Key terms used in nursing, clinical research, dental, allied health, fitness, and college admissions certifications.

Nursing & Healthcare Terms

NCLEX-RN — National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses. The standardized pass/fail exam required for RN licensure in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. Administered by NCSBN using Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT).

Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) — Updated version of the NCLEX launched April 1, 2023. Added case studies and 5 new item types with partial credit scoring. Question count changed from 75-145 to 85-150.

Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) — Exam format where the difficulty of questions adjusts in real-time based on the candidate’s performance. Used by the NCLEX-RN.

NCSBN — National Council of State Boards of Nursing. The organization that develops and administers the NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN exams.

CFCN — Certified Foot Care Nurse. A specialty nursing certification from WOCNCB for nurses providing comprehensive foot care to at-risk populations.

TCTCN — Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Certified Nurse. Formerly known as BMTCN (Blood and Marrow Transplant Certified Nurse). Administered by ONCC.

CDN — Certified Dialysis Nurse. A certification from NNCC for nurses specializing in dialysis care including hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.

CNN — Certified Nephrology Nurse. A broader nephrology certification from NNCC covering pre-dialysis, dialysis, and post-transplant care.

CPHON — Certified Pediatric Hematology Oncology Nurse. A specialty certification from ONCC for nurses caring for children with blood disorders and cancer.

CWOCN — Certified Wound Ostomy Continence Nurse. The gold standard WOC nursing certification from WOCNCB, requiring three separate exams (wound, ostomy, continence).

WOCNCB — Wound, Ostomy, Continence Nursing Certification Board. The certifying body for CFCN, CWCN, COCN, CCCN, and CWOCN credentials.

ONCC — Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation. The certifying body for OCN, CPHON, AOCNP, AOCNS, and TCTCN credentials.

NNCC — Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission. The certifying body for CDN and CNN credentials.

DoubleTake — An option offered by ONCC that allows one free retake if you fail the exam on your first attempt, for an additional fee ($100).

Clinical Research Terms

CCRP — Certified Clinical Research Professional. An internationally recognized certification from SOCRA for clinical research professionals.

CCRC — Certified Clinical Research Coordinator. A certification from ACRP specifically for clinical research coordinators.

SOCRA — Society of Clinical Research Associates. The professional organization that administers the CCRP certification.

ACRP — Association of Clinical Research Professionals. The professional organization that administers the CCRC and other clinical research certifications.

ICH-GCP — International Council for Harmonisation Good Clinical Practice. International ethical and scientific quality standard for designing, conducting, recording, and reporting clinical trials.

FDA — U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The federal agency responsible for regulating clinical trials and approving drugs and medical devices in the United States.

IRB — Institutional Review Committee. An independent committee that reviews and monitors research involving human subjects to protect their rights and welfare.

CRO — Contract Research Organization. A company that provides clinical trial services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies.

SMO — Site Management Organization. An organization that manages clinical trial sites on behalf of sponsors or CROs.

Dental Terms

INBDE — Integrated National Board Dental Examination. A two-day, 500-question licensure exam required for dental practice in the U.S. Administered by JCNDE.

NBDE — National Board Dental Examination. The former two-part dental board exam (Parts I and II) that was replaced by the INBDE in 2020.

JCNDE — Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations. The ADA agency that develops and administers the INBDE.

ADA — American Dental Association. The professional organization for dentists in the United States.

CODA — Commission on Dental Accreditation. The agency that accredits dental education programs in the U.S.

DENTPIN — Dental Personal Identification Number. A unique identifier required to register for the INBDE and other dental exams.

Allied Health Terms

CPT — Certified Phlebotomy Technician. A national certification from NHA validating competency in phlebotomy procedures, safety protocols, and specimen handling.

CPCT/A — Certified Patient Care Technician/Assistant. A national certification from NHA covering patient care, vital signs, phlebotomy, EKG, and specimen collection.

CET — Certified EKG Technician. A national certification from NHA for technicians performing electrocardiograms and cardiac monitoring.

NHA — National Healthcareer Association. The certifying body for CPT, CPCT/A, CET, and other allied health credentials. NCCA-accredited.

NCCA — National Commission for Certifying Agencies. The accreditation body for professional certification programs. NCCA accreditation is considered the gold standard.

ASCP — American Society for Clinical Pathology. Offers the PBT (Phlebotomy Technician) certification, preferred in hospital laboratory settings.

AMT — American Medical Technologists. Offers the RPT (Registered Phlebotomy Technician) certification.

Order of Draw — The correct sequence for collecting blood samples in different tube types during phlebotomy. A heavily tested topic on the CPT exam.

Fitness & Personal Training Terms

ACSM CPT — American College of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer. An NCCA-accredited certification considered one of the most scientifically rigorous in the fitness industry.

NASM CPT — National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer. A popular NCCA-accredited certification known for its OPT (Optimum Performance Training) model.

ACE CPT — American Council on Exercise Certified Personal Trainer. An NCCA-accredited certification emphasizing behavior change coaching.

NCCA — See Allied Health Terms above. All three major personal trainer certifications (ACSM, NASM, ACE) are NCCA-accredited.

OPT Model — Optimum Performance Training. NASM’s systematic training approach covering stabilization, strength, and power phases.

CECs — Continuing Education Credits. Required for maintaining professional certifications. Each certifying body has its own CEC requirements and renewal cycles.

College Admissions Terms

CLT — Classic Learning Test. A standardized college entrance exam designed as an alternative to the SAT and ACT, focusing on classical literature, historical texts, and philosophy. Scored 0-120.

CLT10 — The pre-ACT/pre-SAT version of the Classic Learning Test for students in grades 9 and 10.

SAT — Scholastic Assessment Test. A standardized college admissions test by the College Board, scored 400-1600.

ACT — American College Testing. A standardized college admissions test, scored 1-36.

Concordance — The process of comparing scores across different standardized tests. CLT provides concordance tables showing equivalent scores for CLT, SAT, and ACT.

Bright Futures — Florida’s scholarship program that accepts CLT scores. A score of 96+ qualifies for 100% tuition, and 84+ qualifies for 75%.

General Certification Terms

Scaled Score — A score converted from raw (number correct) to a standardized scale, allowing comparison across different exam versions. Common scales: 200-800 (NHA), 25-75 (ONCC), 49-99 (INBDE).

Pass Rate — The percentage of candidates who pass the exam on a given attempt. First-time pass rates are typically higher than repeat pass rates.

Recertification — The process of renewing a certification after it expires. Usually requires continuing education credits and a renewal fee.

Blueprint — The official document outlining the content areas, question distribution, and weights for a certification exam.

Beta Questions — Unscored questions included on an exam for testing purposes. They do not count toward the candidate’s score but are used for future exam development.

Criterion-Referenced — A scoring method where candidates are evaluated against a fixed standard of knowledge, not against other test-takers. The NCLEX and INBDE use criterion-referenced scoring.

Angoff Method — A standard-setting technique used to determine the passing score for an exam. A panel of experts estimates the probability that a minimally competent candidate would answer each question correctly.