- CMC has 90 questions (75 scored, 15 unscored) in 2 hours; you need 50 of 75 correct to pass.
- Therapeutic Interventions is the biggest domain at 39% through November 18, 2026, then jumps to 44%.
- Initial exam fee is $150 for AACN members, $240 for nonmembers, at PSI centers or Live Remote Proctoring.
- Two eligibility routes exist: 1,750 hours over 2 years or 2,000 hours over 5 years, both with adult cardiac-specific minimums.
What CMC Actually Tests
CMC - the Cardiac Medicine (Adult) subspecialty certification from AACN Certification Corporation - is built for nurses who already hold a nationally accredited clinical specialty certification and now want to prove advanced, cardiac-focused practice knowledge. This is not a general critical-care exam repackaged with a cardiology label; it's a closed-book, 90-question test (75 scored, 15 unscored) delivered in 2 hours at PSI test centers or via Live Remote Proctoring, specifically measuring how well you assess, intervene, and monitor adult patients with cardiovascular disease in acute and critical-care settings.
This cheat sheet condenses the numbers, routes, and content weights you need the night before - or the month before - your test date. For deeper walkthroughs of any single topic, pair this page with the full CMC Study Guide 2026 and the domain-by-domain breakdown in the CMC Exam Domains 2026 guide.
The Four Domains at a Glance
The current blueprint (in effect through November 18, 2026) allocates content across four domains. Published weights total 101% due to rounding - that's normal and documented, not an error on your part.
Domain 1: Cardiovascular Conditions (23%)
Covers the direct cardiac pathology candidates must recognize and manage.
- Acute coronary syndromes, heart failure, dysrhythmias, valvular disease, and post-cardiac-surgery complications
Domain 2: Non-Cardiovascular Conditions (23%)
Tests how comorbid systemic conditions interact with and complicate cardiac care.
- Renal, pulmonary, endocrine, and neurological issues commonly seen in cardiac patients
Domain 3: Therapeutic Interventions (39%)
The largest domain by far - this is where pharmacology, procedures, and hemodynamic management decisions live.
- Vasoactive drips, anticoagulation, mechanical circulatory support, and post-procedure care protocols
Domain 4: Monitoring and Diagnostics (16%)
Focuses on interpreting the data streams that drive clinical decisions.
- 12-lead ECG interpretation, hemodynamic waveforms, labs, and imaging correlation
Key Takeaway
Because Therapeutic Interventions carries the most weight, prioritize drip titration logic, anticoagulation reversal, and post-intervention complications over memorizing rare disease trivia in Domains 1 and 2.
Exam Format & Fee Cheat Sheet
Keep these logistics numbers handy - they're the details candidates most often misremember or confuse with unrelated certifications.
- Question count: 90 total multiple-choice items - 75 scored, 15 unscored (you won't know which is which)
- Time limit: 2 hours, closed-book
- Delivery: PSI test centers or Live Remote Proctoring
- Initial exam fee: $150 for AACN members, $240 for nonmembers
- Passing cut score: 50 of 75 scored questions
For a full pricing walkthrough including renewal costs, see CMC Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown. For scheduling windows and how the blueprint change affects test-date planning, check CMC Exam Dates 2026.
Eligibility Routes Snapshot
Before you can sit for CMC, you need an unencumbered U.S. RN or APRN license plus a current, nationally accredited clinical nursing specialty certification. Beyond that, you qualify through one of two practice-hour routes.
| Route | Total Hours | Latest-Year Requirement | Adult Cardiac-Specific Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Year Route | 1,750 hours (acutely/critically ill adults, prior 2 years) | 875 hours in the latest year | 875 of the total hours |
| 5-Year Route | 2,000 hours (acutely/critically ill adults, prior 5 years) | 144 hours in the latest year | 1,000 of the total hours |
You'll also need to identify a clinical supervisor or an RN/physician colleague who can verify your practice hours if your application is audited. For the complete eligibility breakdown, including how the qualifying specialty certification requirement works, read CMC Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Passing Score & Scoring Rules
The current passing cut is 50 correct answers out of 75 scored questions. That threshold applies to the June 1, 2022 examination version, which remains active through November 18, 2026. If you're testing right at that boundary date, confirm which version and cut score apply to your scheduled session - don't assume the cut carries forward unchanged once the revised blueprint launches.
A deeper explanation of how this cut score was set and what it means for your study allocation lives in CMC Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass. If you want context on how tough this bar actually is relative to candidate outcomes, CMC Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows covers the 2025 first-time pass rate of 71.31% across 1,593 candidates tested that year.
Key Takeaway
Fifty of 75 scored items is roughly two-thirds correct - treat that as your working target when you self-score practice tests, not 90% mastery.
2026 Blueprint Change: Old vs. New Weights
This is the single most important date on your calendar if you're planning a 2026 test. The current domain weights apply through November 18, 2026. Starting November 19, 2026, AACN launches a revised CMC blueprint with different weighting.
| Domain | Current Weight (through Nov 18, 2026) | Revised Weight (from Nov 19, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiovascular Conditions | 23% | 21% |
| Non-Cardiovascular Conditions | 23% | 21% |
| Therapeutic Interventions | 39% | 44% |
| Monitoring and Diagnostics | 16% | 14% |
Notice that Therapeutic Interventions gets even heavier under the revised plan, while every other domain shrinks slightly. If your test date falls close to the cutover, match your practice-test blueprint and scoring guidance to the correct exam version - studying the wrong weight distribution wastes real prep hours. The CMC Exam Domains 2026 guide walks through what shifted content-wise, not just numerically.
Renewal at a Glance
CMC certification is valid for 3 years. Renewal isn't automatic - you need to actively meet these conditions before expiration:
- Hold a current, unencumbered qualifying RN/APRN license and your base certification
- Log 432 adult cardiac-care practice hours across the 3-year cycle, including 144 hours in the latest year
- Complete either 25 relevant Category A Clinical Judgment CERPs, or retake and pass the renewal exam
Renewal fees differ by path: CERP renewal runs $75 for members / $130 for nonmembers, while exam-based renewal runs $125 for members / $170 for nonmembers. Most working cardiac nurses find the CERP path fits more naturally around shift schedules than re-sitting a timed exam.
Last-Week Rapid Review Plan
If you already have a full study plan running (see the week-by-week structure in the CMC Study Guide), use this compressed version for your final stretch - it's weighted to match the current domain percentages, not split evenly.
Therapeutic Interventions (39%)
- Drill vasoactive drip titration, anticoagulation management, and mechanical support device basics
- Review post-procedure complication recognition for cath lab and surgical patients
Cardiovascular Conditions (23%)
- Rapid-fire review of ACS presentations, heart failure staging, and dysrhythmia management
Non-Cardiovascular Conditions (23%)
- Focus on renal and pulmonary comorbidities that alter cardiac treatment decisions
Monitoring and Diagnostics (16%)
- ECG strip interpretation and hemodynamic waveform recognition under timed conditions
Full-Length Practice + Review
- Take one full timed practice test on CMC Exam Prep's practice platform and review every missed question by domain
Whether the CMC credential is worth pursuing at all for your career stage - including how it's viewed by hiring units - is covered in Is the CMC Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026, and if you're weighing job market impact, CMC Jobs and the CMC Salary Guide 2026 break down where the credential shows up in postings.
Frequently Asked Questions
CMC has 90 multiple-choice questions total - 75 scored and 15 unscored - administered in a 2-hour, closed-book session at a PSI test center or via Live Remote Proctoring.
The current passing cut is 50 correct answers out of the 75 scored questions, based on the June 1, 2022 exam version in effect through November 18, 2026.
The initial exam fee is $150 for AACN members and $240 for nonmembers. Renewal fees are separate and depend on whether you choose the CERP or exam renewal path.
Therapeutic Interventions, currently 39% of the exam and rising to 44% after November 19, 2026, carries the most weight - prioritize it over the other three domains.
Yes. Under the 2-year route you need 1,750 total qualifying hours with 875 involving adult cardiac patients; under the 5-year route you need 2,000 total hours with 1,000 involving adult cardiac patients.
Keep this page bookmarked as your quick-reference companion to the deeper guides on domains, requirements, and passing score - and when you're ready to test your recall under real exam conditions, head over to CMC Exam Prep's practice tests.