CGRN Exam

PACNWNURSING · Oct 26, 2015

I just took it today and did not pass. Only missed it by 7pts. Though I did not even really prepare much except for cramming this weekend. Many questions on drugs hurt me. Which I was kind of surprised to see the amount of questions related to drugs. SGNA study guide is not good, which was my only study tool that I used in my quick preparation. I will retake it next May but will supplement my study resources with other textbooks. The study guide and the SGNA core curriculum textbooks are poorly written. The study guide has zero drawings, pictures, etcs. The Core Curriculum text book is also poor, with no color visuals, drawings, photographs etc. GI Endoscopy is very visual so I do not understand why these texts lack this type of material.

ballstonspa · May 29, 2016

Hello Everyone,

Just took my CGRN exam for the first time, and I passed. Since this site has been so helpful to me, I wanted to "pay it forward".

I thought the test was very hard. I studied quite a bit, but feel like I may have concentrated on the wrong material. I used the "Mometrix CGRN Exam Secrets" study guide, and the "SGNA Core Curriculum" ( Gastroenterology-5th Edition). I recommend using the Mometrix book as your main study source. The SGNA book is a good choice for information that isn't in Mometrix, but it is much too long ( 500 pages) to be a study guide.

The test seems to be fairly written, but it covers a lot of information. I recommend learning about manometry tests, scope washing protocols, and ERCP protocols ( especially drugs used during the procedure-we don't use any of these drugs at our facility, but they are mentioned in the Mometrix book). Learn about as many different "GI" diseases as you can. My test had quite a few questions about a disease that is quite rare, and I have absolutely never seen. Learn as many of the "GI" drugs as you can ( including doses, rare side effects, and contraindications). Learn what the expected medical treatments are for both early onset, and advanced stages of common "GI" diseases. Learn about cancer staging with FNA procedures.

I took quite a few practice tests, before I sat for my CGRN exam. The free practice tests offered on the SGNA website seemed much easier that the actual exam. The practice test questions at the end of the Mometrix book were a little more difficult, but the actual exam was harder still. The practice questions in the SGNA book were not at all like the actual exam questions ( well, perhaps 10% of them were). So,yes, I was a little overwhelmed when I saw the actual exam.

My exam was graded using a "scaled score" with a passing grade of 450 (similar to SAT scores). I found out what my grade was as soon as I finished the exam.

"Good Luck" to all of you future test takers! This test is clearly difficult. With the right preparation, and perseverance, however, it is passable. Hope my update was helpful.