All courses can be purchased through AANAC’s online store by clicking on the shopping cart icon at the top of the page.

• Save 5% immediately and get all courses contained in the RAC-CT program with one click when you chose the easy-click sets (available in online + PDF and printed manual formats) 
• Select individual courses by using the links located on the left side of the page under Browse by Category for the RAC-CT Program, RAC-CT Recertification, or MDS 101 

AANAC offers several different formats: online + PDF and hardbound manual. Pick the format that works best with your learning style.

All of your online courses and certification examinations will be posted in AANAClassroom. Once you've logged into AANAC’s website, you can access your courses by clicking on the Classroom icon at the top of the page or by clicking on the My Account link located in the upper right corner of the page and selecting My Courses.

Your PDFs are stored in the Downloads section of your account. Once you have logged into AANAC’s website, you can hover over the My Account link and select Downloads from the drop down menu. Please note that PDFs expire 90 days from the date of purchase.

You have 90 days to complete and pass a course once you have launched it within AANAClassroom. After 90 days, the course and certification exam will expire. Your course purchase comes with a PDF download of the course. Please note that PDFs expire 90 days from the date of purchase.

Your feedback is important to us. You can let us know your experience with the online courses by filling out the online course evaluation survey provided at the end of your course. It only takes about two minutes of your time. We depend on your suggestions and ideas to make positive changes to the online curriculum. Your evaluation feedback improves courses and the learning experience for all of our students.

AANAC offers MDS education for beginners through experts. Use our MDS Pathway Tool under Quick Links to determine which courses meet your needs.

• If you attended a workshop or purchased a printed manual: Your exams will be listed in AANAClassroom. Each certification exam comes with a pretest and a certification exam. We encourage you to take the pretest as many times as you would like to before taking your final exam. You have 90 days from the day you launch the certification exam to pass with an 80% or higher. 
• If you enrolled in an online or online + PDF course: Each certification exam will be the last item listed in your online course navigation menu. Each section of the online course comes with a minimum required amount of reading, labeled as “Complete any X” above each section. The certification exam will remain locked until you’ve opened the necessary components within the course. However, we strongly urge you to read ALL course content, because the certification exam could test you on any and all material within the course.

There is no way to see missed answers on final certification exams. There are two primary reasons for this: 1) It protects the confidentiality of the exam content, and 2) it maintains the value and integrity of the certification. The final certification exams are intended to measure proficiency in the subject and to determine whether an individual has the necessary knowledge to be eligible for certification. You are encouraged to utilize the pretest and quizzes for each course as learning tools before attempting the final certification exam.

If you have exhausted all exams, you can request additional attempts one time per course. To purchase additional exam attempts for $45 per course (RAC-CT) or $55 per course (RAC-CTA), use the Quick Link on the left of your screen and please allow up to two business days for processing. 

For online courses only, please note that if you have used all exams, and your course has also expired, you cannot request extra exam attempts; you will need to re-enroll in the course.

When you purchase additional exam attempts, your new attempts will not be listed alongside your old attempts. They will be listed as a separate learning module in AANAClassroom. You will know which ones are your extra exam attempts because they will not yet have an expiration date.

You have a total of six attempts to take a final RAC-CT exam. If you fail an exam on your sixth attempt, you are no longer eligible to certify with AANAC for at least one year. After this time, you may be required to complete and pass the entire certification program. 

In the case of extenuating circumstances, you do have the option to submit a formal, written appeal to the AANAC executive team to request an exception to the policy. To find out how to submit an appeal, please email us at education@AANAC.org.

You logged in to your exams last week and now you have logged in again, or maybe it was only yesterday, and you see some items that look a little different. The reason for this is that we are continually making updates to the online content and final exams due to regulatory changes released by CMS. The final exams are not static and change as the content changes.

The answers to the exam questions are within the course content; however, some of them require the learner to apply concepts that he or she has recently learned to specific situations in order to find the correct answer. This means that the learner must use his or her critical thinking skills as opposed to recall or recognition.

You have a limited number of attempts to pass a final certification exam with a score of 80% or higher (RAC-CT: 3 attempts, RAC-CTA: 2 attempts). If you have exhausted all exams, you can request additional attempts one time per course. To purchase additional exam attempts for $45 per course (RAC-CT) or $55 per course (RAC-CTA), use the Quick Link on the left of your screen and please allow up to two business days for processing. 

For online courses only, please note that if you have used all exams, and your course has also expired, you cannot request extra exam attempts; you will need to re-enroll in the course.

We encourage all members of the interdisciplinary team to take the RAC-CT certification: RNs, LPNs, LVNs, nurse assessment coordinators, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, social workers, health information professionals, dietitians and administrators. It is recommended that individuals have at least six months of experience with the RAI/MDS process before beginning the certification process. 

If you have less than six months experience, consider the MDS Essentials program as a foundational program to get you started and make sure you’re prepared to succeed in the RAC-CT program.

If you are certifying for the first time, there is no time limit to complete the entire RAC-CT program; however, because of regular updates made to the RAI User’s Manual as well as to our courses, we strongly suggest you complete the curriculum within nine months of starting it. However, once you open a course or exam in AANAClassroom, you have 90 days before the course or exam expires. Please note: If you are recertifying for RAC-CT, you must complete your recertification by the end of your grace period in order to maintain your RAC-CT credential.

RAC-CT recertification is required every two years.

To maintain your RAC-CT certification, you must recertify every two years. The current recertification requirements include taking and passing the exams for two recertification courses: RAC-CT 3.0 Recertification: Updates and PPS Scheduling Challenges 1.1 and RAC-CT 3.0 Recertification: Common Coding Errors and Quality Measure Pitfalls 1.1.

Yes, you will need to complete the entire RAC-CT program.

The RAC-CT certification is valid for two years from your certification completion date.

To maintain your RAC-CT certification, you must recertify every two years. The current recertification requirements include taking and passing the exams for two recertification courses: RAC-CT 3.0 Recertification: Updates and PPS Scheduling Challenges 1.1, and RAC-CT 3.0 Recertification: Common Coding Errors and Quality Measure Pitfalls 1.1.

Due to regular updates to the curriculum, we encourage you to begin your recertification no sooner than six months before your certification expiration. You will have a one-month grace period beyond your certification expiration date to complete the recertification requirements.

Important Note: Purchasing the two recertification courses does not extend your certification expiration date. You will have 90 days from the date you launch the courses to complete and pass them; your certification date is separate and will remain unchanged.

If you do not complete the recertification requirement within the one-month grace period of your certification expiration date, you will no longer be entitled to use the RAC-CT credential. After this deadline, you will be required to certify by taking and passing the 10-required exams for the RAC-CT program.

In the case of extenuating circumstances, you do have the option to submit a formal, written appeal to the AANAC education team to request an exception to the policy. To find out how to submit an appeal, please email us at education@AANAC.org.

AANAC does not work in conjunction with any other organization(s) on RAC-CT recertifications. AANAC is the only one to administer the RAC-CT certification and recertification process.

Yes, AANAC is an approved provider of continuing nursing education through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). We currently do not offer continuing education in other disciplines. If you have questions regarding state-specific CE requirements, please contact the individual state board of nursing.

If you took your course(s) online, you will need to log into the website and go to My Courses. At the bottom of your course's navigation menu, directly above the certification exam, there will be a button that prompts you to collect your CE credits. Once you've clicked that button, you will be brought to the screen from where you can print your certificate.

If you took a Virtual Workshop, you will find a link to the Attendance Verification Form in your confirmation email. You can fill out that form, save a copy and then email or fax to AANAC. Once received, we will process your form and then your CE certificate will be available in your online account under My CEs.

If you took your courses through a printed manual, you will find an attestation statement near the back cover of your manual for you to confirm you completed the course in its entirety. Once you've filled out the form, you can mail, email, or fax the form to AANAC. Once received, we will process your form and then your CE certificate will be available in your online account under My CEs.

If you attended the AANAC Annual Conference, you filled out a 2-part form showing the events that you attended. You submitted one at the conference and kept one for yourself. The hours should be totaled and the form signed and dated. The copy that you kept is your CE certificate. The copy that you submitted is for our records. 

American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing (AAPACN)
400 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite 600
Denver, CO 80246

Email: education@AAPACN.org | Fax: 303.758.3588

If you attend a workshop, you will receive your CE certificate within approximately one week after the workshop concludes. You will be sent an email letting you know that the CE certificate is available in your online account under My CEs.

If you have an MDS question, we advise that you post your question on AANAConnect, the members-only community/forum, with 14,000+ MDS professionals waiting to help. This is the most expedient way to get an answer from your peers and leading experts in the profession. This opportunity is for members only. If you're not a member and would like access to this discussion group, sign up today. Please note, discussing content found on final certification exams is strictly prohibited. Any such posts will be removed.

You can also access the entire MDS 3.0 RAI User's Manual for in-depth MDS information.

For help posting to the community or other questions, please contact AANAC at 800.768.1880.

Online Courses and Virtual Workshops 

We are unable to accept returns for online courses and virtual workshops, as well as PDFs, bulk orders, and used manuals.

Manuals 

Manual returns are accepted within 14 days of the date that you received your order. We will issue a refund to your original form of payment, minus a restocking fee of $15 per item. Manual returns will result in withdrawal from the certification exams associated with the returned manuals.

Manuals (in their original, unused condition) can be mailed with the invoice to:

American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordination (AANAC)
400 South Colorado Blvd., Suite 600
Denver, CO 80246

Note: Shipping and handling charges are non-refundable, and return shipping charges will not be reimbursed.