What the Course Entails and Exam Details

The core objective of the NACE Care of Childbearing Family exam is to comprehensively assess your competence across the entire spectrum of maternal-newborn nursing.

The curriculum and test blueprint cover the physiological and psychosocial needs of the childbearing family.

Key content areas include:

• Antepartal Care: Routine prenatal assessments, diagnostic tests, nutrition during pregnancy, and identifying high-risk factors and maternal complications such as gestational diabetes or preeclampsia.
• Intrapartal Care: Managing the stages of labor and delivery, monitoring fetal heart rates and uterine contractions, and providing pain management and support to the birthing parent.
• Postpartal Care: Post-delivery physical and psychological care of the mother, including assessment of the fundus, lochia, and promoting maternal-infant attachment.
• Neonatal Care: Full assessment of the newborn, initial care, respiratory support, and managing conditions such as physiological jaundice or hypoglycemia.
• Pharmacology and Prioritization: Safe administration of medications related to obstetrics and newborn care, as well as applying clinical reasoning to prioritize patient needs.

 What to Expect in the Final Exam

The final NACE Care of Childbearing Family exam is a timed, proctored assessment.

• Format: The test typically consists of 100 questions. It primarily uses multiple-choice questions but may also incorporate other item formats, similar to those found on the NCLEX exams.
• Time Limit: Candidates are usually given 120 minutes (2 hours) to complete the entire examination.
• Passing Score Requirements: There is no single "national" passing score. Instead, passing requirements and cut scores are determined by individual nursing schools and programs. It is vital to check the specific policy of the institution you are applying to. Some programs may consider a minimum raw or percentage score for eligibility.
• Specific Rules: The exam must be taken under strict proctoring conditions. You can generally take the exam only twice, with a recommended interval between attempts.

 How to Study and Exam Centers

Effective preparation is the key to success.

• Actionable Study Strategies: Start by obtaining the official NLN review materials. This includes the PDF workbook, which provides a conceptual overview and test-taking strategies, and the practice item bank featuring retired NACE questions. Using these official resources ensures your study is aligned with the actual exam content and format. Additionally, utilize comprehensive maternal-newborn nursing textbooks to reinforce your knowledge and understand the rationales behind clinical interventions.
• Practice Methods: Take numerous practice tests from authorized third-party vendors. Look for resources that offer detailed rationales for both correct and incorrect answers. This feedback is invaluable for highlighting your strengths and identifying specific areas where you need further review. Treat each practice session as a rehearsal for the real exam by timing yourself.
• Exam Centers: The NACE exam is administered directly through the nursing schools or programs you are applying to. Depending on the institution's policies, you may take the exam in a designated physical testing center on campus, or remotely via authorized online proctoring services such as Proctorio or Proctor360. In the case of online proctoring, you will use your own computer with a webcam from a quiet, secure location. All registrations are typically managed through the individual school or the NLN examination portal.

•  Job Opportunities from the Course

Passing the NACE Care of Childbearing Family Practice Test is a pivotal milestone on your path to becoming an RN.

By achieving advanced placement, you can expedite your educational journey and enter the nursing workforce as a Registered Nurse much faster.

Once you have completed your professional nursing program and passed the NCLEX-RN, a wide range of specialized job opportunities in the field of maternal and child health becomes available.

Specific career paths unlocked by becoming an RN with a focus on childbearing families include:

• Registered Nurse (RN)
• Labor and Delivery Nurse
• Postpartum / Mother-Baby Nurse
• Antepartum / High-Risk Obstetric Nurse
• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Nurse
• Newborn Nursery Nurse
• OB-GYN Clinic Nurse
• Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) (with required graduate-level education)
• Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) (with required graduate-level education)
• Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) in Perinatal or Neonatal Nursing (with advanced education)