Exam Purpose and Description
The purpose of this exam is to test DNP graduates' medical knowledge and understanding of the clinical science considered essential for the sophisticated practice of comprehensive care, with emphasis on patient management in ambulatory care settings. This provides evidence of the competence necessary to assume independent responsibility for providing comprehensive care to patients. DNP competencies developed by CACC (2003, 2006, and 2010) are covered in this exam.
- The exam emphasizes selected tasks, namely, evaluating severity of patient problems and managing therapy. Assessment of clinical judgment will be prominent.
- Clinical problems involve mainstream, high-impact diseases. Provision is made for less common but important clinical problems as well.
- Test items and cases are patient centered, starting with a description of a clinical encounter (vignette). The multiple-choice items pose action-related challenges that require clinical decisions or judgment.
- Emphasis is on ambulatory patient encounters; however, inpatient encounters of significant complexity and reflecting contemporary trends also are represented.
- Provision is made for incorporating applied basic science concepts, especially as they relate to justification for prognosis or management.