification is valid for four years.”
- Renewal
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Renewal options combine two of: practice hours, professional development points, and retesting.
ONCC — OCN Renewal · checked ·
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“Option 1: Practice hours + Professional Development (Points) Option 2: Practice hours + Successful testing Option 3: Points + Successful testing”
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Options 1 and 2 use practice hours: at least 1,000 hours of adult oncology practice in the 30 months before applying. Option 3 combines points and testing instead.
ONCC — OCN Renewal · checked ·
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“A minimum of 1,000 hours of adult oncology nursing practice (adult care) within the two-and-one-half years (30 months) prior to application.”
- Cost
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The test fee is $300 for ONS/APHON members and $420 for non-members.
ONCC — Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN) · checked ·
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“Test Fees Non-member $420 ONS/APHON Member $300 Determining if you are eligible”
- Find a class or test site
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ONCC tests are given by computer at more than 1,500 PSI test centers worldwide, year-round in the US and Canada.
ONCC — 2026 Test Registration Manual · checked ·
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“ONCC examinations are offered by computer-based testing at more than 1,500 PSI test centers worldwide”
Where to take it
Start with the issuer’s own test-site search:
- Book the exam at a test site: PSI — ONCC test centers (test-takers.psiexams.com)
OCN is an exam taken at test sites, so there are no classes to list here; use the test-site search above.
Distances are straight-line from the ZIP or city centre (U.S. Census 2024 gazetteer), not drive times. Listings come from state approved-program lists, issuer directories and providers' own pages. A listing is not a partnership; confirm dates, price and seats with the provider.
Related
- Current Registered Nurse jobs
- Current Nurse Practitioner jobs
- Current Advanced Practice Nurse jobs
- CEN — Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN)
- CPEN — Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN)
- TCRN — Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN)
- CNOR — Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
- RNC-OB — Inpatient Obstetric Nursing (RNC-OB)
- RNC-NIC — Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing (RNC-NIC)
- C-EFM — Electronic Fetal Monitoring (C-EFM)
- CMSRN — Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse (CMSRN)
- CHPN — Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (CHPN)
Every fact above was read on the issuer’s own page on the date shown, with the exact words quoted. Anything the issuer does not publish is left out, so a missing fee means the issuer leaves pricing to the class provider or did not publish one. Employers decide which cards they accept; check the posting.