Nondiscrimination—ONCC does not discriminate against candidates based on age, gender, ethnic origin, religion, race, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation.

• ONCC adheres to all published deadline dates.
• ONCC must receive complete applications, including required documentation, on or before the published deadline dates, regardless of postmark.
• Incomplete applications, including those without proper documentation, will be charged a $75 late fee if the documentation is received after the first deadline; all documentation must be received by the final deadline.
• Complete applications received after the first deadline date, but before the final deadline, will not be granted the early application discount fee. Applicants who do not include the correct fee will be invoiced for the difference and will not be permitted to take the examination unless the invoice is paid in full.
• Payment will not be accepted at the test site.
• ONCC will return applications received after the final deadline date, regardless of postmark or other circumstances.

• Certification renewal is due every four years.
• Candidates who meet all eligibility criteria may renew certification by successfully retesting or through the Oncology Nursing Certification Points Renewal Option (ONC-PRO). ONC-PRO offers candidates the option of providing evidence of professional development through the accrual of points in nursing continuing education, continuing medical education, academic education, professional presentations, publications, precepting, or volunteer service. Information about certification renewal can be found in the booklet, Understanding Your Oncology Nursing Certification Renewal Options, available from ONCC.
• Alternate Renewal Method: OCN^® and CPON^® candidates who do not meet the eligibility requirements for nursing practice, but who have a current, active, unrestricted RN license may renew their credential by passing the certification test and completing ONC-PRO.
• Renewal information is mailed to ONCC certified nurses at the beginning of the calendar year in which renewal is due.
• Those who do not renew certification within the calendar year of its expiration may not continue to use the certification credential, will be considered initial candidates, and must meet the eligibility criteria for initial candidates should they apply to become certified in subsequent years.
• The fee for renewal by ONC-PRO is less than the fee for renewal by testing.
• The fee for the Alternate Renewal Method is $100 more than the test fee.
• Candidates who are renewing two advanced certification credentials (AOCN^®, AOCNP^®, AOCNS^® in the same year by the ONC-PRO method may use the same set of ONC-PRO points. The fee to renew two advanced certification credentials is $100 more than the regular ONC-PRO fee.
• Candidates who are denied renewal by ONC-PRO may transfer to the next applicable certification test date by paying a transfer fee of $100.
• Candidates who choose to renew their certification by retest and who do not attain a passing score on the test may not renew by ONC-PRO.

Transfers
OCN^® and CPON^® test candidates may transfer from a scheduled test date to another test date one time only. To transfer, candidates must pay a $100 fee and make a written request to ONCC. The request must be received at least 4 weeks before the first day of the scheduled test interval, regardless of postmark, and include the candidate's name, address, desired test interval, and fee. Candidates who are granted a transfer must test within the next 12 months. Candidates who have made a CBT appointment prior to requesting a transfer or refund must cancel the testing appointment at least 24 hours prior to the appointment. Renewal candidates who apply to renew by testing and subsequently transfer to a future test administration must meet the initial eligibility criteria if the transfer is to a test administration following the expiration of their credential.

AOCNP^® and AOCNS^® computer-based test candidates who are eligible to test have a 90-day period in which to take the test. Transfers to a test date beyond that 90-day period will not be granted. Candidates who do not take the test within the 90-day period will forfeit all test fees. Candidates who wish to test after the expiration of their ATT must submit a new application and pay all fees.

Sanction of ONCC Certification

1. ONCC Certification may be sanctioned for any of the following:
• Failure to meet eligibility requirements or pay required fees
• Failure to meet ONC-PRO requirements for renewal of certification
• Falsification of the application
• Falsification of any information requested by ONCC
• Misrepresentation of the OCN^®, CPON^®, AOCN^®, AOCNP^®, or AOCNS^® credential
• Misuse of the OCN^®, CPON^®, AOCN^®, AOCNP^®, or AOCNS^® credential
• Lack of current, active, unrestricted RN license
• Cheating on the certification examination
• Assisting others to cheat on the certification examination
• Unauthorized possession of ONCC examinations or other confidential materials
• Criminal convictions or limitation, sanction, revocation, or suspension by a healthcare organization, professional organization, or other private or governmental body relating to nursing or public health safety
• Gross or repeated negligence or malpractice in professional practice
2. ONCC may issue sanctions that include, but are not limited to, denials of initial certification, renewal or recertification, revocation, suspension, or any other limitation of certification or combination of sanctions. Upon being notified of a possible violation, ONCC shall, in its sole discretion, investigate the allegation or decline to act on the matter. If ONCC believes that there has been a possible violation of the conditions listed in Section 1, ONCC shall provide the certificate holder or applicant with written notice of the allegations.
3. The review and appeals process may be instituted.
4. The official sanction shall state whether official notice of the sanction will be provided to the nurse's state licensing board(s). Such notice, if authorized by the sanction, shall not be given until the expiration and/or resolution of any appeal.

Retaking the Test—Candidates who fail an ONCC examination for the first or second time may apply to retake the test during the next available testing window with no waiting period. Candidates who do not succeed in passing the examination after three attempts are required to wait a minimum of one year before retaking the examination. If the candidate fails to pass the examination on subsequent attempts, they must wait one year before retaking the test. ONCC highly recommends that failing candidates seek remedial education in the content areas of the test blueprint in which they perform below or well-below competence. This information is provided to candidates in their official score report.

The candidate must submit an application and test fee by the application deadline for each test. Because of overlapping testing intervals and deadline dates, ONCC cannot guarantee that a candidate who fails a test will be able to test during the next CBT interval if the candidate does not meet the final application deadline date (failing candidates are not required to pay the $75 late fee to test in the next CBT interval). Candidates may not take the same certification test more than one time during a CBT testing interval or 90-day testing period.

Requests for Verification—Third party requests for verification of a nurse's certification status must be made in writing, include a $15 fee, and contain the nurse's full name and home address. Certification will be verified in writing only. Confidential information that will not be released includes names of candidates for certification, names of nurses who fail the examination, and individual test scores of candidates.

Review and Appeals Process—A review and appeals process is available to individuals seeking an amendment of a decision regarding eligibility for certification or revocation of certification. Failure of the examination is not a circumstance for review or appeal. Requests to activate the review process must be sent in writing to Cynthia Miller Murphy, RN, MSN, CAE, Executive Director, ONCC, 125 Enterprise Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15275-1214, Fax: 412-859-6168.