The CWS exam: items, time and the cut score
Source: ABWM's Certified Wound Specialist Board Certification Handbook Verified Nov 6, 2026
The certified wound specialist exam is 150 questions of multiple choice in 3 hours; 125 scored questions count toward the result and 25 unscored pretest questions do not. ABWM sets a cut score but does not publish it, and you see your result on screen before you leave the center.
On this page · 7 sections
CWS exam rules, sourced
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Question format | Multiple choice, computer-based | Certified Wound Specialist Board Certification Handbook |
| Questions | 150 questions | Certified Wound Specialist Board Certification Handbook |
| Scored questions | 125 scored questions | Certified Wound Specialist Board Certification Handbook |
| Unscored questions | 25 unscored pretest questions | Certified Wound Specialist Board Certification Handbook |
| Exam time | 3 hours | Certified Wound Specialist Board Certification Handbook |
| Calculator and aids | No reference materials in the exam ≈ as of Nov 6, 2026 · check the handbook | Certified Wound Specialist Board Certification Handbook |
| Score scale | Number correct out of 125 scored questions | Certified Wound Specialist Board Certification Handbook |
| Passing score | A criterion-referenced cut score set by a panel of experts and approved by the board; ABWM does not publish it as a fixed number Forms are equated. The score report shows how many you answered correctly and how many were needed to pass. | Certified Wound Specialist Board Certification Handbook |
| Results | On screen at the end of the exam, with a printed report at the test center Sub-scores by area are for information only. | Certified Wound Specialist Board Certification Handbook |
| Wait before a retake | 30 days after a failed attempt, within 2 years of the first attempt After 2 years you must reapply in full. After 3 failures, 20 hours of wound care CE are needed before each further attempt. | Certified Wound Specialist Board Certification Handbook |
| Retake limit | No set limit within 2 years; 20 hours of wound CE before each attempt after the third failure | Certified Wound Specialist Board Certification Handbook |
| Retake fee | $275 per retest in the fee table; the same handbook's retest section says $150 The June 2026 handbook gives both figures. Confirm the amount with ABWM before you pay. ≈ as of Nov 6, 2026 · the handbook gives $275 and $150 | Certified Wound Specialist Board Certification Handbook |
| Pass rate | Not published by ABWM ≈ as of Nov 6, 2026 · no owner-published figure | Certified Wound Specialist Board Certification Handbook |
| Content outline in force | Five-area content outline in the June 2026 handbook, unchanged from the 2024 edition | Certified Wound Specialist Board Certification Handbook |
| Next change | No new outline announced; fees rose in the June 2026 handbook ≈ as of Nov 6, 2026 · may change | Certified Wound Specialist Board Certification Handbook |
Every row verified Nov 6, 2026. Fees, booking and the testing window: CWS registration.
How ABWM decides a pass
The board sets no fixed percentage. A panel of wound experts sets the cut score, the board approves it, and equating keeps that standard constant across forms. What you get is concrete: the report shows how many you answered correctly and how many a pass needed. Area sub-scores on that report help you plan a retest but do not decide the result.
Pass rate: not published
The board does not publish a pass rate (checked Nov 6, 2026), so any figure on a prep site has no source behind it.
Sitting it again after a fail
The next sitting can come 30 days after a fail, and retests have to fall within two years of your first attempt; past that, you start over as a new applicant. A third fail adds a condition: wound care CE before each further try.
The handbook lists the retest fee two different ways; both figures are on CWS registration.
The June 2026 handbook offers only test-center delivery. A page that mentions an online version is not describing the current rules.
More CWS pages
/cws/CWS practice testA free CWS set weighted by ABWM's item counts/cws/practice-test/CWS registrationCWS certification cost, the retest fee question and Pearson VUE booking/cws/registration/CWS study guideABWM's five CWS content areas, their item counts and traps/cws/study-guide/Sources
- [1]ABWM: Certified Wound Specialist Board Certification Handbook, updated June 2026 (PDF) abwmcertified.org, re-read Nov 6, 2026
CWS exam: what to expect
How long is the CWS exam?
3 hours for 150 questions, all multiple choice on a computer.
Do results come the same day?
Yes. You see it on the screen at the end, and the center prints a report for you to take home.
Can I bring notes or a reference book?
No. The June 2026 handbook allows no reference materials in the exam room.