Administrative Appeals

The Administrative Appeals process allows individuals to appeal adverse decisions related to eligibility, certification, or recertification. The three types of Administrative Appeals are described below.

Application Appeals

• Candidates and certificants may appeal any non-disciplinary decision including eligibility, certification, and recertification made by the Credentialing department. Final determinations are at the sole discretion of the CCI Certification Council and may not be appealed. To be considered, the individual must first receive a decision from the CCI Credentialing Department.
• CCI requirements, deadlines, procedures, failure to achieve a passing score on the examination, non-approval of a portfolio submission for initial certification, lack of current RN license, failure to register for the exam by the deadline and fees may not be appealed.

How to submit an Application Appeal

• You must file a written request for appeal within thirty (30) days from the determination by the Credentialing Department by completing the form below.

Examination Appeals

• Candidates who experience alleged disruptive and/or inappropriate exam administration conditions may petition to reschedule and re-take the exam without waiting the required 30 days and/or without additional charge.
• If you experience examination condition irregularities (e.g., poor lighting, disruptive noises, long screen-load times) during your examination, you may file an appeal with CCI. Note: PSI testing sites deliver CCI examinations via a web browser, so some minor Internet bandwidth variances are to be expected.
• Examination scores, content, questions, answers, procedures, deadlines, fees, and requirements may not be appealed. You must contact CCI in addition to notifying PSI of the testing issue.

How to submit an Examination Appeal

• You must file a written request for appeal within twenty-one (21) days of your examination appointment by completing the form below.

Compassionate Appeals

• If you are a current applicant or certificant who has experienced an unforeseen life event or extenuating circumstance that warrants relief (e.g., hospitalization, act of nature) within one year of the determination that you wish to appeal (e.g., the day that your certification expires), you may use the following form to submit this information to CCI. This form may be used to appeal a denial or likely future denial (e.g., you are undergoing a prolonged medical treatment that will prevent you from submitting a renewal application on time) from CCI.
• Compassionate Appeals are referred directly to the CCI Certification Council for determination. This appeal requires documentation that verifies the event or circumstance in question. CCI staff will evaluate the appeal based on the date of the event, its potential impact on your ability to obtain or maintain certification, the amount of time you had to meet the applicable requirements (e.g., whether you are using the five years between recertification to accrue continuing education), and whether you could have taken preventative actions.

How to submit a Compassionate Appeal

• You must file a written request within 6 months of your original testing window end date, recertification lapse, or application denial by completing the form below.

Disciplinary Appeals

The disciplinary appeals process allows individuals the opportunity to submit a one-time appeal to the Appeals Committee regarding consequences as part of a violation.

• The Appeals Committee will review and determine any appeals solely on the basis of material errors of any disciplinary action, or if CCI failed to follow published criteria, policies, or procedures during such process.
• The Appeals Committee shall limit its activities to review of the written record; it will not conduct a hearing and the rules of evidence, discovery, etc., will not apply.

How to Submit a Disciplinary Appeal

• You must file a written request for appeal within thirty (30) days of the determination by the Appeals Committee by completing the form below.