- NACE-FON is built by the National League for Nursing on Version 1.2, released in 2023.
- 100 scored items, 150 minutes, four nursing-process domains, no national passing score.
- Implementation carries the heaviest weight at 29%; Evaluation is lightest at 23%.
- Virtual exams cost $96, campus exams $75, and the official prep product is $62.
Quick Facts Snapshot
Before you dive into domain content, anchor yourself to the administrative skeleton of the Nursing Acceleration Challenge Examination: Foundations of Nursing (NACE-FON), commonly shortened to NACE I. This is the reference sheet you tape above your desk. For a deeper walkthrough of any single fact below, the NACE I Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt expands each into a full study plan.
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | National League for Nursing (NLN) |
| Current version | Version 1.2 (documented 2023) |
| Audience | LPN/LVNs entering or already in accredited nursing programs |
| Scored items | 100 |
| Time limit | 150 minutes |
| Platform | NLN Assess (Assess.ai), with Proctor360 for virtual sessions |
| Passing score | None set nationally; each program defines its own standard |
| Score retention | 3 years |
The Four Domains at a Glance
NACE-FON is organized around the nursing process rather than body systems or specialty units. Every item you see maps to one of four domains, and the weighting tells you exactly where to spend your limited study hours.
Domain 1: Assessment (24%)
Items test your ability to gather, verify, and organize patient data before any intervention happens.
- Distinguishing subjective versus objective findings
- Prioritizing which data point to collect first in a scenario
- Recognizing red-flag findings that change the care direction
Domain 2: Evaluation (23%)
These items ask whether a prior action worked, using follow-up data to judge outcomes.
- Comparing expected versus actual patient responses
- Deciding whether a care plan needs revision
- Interpreting reassessment findings after an intervention
Domain 3: Implementation (29%)
The largest single domain, covering the actual delivery of nursing care and communication.
- Sequencing skills and interventions correctly
- Applying safety and infection-control practices during care
- Documenting and reporting actions clearly
Domain 4: Planning (24%)
Planning items connect assessment data to a coherent, prioritized care approach.
- Setting goals that match identified patient problems
- Prioritizing which need to address first (often using foundational hierarchies)
- Selecting appropriate interventions before they are carried out
Because Implementation alone accounts for nearly three-tenths of the exam, it deserves the largest single block of review time. Assessment and Planning are tied at 24% each, and Evaluation trails slightly at 23%, but no domain is "safe to skip." For an item-by-item breakdown of subtopics inside each domain, read the NACE I Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 4 Content Areas.
Key Takeaway
Rank your review time by weight: Implementation first, then Assessment and Planning together, then Evaluation. Never leave a domain untouched, since the Coaching Report breaks results out by all four categories.
Format, Timing, and Testing Platform
NACE-FON runs on the NLN Assess platform, branded as Assess.ai. Two delivery paths exist: a campus exam administered by your school's faculty, or a virtual exam proctored one-on-one through Proctor360. Both deliver the same 100 scored items within the same 150-minute window, so the content difficulty does not change based on where you sit.
- Item count: 100 scored questions across the four domains.
- Time: 150 minutes total, which averages to about 90 seconds per item if you pace evenly.
- Results: A Coaching Report shows percentage-correct for the overall exam and for each of the four domains separately.
- Delivery modes: School-administered campus testing or remote Proctor360 virtual proctoring.
If the timing feels tight in practice sessions, it's worth reading How Hard Is the NACE I Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 to see how pacing pressure typically plays out across the four domains.
Fees, Attempts, and Score Reporting
Pricing effective March 1, 2026 breaks into three categories depending on how you access the exam and its official prep material.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| School-paid campus exam | $75 |
| Virtual exam (Proctor360) | $96 |
| Official Foundations prep product | $62 |
The NLN itself places no cap on how many times you can sit for NACE-FON, but individual institutions often set their own attempt limits, so check your program's policy before assuming you can retest freely. If you do retest, you must wait at least 30 days between attempts unless your school has communicated a different frequency. Every score you earn gets reported - there is no way to suppress or hide a lower attempt - and each score stays on file for three years. A full cost breakdown, including how these numbers stack against prep spending, lives in NACE I Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
What You Can Bring to a Virtual Exam
Virtual testing through Proctor360 restricts you to a short, specific materials list. Memorize it now so nothing surprises you on test day.
- A basic four-function calculator (no scientific or graphing functions)
- A dry-erase board no larger than 8.5 by 11 inches
- One dry-erase marker
- One eraser
Nothing else - no notes, no phone, no secondary monitor - is permitted during a proctored virtual session. Campus-administered exams may follow your school's own proctoring rules, so confirm locally before test day. Scheduling details, including how far in advance to register for either format, are covered in NACE I Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
Must-Know Content by Domain
Beyond the percentage weights, candidates consistently underestimate how much of NACE-FON rewards judgment over memorization. The exam is scenario-driven: most items describe a patient situation and ask what an LPN/LVN moving into professional nursing coursework should notice, prioritize, or do next.
Assessment-Heavy Scenarios
Expect short vignettes where you must decide which piece of information is most urgent to collect or clarify before proceeding. These items test discrimination between relevant and irrelevant data, not simple recall of normal values.
Planning and Prioritization Logic
Planning items frequently hinge on ranking problems - physiological needs before psychosocial ones, immediate safety before long-term goals. If you can consistently justify why one action outranks another, you'll clear most Planning items regardless of the specific clinical topic.
Implementation Detail Work
As the largest domain, Implementation covers procedural sequencing, communication with the care team, and safe technique. These items often present multiple correct-sounding actions and ask which one comes first or which violates a safety principle.
Evaluation Follow-Through
Evaluation items test whether you can tell a plan is working. Look for cues that describe a patient's response after care was already given, then judge whether the original goal was met.
Key Takeaway
Practice explaining your reasoning out loud for every missed item. NACE-FON rewards process thinking, so understanding "why" beats memorizing "what."
A Fast One-Week Review Map
If you only have a handful of days before your scheduled sitting, allocate review blocks proportionally to domain weight rather than splitting time evenly across all four.
Implementation (29%)
- Drill sequencing and safety-priority scenarios
- Review documentation and communication standards
Assessment (24%) & Planning (24%)
- Practice subjective vs. objective data sorting
- Rehearse prioritization frameworks for care goals
Evaluation (23%)
- Work outcome-comparison scenarios
- Practice deciding when a care plan needs revision
Full-Length Timed Run
- Simulate the full 150-minute, 100-item format
- Review the four-domain breakdown afterward, not just the overall score
Run full-length practice sessions at our NACE I practice test platform so the pacing and question style feel familiar before test day, and revisit the same practice exam hub after each review block to confirm weak domains are actually improving.
Why the Coaching Report Matters More Than a Single Score
Since there's no national passing score, the Coaching Report's per-domain percentages are your real feedback loop. A candidate who scores well overall but weak in Implementation may still fall short of a specific program's placement rule if that program weighs domains individually. Treat the four percentages as separate targets, not just components of one number. Programs, employers, and admissions committees that reference NACE-FON generally care about how the score fits their own internal standard - for context on how those outcomes get used after testing, see NACE I Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows and Is the NACE I Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026.
It's also worth remembering that NACE-FON is an educational assessment, not a renewable certification - there's no CEU requirement or recertification cycle to track once you've tested. Your focus is entirely on this one performance window and whatever your program does with the result. If you're still confirming eligibility before you register, cross-check your status against NACE I Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Frequently Asked Questions
Version 1.2 contains 100 scored items with a 150-minute time limit, delivered on the NLN Assess platform.
No. The NLN does not set a national passing score for NACE-FON. Each nursing program establishes its own acceptance, placement, or credit standard using your Coaching Report results.
Effective March 1, 2026, a school-paid campus exam costs $75, a virtual proctored exam costs $96, and the official Foundations prep product costs $62.
The NLN sets no cap on attempts, though your institution may. You must wait at least 30 days between attempts unless your school communicates a different rule, and every score is reported and kept on file for three years.
Only a basic four-function calculator, a dry-erase board no larger than 8.5 by 11 inches, a dry-erase marker, and an eraser are permitted during Proctor360 virtual sessions.
Implementation, weighted at 29%, is the single largest domain and deserves the most review time, followed closely by Assessment and Planning at 24% each, then Evaluation at 23%.