AGCNS-BC Exam Information and Outline
Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist
AGCNS-BC Exam Syllabus & Study Guide
Before you start practicing with our exam simulator, it is essential to understand the official AGCNS-BC exam objectives. This course outline serves as your roadmap, breaking down exactly which technical domains and skills will be tested. By reviewing the syllabus, you can identify your strengths and focus your study time on the areas where you need the most improvement.
The information below reflects the latest 2026 course contents as defined by ANCC. We provide this detailed breakdown to help you align your preparation with the actual exam format, ensuring there are no surprises on test day. Use this outline as a checklist to track your progress as you move through our practice question banks.
Below are complete topics detail with latest syllabus and course outline, that will help you good knowledge about exam objectives and topics that you have to prepare. These contents are covered in questions and answers pool of exam.
Exam Code: ANCC AGCNS-BC
Exam Name: Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist
Total Questions: 175 (150 scored questions + 25 pretest/non-scored questions)
Time Allotted: 3 hours and 30 minutes (210 minutes)
Passing Criteria: Scaled score of 350 (out of 500); equivalent to approximately 70% of scored items (e.g.- ~105 correct out of 150).
Exam Format: Computer-based- multiple-choice; available year-round at Prometric testing centers with a 120-day testing window after eligibility approval.
Validity: 5 years (renewable via continuing education- practice hours- or re-examination).Pass Rate90% (based on recent ANCC data).
- Normal age-related changes
- Pathophysiology across the lifespan (e.g.- etiology- presentation- risk factors)
- Individual determinants of health (e.g.- aging- genetics- developmental- stress)
- Environmental determinants of health (e.g.- socioeconomic- cultural- geographic)
- Abuse and neglect
- Nursing theories
- Diagnostic testing (e.g.- laboratory- radiographic- physical-psychological)
- Comprehensive assessment
- Problem-focused assessment
- Differential diagnoses
- Ethical healthcare practice (e.g.- confidentiality- capacity- futility-consent- assent)
- Pharmacotherapeutics
- Polypharmacy
- Substance use disorders
- Family and caregiver roles
- Palliative and end-of-life care
- Care transition and coordination
- Adult learning theories
- Information technology (e.g.- informatics- telehealth- patient portals)
- Change management (e.g.- communication planning- stakeholder buy-in- resource access)
- Educational initiatives (e.g.- design- development- delivery- evaluation)
- Pharmacologic interventions
- Non-pharmacologic interventions
- Complementary and alternative therapies
- Patient- family- and caregiver education- coaching- and advocacy
- Coordination of nursing and healthcare resources (e.g.- staffing- surge planning- disaster management)
- Health promotion (e.g.- community-based education- disease screening- wellness programs)
- Evidence-based practice process
- Nursing and healthcare advocacy
- Scope and standards of healthcare practice (e.g.- prescriptive authority- licensure- certification- credentialing- liability)
- Patient outcomes (e.g.- nursing-sensitive indicators- publicly reported measures)
- System outcomes (e.g.- length of stay- readmission rate- patient satisfaction)
- Research methodology and statistical analysis
- Quality and process improvement (e.g.- root cause analysis- gap analysis- just culture- structure-process-outcome evaluation)
- Regulatory compliance (e.g.- policies and procedures- clinical practice guidelines- accreditation and regulatory standards)
- Healthcare business and finance
- Patient response to interventions
- Family and caregiver response to interventions
- Care plan modification
- Organization and systems leadership (e.g.- project management- risk management)
- Developing and collaborating with interdisciplinary team members (e.g.- continuing education- role-modeling- mentorship- coaching- preceptorship- conflict resolution)