Exam Eligibility Candidates for the ONCŪ examination are not required to have a BSN but
must meet the following eligibility criteria at the time of application:
Hold a current, full and unrestricted license as a registered nurse (RN) in the United States, or its possessions, or
Hold a current, full and unrestricted license to practice as a first-level, general nurse in the country in which the candidate's general nursing education was completed, and have educational equivalency established by one of the following approved agencies:
The foreign-educated nurse who holds active certification from the following may submit a copy of his or her certificate in lieu of additional education verification:
Have two full years of experience practicing as an RN, or with an equivalent license as described above.
Have a minimum of 1,000 hours of work experience as an RN in orthopaedic nursing practice within the past three years. The ONCB accepts, but does not limit the practitioner to orthopaedic experience in the areas of administration, adult care, clinic, critical care, education, emergency room, home health care, long-term care, medical-surgical nursing, office practice, oncology, operating room, and pediatrics.