- The ONN-CG is a 120-question, closed-book, paper-and-pencil exam with three hours of testing time.
- Coordination of Care/Care Transitions (27%) and Patient Advocacy/Patient Empowerment (21%) together make up 48% of the blueprint.
- Eligibility requires an active RN license and at least three years of direct navigation experience; a BSN is not required.
- Initial fee is USD 150 for AONN+ National Members and USD 300 for non-members.
The Exam at a Glance
This page condenses the facts every candidate for the Oncology Nurse Navigator-Certified Generalist credential should be able to recite without notes. The credential is issued by AONN Foundation for Learning, Inc., branded AONN+ Foundation for Learning (AONN+ FFL). It is a generalist navigation credential, so be careful not to confuse it with similarly named certifications from other organizations. If you are still orienting yourself, start with What Is ONN-CG Certification? and then return here for the one-page review.
| Item | What to know |
|---|---|
| Credential | Oncology Nurse Navigator-Certified Generalist (ONN-CG) |
| Issuer | AONN+ Foundation for Learning (AONN+ FFL) |
| Format | In-person, paper-and-pencil, English-language |
| Questions | 120 multiple-choice |
| Time | Three hours of testing time |
| Reference materials | Closed-book |
| Breaks | No scheduled breaks; individual breaks are permitted but the timer keeps running |
| Remote/electronic option | Not currently established by the cited sources |
| Credential length | Three years |
Eligibility Checklist
The application is document-heavy, and incomplete packets are a common reason candidates miss a session. Confirm every item below well before you plan a testing date. The full walkthrough lives in ONN-CG Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
- Licensure: an active RN license in good standing.
- Employment: current employment in navigation.
- Experience: at least three years of direct navigation experience.
- Continuing education: 15 navigation CEs in the preceding 12 months, with a maximum of five from Tumor Board attendance.
- Documents: a CV, your current employer job description, and an employer-signed reference.
- Degree: a BSN is not required.
Blueprint Weights: Where the Points Live
The exam is built from eight official weighted exam-objective domains totaling 100%. These are the scoring blueprint, not preparation-only curriculum headings. The weights below come from the live Exam Blueprint and the 2024 ONN-CG Candidate Handbook.
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1. Community Outreach/Prevention | 9% |
| 2. Coordination of Care/Care Transitions | 27% |
| 3. Patient Advocacy/Patient Empowerment | 21% |
| 4. Psychosocial Support Services/Assessment | 10% |
| 5. Survivorship/End of Life | 13% |
| 6. Professional Roles and Responsibilities | 8% |
| 7. Operations Management | 5% |
| 8. Quality and Performance Improvement | 7% |
The two heaviest domains account for 48% of the blueprint, and adding Survivorship/End of Life (13%) brings the top three to 61%. Operations Management is the lightest at 5%, but it should not be ignored, because candidates with strong bedside or clinic experience often have the thinnest background there. For a deeper breakdown, see ONN-CG Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 8 Content Areas.
Domain-by-Domain Must-Know Facts
The questions are multiple-choice and scenario-driven in spirit: you are being asked what a generalist oncology nurse navigator should do, not what a bedside nurse or a social worker would do. The notes below describe the kind of competence each domain targets. They are study prompts, not a reproduction of the official outline, so check each against the handbook.
Domain 2: Coordination of Care/Care Transitions (27%)
The largest domain rewards candidates who understand how a patient actually moves through the cancer care continuum.
- Handoffs between diagnosis, treatment, survivorship and palliative settings
- Closing referral and scheduling loops so that patients do not fall through gaps
- Communication across multidisciplinary teams, including tumor board processes
- Anticipating transition points where patients are most likely to be lost to follow-up
Domain 3: Patient Advocacy/Patient Empowerment (21%)
Expect questions that test whether you equip patients to participate in decisions rather than deciding for them.
- Supporting informed decision-making and health literacy
- Identifying barriers to care such as transportation, finances and insurance
- Differentiating advocacy from making clinical decisions outside your scope
- Connecting patients with financial and community resources
Domain 5: Survivorship/End of Life (13%)
This domain spans both ends of the experience, so prepare for survivorship planning and end-of-life support in the same sitting.
- Survivorship care planning and long-term follow-up needs
- Palliative care and hospice navigation and the timing of referrals
- Supporting patients and families through goals-of-care conversations
Domain 4: Psychosocial Support Services/Assessment (10%)
Know how a navigator recognizes distress and routes patients to appropriate help.
- Screening for distress and identifying when to escalate
- Referral pathways to social work, psycho-oncology and support programs
- Cultural and family considerations that influence engagement
Domain 1: Community Outreach/Prevention (9%)
Often underestimated because it is less patient-facing day to day.
- Cancer screening and prevention education in community settings
- Reaching underserved populations and reducing access disparities
- Partnering with community organizations
Domains 6, 7 and 8: Professional Roles, Operations Management, Quality and Performance Improvement (8%, 5% and 7%)
Together these represent 20% of the blueprint, and they are where experienced clinicians sometimes lose easy points.
- Scope of practice, ethics and professional development for navigators
- Program operations: workflows, staffing models, documentation and resource use
- Quality measures, data tracking and performance improvement for a navigation program
Fees, Deadlines and Retest Rules
The mechanics are simple but unforgiving. Memorize the table, and read the full pricing breakdown in ONN-CG Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Initial fee, AONN+ National Member | USD 150 |
| Initial fee, non-member | USD 300 |
| Local Navigator Network membership alone | Does not qualify for the discounted fee |
| Application timing | At least 30 days before an approved exam date; session-specific deadlines also apply |
| Results timeline | Handbook allows up to 45 business days; the 2026 conference announcement gives six weeks for that session |
| Retest wait | At least six months |
| Retest fee | USD 45 |
Key Takeaway
The member discount is tied to AONN+ National Membership specifically. A Local Navigator Network membership by itself does not get you the USD 150 rate, so verify which membership you hold before you budget.
On scoring, the sources checked do not verify a numerical passing threshold or a published pass rate, and this article does not assert either. For what is and is not known, see ONN-CG Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass and ONN-CG Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows.
The 2026 Testing Session
Scheduling information is the part of this cheat sheet most likely to change, so treat it with care. Two official sources conflict on timing: the Apply Here page still displays November 2025 sessions and an October 10, 2025 deadline, while the newer AONN+ Annual Conference announcement lists the 2026 session.
- Date and time: November 11, 2026, 8:30-11:30 a.m.
- Location: Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center, Grapevine, Texas
- Application deadline: October 1, 2026
- Onsite registration: not offered
Because testing appears to be tied to in-person sessions, working backward from a future session matters: the 30-day handbook minimum is the floor, and the session-specific deadline may be earlier.
Renewal: What to Plan For
Certification lasts three years. Renewal requires:
- 45 CEs earned over the 36-month cycle
- Continuing RN good standing
- An updated CV
- A signed recommendation
- Your current job description
- Payment of the renewal fee
A practical habit: log every CE as you earn it, noting its source, so you can see early whether Tumor Board hours are crowding out other categories.
A Weight-Based Study Order
If you have limited time, let the blueprint set the order. This is a sequencing suggestion built on the published weights, not an official plan. The broader approach is covered in ONN-CG Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt.
Coordination of Care and Advocacy
- Cover Domains 2 and 3 first, since together they hold 48% of the blueprint
- Map a patient journey from screening through survivorship and note every transition point
Survivorship/End of Life and Psychosocial Support
- Study Domains 5 and 4 together (23% combined)
- Practice distinguishing referral triggers for palliative care, hospice and psychosocial services
The Lighter Domains
- Review Domains 1, 6, 7 and 8 (29% combined), giving extra time to Operations Management if it is unfamiliar
Timed Practice
- Sit a full 120-question, three-hour simulation and review misses by domain
- Use the ONN-CG practice tests to find weak domains before you commit to final review
Who Hires and Why It Matters
The eligibility rules tell you who this credential is built for: practicing RNs employed in navigation with several years of direct experience, and employer sign-off is part of the application. In practice that points toward cancer centers, hospital-based oncology programs and community cancer programs that employ navigators. Whether certification changes your pay or promotion prospects depends on your employer, and this article does not cite figures. For the broader picture, see ONN-CG Jobs, ONN-CG Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis and Is the ONN-CG Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026. If you are weighing readiness, How Hard Is the ONN-CG Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 is a useful companion.
Key Takeaway
Verify every date, fee and deadline against the live AONN+ FFL pages before acting. Several official documents disagree on details, and this cheat sheet flags those conflicts rather than guessing at a resolution.
Frequently Asked Questions
The exam has 120 multiple-choice questions and three hours of testing time. It is closed-book, paper-and-pencil and administered in person in English. There are no scheduled breaks, and individual breaks do not stop the timer.
No. A BSN is not required. You need an active RN license in good standing, current navigation employment, at least three years of direct navigation experience, 15 navigation CEs in the preceding 12 months, a CV, your current employer job description and an employer-signed reference.
Coordination of Care/Care Transitions is the largest at 27%, followed by Patient Advocacy/Patient Empowerment at 21%. Survivorship/End of Life is third at 13%, and Operations Management is the smallest at 5%.
Unsuccessful candidates must wait at least six months and pay USD 45 for the next retest. A numerical passing threshold and pass rate were not verified in the sources checked, so none is stated here.
Certification lasts three years. Renewal requires 45 CEs over 36 months, continuing RN good standing, an updated CV, a signed recommendation, your job description and payment. The renewal fee and Tumor Board CE cap differ between the live renewal page and the 2024 handbook, so confirm with the issuer before relying on either.