1.1 Current CHN Exam Facts and Study Strategy
Key Takeaways
CHN has 150 multiple-choice questions and a three-hour limit.
The passing scaled score is 70 on a 1–100 scale; this is not a published raw 70% requirement.
RN applicants need one year of nephrology experience; LPN/LVN applicants need two years, with valid licensure and current ESRD participation.
What This Credential Tests
The Certified Hemodialysis Nurse (CHN) credential is administered by the Board of Nephrology Examiners Nursing and Technology, or BONENT. It is a nursing certification, distinct from BONENT's hemodialysis technologist credential and from other organizations' nurse certifications. Certification recognizes examination performance and qualifying experience; it does not enlarge the legal scope of an RN or LPN/LVN. State licensure and practice rules continue to determine which assessments, medications and supervisory duties a nurse may perform.
BONENT publishes 150 multiple-choice questions and a three-hour examination. Those are real-exam facts, not the size of OpenExamPrep's independent practice collection. Three hours equals 180 minutes, giving an average of 1.2 minutes per item. This is a planning average rather than a required time limit for each question. Straightforward recognition items can be answered faster, leaving time for calculations and priority decisions. Follow the testing provider's rules about navigation, breaks, identification and permitted materials rather than assuming features from another board's exam.
Eligibility and Application Evidence
BONENT's current eligibility webpage accepts a valid RN license with at least one year of nephrology experience, or a valid LPN/LVN license with at least two years of nephrology experience. Applicants must be currently active in an ESRD facility. Its published nurse criteria do not impose the local copy's former '2,000 hours within three years' rule. Do not import another certifier's experience requirement merely because the credentials sound similar.
The application requires signed, dated reference letters from the immediate supervisor who signs the application and another nephrology professional. References document the applicant's name, experience duration, character and duties. Applicants who are unemployed but already meet the experience requirement use BONENT's stated previous-supervisor verification process. Check the current application instructions for signatures, license documentation and application timing. Missing evidence can delay eligibility even when the candidate has sufficient clinical experience.
Format, Fees and Score Reports
| Published item | Current distinction |
|---|---|
| US paper-and-pencil examination | 235 US dollars |
| Paper-and-pencil examination outside the US | 260 US dollars |
| Computer-based examination | 255 US dollars |
| Passing result | Scaled score of 70 on the 1–100 scale |
| CBT result timing | Printed result after testing |
| Paper result timing | Normally mailed in three to four weeks |
These fees depend on testing format and location, not a claimed member/nonmember discount. Additional expedited-processing and administrative fees may apply under the published policy. The current annual certification fee is 65 US dollars; paying four years in advance is listed as 240 US dollars. Certification has a four-year cycle, but annual payment alone does not replace recertification requirements. BONENT provides continuing-education, examination and other published recertification options.
A scaled score is a transformed reporting score. A passing 70 does not establish that exactly 105 of 150 questions must be answered correctly. BONENT does not publish that simple conversion as its pass rule. Use diagnostic information to identify weak areas rather than translating scaled differences into invented raw-question counts. The retake policy allows three examination opportunities in twelve months; after that, the candidate needs the specified eight nephrology continuing-education hours or an educational program and documentation before additional attempts.
Official Domains and Their Implications
BONENT's four domains are Dialysis and Related Issues, 74.5%; Supervision and Administration, 10%; Environmental Control, 10%; and Professional Development, 5.5%. The detailed outline names supervision/management and breaks clinical work into care, setup, initiation, monitoring, termination, home treatment, reuse, water and transplantation. Professional development includes literature, organizations, research and staff training. Environmental control includes chemical and biological hazards, occupational injury and emergencies.
The percentages sum to 100%, but multiplying each by 150 produces fractional values for some domains. Do not present the resulting fractions as exact item counts or invent a board rounding method. Weight informs study emphasis: most time belongs to treatment and patient care, while environmental and supervisory decisions still require real preparation. A clinical nurse who rarely works in the water room should not skip water-system failures; a technically experienced nurse should not skip transplant assessment or adult teaching.
A Practical Review Cycle
Start with the official topic list, mark subjects you can explain without prompts, and work through unfamiliar sections. For a missed question, identify whether the cause was a factual gap, unit error, unsafe prioritization or misreading. Recalculate UF, URR, Kt/V and water rejection using written units. Explain why plausible distractors fail, then apply the concept to a new scenario instead of memorizing an answer position. Review sources whenever a question makes an absolute claim about law, a device or a medication.
For example, a candidate may know fistula anatomy but incorrectly assume every low-flow surveillance result requires angioplasty. The corrective task is to understand clinical indicators and the current access plan, not merely to memorize a different cutoff. This guide is independent preparation by OpenExamPrep. Source links identify the exam owner and applicable clinical authorities; they do not imply BONENT approval or guarantee an examination result.
Sources checked 2026-10-10: CHN examination, eligibility and fees, results, retakes, recertification.
What does BONENT’s passing score of 70 mean?
At least 105 correct answers are officially required
It is a scaled score on the 1–100 reporting scale
Each domain must independently receive 70%
The local practice bank determines the cutoff
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.