Test Scores and More

Test Results Reports

ONCC Results Reports inform a candidate if they passed or failed their certification test and provide feedback on the candidate’s performance in each of the test subject areas. 
Candidates who pass the test will receive a Results Report that indicates “PASS” and includes a Performance Summary Chart. The chart illustrates their performance in each of the major subject areas. Passing candidates will need the results report information to prepare for certification renewal. The report indicates the number of points needed for renewal and the subject areas in which renewal points must be earned. 

Candidates who fail the test will receive a numeric score and the numeric score required to pass the test. Performance on an ONCC certification test is expressed as a scaled score (Minimum Score 25, Maximum Score 75). The scaled score required to pass a certification test is 55. This information is intended to help candidates prepare to retake the exam by providing them with feedback on their performance in relation to the passing standard. 

When preparing to retake a test, candidates should review their Results Report to see where the numeric score they earned on their previous attempt falls in relation to the minimum score of 25 and the passing score of 55. Using that information along with the Performance Summary chart will allow a candidate to better estimate the amount of additional study needed and the areas in which they should focus their efforts. 

Numeric scores are not included on Results Reports for candidates who pass the exam to avoid the unintended and inappropriate use, comparison, or interpretation of the scores.

Passing Scores

The passing score for each ONCC examination is based on the number of test questions that are answered correctly. Passing scores for ONCC tests are established via a systematic procedure (a Passing Score Study) that employs the judgment of groups of oncology nursing professionals representing various geographical areas, practice settings, roles, and subspecialties. Because of ONCC's commitment to quality and test security, there are multiple forms of each certification examination.

ONCC and the test vendor develop the various forms of each test from the Test Content Outlines. The level of difficulty of the forms may vary slightly because different questions appear on different forms. Because it would be unfair to require a candidate taking a slightly more difficult form of the test to answer as many questions correctly as a candidate taking an easier form, the statistical procedure known as equating is used to correct for differences in test difficulty. Equating is dependent upon a sufficient number of test candidates. If fewer candidates register than are required for accurate equating, another passing score study is conducted.

ONCC reserves the right to cancel the scores of any candidate who violates the Professional Examination Rules or to cancel scores resulting from any testing irregularity.

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Pass Rates

Most nurses who take an ONCC certification test pass the test on the first attempt. See the table below for an overview of pass rates for each examination by year, or click on the link for the 2022 detailed statistics.