CPDN Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts

What This Cheat Sheet Covers (and What It Doesn't)

This page condenses the facts every Certified Peritoneal Dialysis Nurse candidate should be able to recall without looking anything up: format, blueprint weights, eligibility, fees, scoring, exam-day rules and renewal. It is built from BONENT's published materials, checked in October 2026, and it is specific to the Certified Peritoneal Dialysis Nurse examination offered by the Board of Nephrology Examiners Nursing and Technology (BONENT). It does not describe the CHT technician examination or any other dialysis-nursing credential.

Use it as a final-week review sheet or as a map before you start studying. For deeper treatment of any item, follow the links to the longer guides: the CPDN study guide for preparation strategy, the complete domains guide for content-area detail, and the CPDN requirements article for eligibility specifics. If you want to test recall right away, the CPDN practice test site is the natural companion to this sheet.

The Exam at a Glance

A quick pacing calculation helps: 150 questions in 180 minutes works out to roughly 72 seconds per question. That is generous for recall items and tight for scenario-based items, so the practical goal is to move briskly through questions you know and bank time for the longer clinical scenarios. On CBT, the testing interface permits question review and answer changes, which means you can flag a question, move on, and return before time expires.

For a candid look at how demanding this format feels in practice, see how hard the CPDN exam is.

Domain Weights: Where the Points Live

The four domain lines are formal examination objectives with official weights published in BONENT's detail of examination content. They describe how the exam is built, not how you must divide your study hours, though the weights are a sensible guide to priorities.

The arithmetic matters: Nursing Process plus Education equals 80% of the blueprint. A candidate who is excellent at hands-on peritoneal dialysis nursing but neglects patient-teaching content leaves a fifth of the exam under-prepared. Conversely, Administration and Professional Development together account for only one-fifth, so they deserve efficient review rather than the bulk of your time.

Eligibility Snapshot: RN vs. LPN/LVN

Two details are easy to miss. First, the references must be signed and dated, and they come from two specific kinds of people: your immediate supervisor and a separate nephrology professional. Second, BONENT publishes an exception for qualifying unemployed applicants, who may document their experience through their immediate past supervisor. If you are between positions, that exception may keep your application viable.

The full walkthrough, including how to document experience, is in the CPDN requirements guide.

Fees, Delivery Mode and Scheduling Rules

The $20 difference between paper and CBT is small, so the choice usually comes down to logistics and comfort. CBT offers flexibility in scheduling at a testing center, while paper testing follows BONENT's set administrations. The six-month rule is the one to calendar immediately: once your confirmation letter arrives, the clock starts, and a CBT appointment that slips past six months creates avoidable trouble.

Note that BONENT's Candidate Handbook, revised January 2021, is still posted, but current fee pages supersede its older prices. If a fee in the handbook disagrees with the eligibility-and-fees page, trust the current page. For the complete cost picture, including renewal expenses, read the CPDN certification cost breakdown, and for timing, see CPDN exam dates and deadlines.

Scoring Facts That Trip Candidates Up

The passing standard is a scaled score of 70 on a 1-100 scale. That is not the same as getting 70% of the questions right. BONENT does not describe the pass line as a verified 70% raw-score threshold, so avoid planning around a fixed number of correct answers out of 150. Scaled scoring exists so that the pass standard stays consistent across different forms of the exam.

• Do not convert 70 to 105 correct answers. The scaled score is not a simple percentage.
• Aim well above the line. Because you cannot know your raw-score cushion, consistent strength across all four domains is safer than gambling on one.
• Read BONENT's results page for how scores are reported to candidates.

For a closer look at what the number means, see the CPDN passing score guide. If you are wondering about published pass-rate data, the CPDN pass rate article explains what is and is not available.

Nursing Process Topics to Know Cold

With 60% of the blueprint, Domain 1 is where the exam is won or lost. Candidates should expect scenario-style multiple-choice items that ask what a peritoneal dialysis nurse should assess, recognize or do next. The following clusters are the core of peritoneal dialysis nursing practice.

When you practice, push yourself past definitions. The exam rewards candidates who can look at a short clinical picture, such as a patient reporting cloudy drainage after a missed exchange, and choose the safest and most appropriate action. Reviewing why wrong answers are wrong is as valuable as confirming the right one.

Education, Administration and Professional Development

Domain 3: Education (20%)

Peritoneal dialysis is a home therapy, so patient and caregiver education is central to the specialty. Expect questions about assessing learning needs and readiness, adapting teaching to different learners, confirming that a patient can perform exchanges safely, and reinforcing training over time.

Domain 2: Administration (10%)

Administration questions concern the operational side of a peritoneal dialysis program: quality monitoring, policies and procedures, regulatory awareness, documentation and coordination across the care team. Review how a nurse contributes to quality improvement and how data about infections or adequacy feed into program decisions.

Domain 4: Professional Development (10%)

This domain covers practice standards, ethical and legal responsibilities, scope of practice, lifelong learning and professional engagement. It is a smaller slice, but the questions tend to be answerable with careful reading and sound professional judgment.

For a full breakdown of each content area, consult the CPDN exam domains guide.

Exam-Day Rules in One Glance

• Closed book. Bring no reference materials.
• Bring your confirmation documents and approved identification. Without them you may not be admitted.
• Prohibited items: personal books, calculators and electronic devices.
• CBT interface: you may review questions and change answers during your session.
• Confirm details in advance on BONENT's day-of-exam page and the Candidate Handbook.

Because calculators are prohibited, practice any calculations by hand beforehand. Even simple arithmetic, such as estimating net fluid removal from drain and fill volumes, goes faster when you have rehearsed it without a device.

Renewal Cheat Sheet

Passing the exam is the start of a four-year cycle. The 2026 Recertification Booklet, effective January 1, 2026, sets out the requirements.

Two points deserve emphasis. Maintenance fees remain payable even if you use the continuing-education waiver. And while routine recertification carries no extra processing fee, choosing the examination route means paying the examination fee. Prepaying four years at $240 compares with $260 if you paid $65 annually for four years, so prepaying saves $20 over the cycle.

If you are weighing the long-term value of keeping the credential current, the CPDN ROI analysis and the CPDN salary guide discuss the career side of the decision.

Mapping Domains to a Review Schedule

Rather than a generic study template, let the blueprint set your calendar. Because Nursing Process is 60% of the exam, it earns the largest share of your weeks; Education earns the second-largest. A compact six-week arrangement might look like this:

Adjust the weeks to your own strengths. A nurse who teaches patients daily may compress Week 4, while someone newer to home therapy may need extra time on Domain 1. The full CPDN study guide expands on how to build a plan around your timeline, and timed practice questions will show you where your gaps are.

Frequently Asked Questions