The WCC exam: format, scoring and retakes
Source: NAWCO's WCC Candidate Examination Handbook Verified Nov 6, 2026
The WCC exam is up to 110 questions of multiple choice in 2 hours: 100 scored questions plus a few unscored pretest items. Results are immediate, and a pass requires 600 on a 100–800 scale.
On this page · 7 sections
WCC exam format and rules
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Question format | Multiple choice, computer-based, with no scheduled breaks | WCC Candidate Examination Handbook |
| Questions | Up to 110 questions | WCC Candidate Examination Handbook |
| Scored questions | 100 scored questions | WCC Candidate Examination Handbook |
| Unscored questions | 10 unscored pretest questions | WCC Candidate Examination Handbook |
| Exam time | 2 hours | WCC Candidate Examination Handbook |
| Calculator and aids | No reference materials in the exam ≈ as of Nov 6, 2026 · check the handbook | WCC Candidate Examination Handbook |
| Score scale | Scaled 100 to 800 | WCC Candidate Examination Handbook |
| Passing score | Scaled score of 600 on a 100 to 800 scale The pass mark is criterion-referenced and forms are equated, so 600 is not a percentage. | WCC Candidate Examination Handbook |
| Results | Pass or fail at the end of the exam; failing candidates get the percent correct in each content area The certificate can be printed within about 2 weeks. | WCC Candidate Examination Handbook |
| Wait before a retake | None before the second attempt; 30 days before the third and fourth | WCC Candidate Examination Handbook |
| Retake limit | 4 attempts within 2 years, then a 1-year wait | WCC Candidate Examination Handbook |
| Retake fee | $380 per re-exam ($350 + $30 processing) | WCC Candidate Examination Handbook |
| Pass rate | 70% in 2025 (2,351 candidates); 76% in 2024 (1,801 candidates) | NAWCO: certification statistics |
| Content outline in force | Seven-domain outline used on exam forms since November 15, 2023 The earlier five-domain outline (patient and wound information, plan of care, skin, legal, administration) is retired. | beta results notice +1 |
| Next change | No new outline or fee change announced ≈ as of Nov 6, 2026 · may change | WCC Candidate Examination Handbook +1 |
Every row verified Nov 6, 2026. Fees, booking and the testing window: WCC registration.
Why 600 is not a percentage
600 is a point on a converted scale, not a tally of correct items. Raw results from each form are mapped onto the same 100–800 scale, so a harder form takes fewer right answers to reach the cut and an easier one takes more. You are measured against the cut, not against other candidates, so there is no curve.
Pass rates by year
Results are published by year and listed in the table above. The latest figure is 70% (2025), a few points below the year before, with more candidates sitting. Both years fall after the switch to the seven-domain outline, so they describe the current form of the exam.
After a failed WCC attempt
A failing result shows your percent correct in each content area; use it to pick what to restudy. The waits step up: none before the second attempt; 30 days before the third and fourth. The cap is 4 attempts within 2 years, then a 1-year wait, and each re-exam costs $380.
All attempts must fit inside the testing window. It starts at course completion; if a WOCNCB or ABWM credential replaced the course, it starts at your first attempt instead (when the window starts).
Prep pages that mention a PSI test center or five content areas describe the exam as it was before the current handbook; delivery has since moved to Prometric.
Also on the WCC
/wcc/WCC practice testA free WCC wound care set on the seven current domains/wcc/practice-test/WCC registrationWCC certification cost, how to apply to NAWCO and book with Prometric/wcc/registration/WCC study guideThe seven WCC domains: what each asks, its weight and its traps/wcc/study-guide/Sources
- [1]NAWCO: WCC Candidate Examination Handbook, April 2024 (PDF) nawccb.org, re-read Nov 6, 2026
- [2]NAWCO: certification statistics nawccb.org, re-read Nov 6, 2026
- [3]NAWCO: beta results notice (new WCC exam, November 2023) nawccb.org, re-read Nov 6, 2026
- [4]NAWCO: examination page nawccb.org, re-read Nov 6, 2026
Before WCC exam day
How many questions are on the WCC exam?
Up to 110, of which 100 count toward your score; the rest are pretest items.
What is the WCC pass rate?
Most recently 70% (2025), per the published certification statistics; the year before was higher, and both years are in the table above.
Is there a scheduled break?
No. Nothing pauses the 2-hour clock, so plan water and restroom needs before you start.