Test Development by ANCC's Measurement Services

If you are interested in becoming an item writer for the new Core CNS examination, click here.

Get Involved—Volunteer!

Item writers are content experts who are ANCC certified and write test questions for the ANCC exams. Item writers are selected for a one-year term in which they are assigned to write 70 test items. Some item writers choose to renew for a second year.

If you would like to participate and take advantage of the opportunity to become an item writer for one of the ANCC certification exams, please complete the Item Writer Application.

Currently, we are recruiting item writers for the following exams:

Exam(s)	Workshop Dates
Advanced Diabetes Management	Mar. 19-21, 2008
Cardiac-Vascular Nurse	Mar. 19-21, 2008
CNS in Adult Health Nursing	Apr. 28-30, 2008
CNS in Gerontological Nursing	Apr. 28-30, 2008
Family Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner	Mar. 19-21, 2008
Gerontological Nurse Practitioner	Mar. 19-21, 2008
Nurse Administration, Advanced	Mar. 12-14, 2008
Pediatric Nurse Practioner	Apr. 28-30, 2008

For more information about becoming an item writer, refer to the Item Writer Brochure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Do I need to have previous item writing training?
A. While previous item writing training or exam development experience is helpful it is not required. We train all our item writers in the characteristics of good test items and will assist in writing the first items.

Q. Where is the workshop held?
A. Training for item writers is held at ANCC headquarters in our new state-of-the-art facility in Silver Spring, Maryland. Silver Spring is 15 minutes from Washington, D.C., by way of the Metro subway.

Q. How long is the workshop?
A. The workshop is three days. Typically the first day of the workshop runs from 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., the second day from 8:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m. and the third day from 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. You are required to attend the entire time of the training.

Q. How many items will I need to complete?
A. You will be required to submit a total of 70 items within a 12 months period; we will ask that you submit at least 7 items per month.

Q. Does ANCC cover my cost to attend the workshop?
A. Yes, if you are selected to attend the workshop, our travel consultant will assist you in making travel accommodations for your arrival and departure to and from the workshop. ANCC also provides three nights of accommodations at a neighboring hotel. Airline and hotel reservations are directly charged to ANCC's account. Reimbursements will be provided for meals, taxi, etc.

Q. How many nurses are usually at the Item Writer Workshop?
A. The workshops typically include from 8 to 12 participants representing approximately three different specialties.

Q. Are reference materials available during the training?
A. Yes, we maintain copies of the approved reference materials for each specialty. These materials are made available during the workshop. However, you must have access to the reference from home or office to write items.

For more information about becoming an Item Writer, send an email to ANCCItemWriter@ana.org or call at 1-800-284-2378, ext. 5278.

This page last revised 2/11/2008.