Failed the AANP and ANCC

Jane33 RN · Feb 18, 2012

Hope, you are so right. I was just taking to my best friend last night and I was telling her how stressful failing is mentally. I told her that I am drained and I don't have the desire to keep studying! She had to remind me not to give up. It is so easy to give up and it is hard to keep on! So we all have to PUSH (pray until something happens). My friend read me this email about being frustrated when things don't happen when we want them too. God has the plan for us and when we overcome this situation we will understand why we had to go through this pain and suffering in order to receive His blessings. We will appreciate God even more and what He has blessed us with when it is all over. I feel discouraged at times but not defeated. When we give up then we are defeated. I'm gonna keep trusting God. God bless!

Aniva · Feb 22, 2012

I just took the AANP for the first time this morning with a preliminary passing report. I can't really give an opinion on the ANCC, but the AANP was predominantly clinical questions. I took the Fitzgerald 3 day review course back in late Jan. and began the brutal routine of studying every day. I initially reviewed the entire review book and then purchased the practice FNP tests from AANP-FNP.com - Your #1 source for passing the AANP Family Nurse Practitioner.

Prior to the review course, I had two review/practice test books. One was the Fitzgerald practice book and the other was the Hollier review book. I accidentally left my other Fitzgerald review book with practice exams at a relatives house out of state, so I wasn't able to use (I think I just did a few sections from that book). I also did a few practice questions/review sections from the Amelie Hollier book "Adult and Family Nurse Practitioner: Certification Practice Questions". It's o.k.. Basically, these books did not really make a huge impact for me, but they may help others :)

For me, the Fitzgerald review course with the review book and the practice exams from the AANP-FNP website helped me the most. I have huge test anxiety and when I signed up to take the test, my anxiety shot up.. That's when I used the website tests since it was computerized. I took 20 practice tests from that site and by the time I finished taking them and reviewing the answer, I got so sick and tired of doing these questions and felt ready to get the real thing done and over with... Doing questions from a review book vs. doing them in a similar computerized format was different for me, which is why the website helped. It gives you so many questions that it smacks the test anxiety out of you... The only thing that may be misleading about those online practice exams would be the scoring and the type of questions. Some of those questions relate to reimbursement or theory (which I hear is geared more for the ANCC), but I honestly stopped reading those types of questions and picked an answer to focus more on the clinical questions (my scores were not so hot, but for good reason). After taking a certain number of practice tests and reviewing the answers, I realized that the point where a majority of the clinical questions were correct was the point where I was ready to take the real thing. If anyone chooses this site as part of your study regimen, don't be discouraged with the score. While doing these, you can also get a better feel for your weak areas and review that more. I also think this can help with test taking skills after you've done so many and reviewed the answers. A couple of days ago, I began skimming through the Fitzgerald review book again with a greater emphasis on my weak areas. Going into the test initially and seeing the computer screen in front of me, I wasn't really nervous and felt pretty well prepared. A majority of the questions were fair in that I have seen the information somewhere in my review material/website, but there were a few where I was completely left at a loss... I felt as if they asked questions pertaining to every body system and age group. Once the test ended and the white screen appeared, my anxiety level shot through the roof! It was very nerve wracking, but once it said passed, it's a sweet feeling.

For those who passed, congratulation! For those who have yet to pass (and you will), I hope the aforementioned material may be of some help (even if it's just a little). I wish you luck on the exam and all of your future endeavors. Don't give up

Jane33 RN · Feb 23, 2012

Congrats!!!!! So happy for you. Thank you for all your words of advice and words of encouragement.

hope1272 · Feb 24, 2012

Aniva

Congratulations on passing your exam!!!!

I am so delighted to have so many great people like you come on and give such great advise. Thank you so much for all the information and for sharing your experience and thoughts. It is VERY helpful. I went onto the website you used, but used the ANP (Adult) test instead of the FNP as that's my major. Nevertheless, it has great test taking questions as well. Thank you again and I hope all this information will help myself and others pass the exam.

Good Luck everyone!!!!

NPluvsalsa · Mar 2, 2012

Hello, I passed the AANP exam first try a few days ago... I had come to this site before and it made my test taking anxiety worse so I studied non stop for two months... And nearly none of it was on my exam... Mostly stuff I skimmed over the first month...I felt it was more a critical thinking than a knowledge test.. I over studied and I remember my difficult questions because I looked them up to make sure I picked the right answer... I did Holier and Fitzgerald cd review... Fitzgerald just give u straight knowledge but Hollier does give u how to assess and diagnose the disease... I did Maria leik review webinar which was the most comprehensive of the reviews... But only helped me with two questions because I had did the above already.. Plus Hollier and Fitzgerald review book twice, a pediatric review book, parts of a women's health review book, and bates review book for pa once...like I said waste of time...if I could do it again...I would do it like this and got same results quicker... 1. Maria leik webinar, but don't listen to her learn all your milestones.."' 2. I'd get Hollier Cd n book) *dont just get cd... Her detailed syllabus goes over assessment n diagnose...read the book listen to the cd,s she goes over the hep markers, shift to the left, pediatric milestones and viral *better than the rest 3.I'd do Fitzgerald review book once for basic info... Do Hollier to practice the critical thinking...(everything Fitzgerald talks bout in her review course you can get that n more from reading and doing her $50 review book) actually the straight knowledge questions was covered in her review book not course... Some of what I had wasn't covered in any review book but I read up on a few topics I thought were important and they were six questions on them...which is a lot compared to the 90 percent of the things I did study wasn't on there.. 4. I'd do that in 4 wks n test... I only did two exam's n brown book with the cd because after I took the first comprehensive I noticed some of the answers they gave were just wrong...and they have good question but if you maybe learning the wrong thing it's not going help you in the end especially if you don't know it's wrong... those specific what percent questions in brown book none of my friends had a question like that...if they fix the errors I would do that book instead of Hollier review book but not instead of her the home cd... 5. And then remember it's not school u can get an f on this exam... You only have to get 500/800 that's less than 65 percent... You can def do that!!! Good luck

NPluvsalsa · Mar 2, 2012

Another thing I did was read up on anything I didnt understand or got wrong n the explanation they gave wasn't enough...

Jane33 RN · Mar 2, 2012

NPluvsalsa,

thanks for all the info. I too took the Maria leik webinar and I have been studying constantly! Congrats on passing!

NPluvsalsa · Mar 2, 2012

Hey Janet inbox me... I guess we were in seminar together... I'll go over some of those diagnostic reasoning questions with you and tell you how I broke them down... I think a year of studying you are good on that... U probably need to work on getting past the mind tricks they try to play with questions

Jane33 RN · Mar 2, 2012

NPluvsalsa,

I dont know how to inbox you. I have been playing around on the site and I am not sure that I know how to inbox you. Are you able to inbox me?

Jane33 RN · Mar 2, 2012

I figured it out and I inboxed you. Thanks

hope1272 · Mar 6, 2012

NPluvsalsa

Congratulations!!!!

I am going to take the AANP exam first week of April and I feel like I can't get over the "tricky" questions. I've been using Hollier and I like her material. I already did Fitz. and Barkley. I feel like i know the answers, but second guess myself. I also feel that when I took the test twice, the questions were worded in a confusing manner....does that make sense? Maybe I'm not a good test taker anymore. A/w, I thank you for the advise and the help you have shared. I pray that I pass, I need to.....STRESSING OUT!!!

hope1272 · Mar 6, 2012

NPluvsalsa

Congratulations!!!!

I am going to take the AANP exam first week of April and I feel like I can't get over the "tricky" questions. I've been using Hollier and I like her material. I already did Fitz. and Barkley. I feel like i know the answers, but second guess myself. I also feel that when I took the test twice, the questions were worded in a confusing manner....does that make sense? Maybe I'm not a good test taker anymore. A/w, I thank you for the advise and the help you have shared. I pray that I pass, I need to.....STRESSING OUT!!!