Passed the ANCC FNP Exam 2015

[sofiej]

I just want to share my experience with taking the ANCC FNP exam yesterday 4

/2/2015 since I have not seen any recent articles about the exam. I passed the exam (Thank God). I left the house yesterday without hubby and kids knowing where I went to. I told them I am going to get my physical done at work, I don't want them to be sad when I fail, I'd rather keep if myself if needed be. I had a major abdominal surgery weeks before the exam when my approval for the exam came, I am off at work for 6 weeks and took the exam on my 5th week. I only have 3 weeks of formal and focus studying, my day consist of 8-10 hour reading and practice questions. I would wake up at 3 am to 7 am and read go to sleep and wake up at 10 am go to library, stay there till 3 or 4 or 5 pm, come home rest relax and take another 2 hours reading and scanning. Also, I am a visual, writing, audio, illustration learner, meaning I hate boring reading and listening but learn good through going to live courses but that was not my options this time due to financial, school, work obligations of the family. So doing self-review with the aid of different resources was new to me. I had been sleep deprived and isolated for 3 weeks! but it was worth it!. I don't think the exam was that hard they are general basic questions mostly consist of Diabetes, COPD, Aging, Research, Reimbursement, Tanner stages, Culture, Skin conditions, Hypertension, Cardiovascular the very common stuffs. Maternal, adolescent, and other kids topics consist of probably just 10-15 questions.

My exam breakdown consist of 20-25 check all the following choices of multiple choices. I believe that was where all my exam anxiety came from because you either get it right or wrong . I also have 5-8 questions drag and drop (Not really hard). Also, derm conditions with pictures ( easy if you know the commonest skin conditions and their treatment). The beginning part of the exam was the tricky part, I always made sure to re read the questions and highlight the keywords, mark the questions where I spent 3 minutes on and reviewed half of them after the test because I ran out of time. I used the entire 4 hours allocated time (I was the first and the last to come out). I took a 5 minute break after the first 100 hundred questions-- drink water and bathroom, and stretched for a little bit in the bathroom just to help stimulate me. I took NSAIDs too before I took the exam to help prevent headaches on the exam. I was informed that the computer will show either pass or fail but my computer didn't show nothing I remember my heart pounding when trying to look at the screen

. I got up pick up everything and when I received the printed paper it was a very good news! was so happy...

And now I am sharing my resources here because this website had been helpful to me as well, especially when reading previous blogs here about their experience. I was able to get a good grip of what to focus, study, and expect on the exam. So here are my references:

National Health Institute (Mosby's Review Online)-

Recommended, especially if you have atleast a month to review. I think this is a thorough review at a very reasonable price. I didn't really finish and completed the practice test because of time constraints, and I dwell more on other resources too that are more straight to the point. I reviewed their system one or two systems at a time and would use another book (Leik Book) and review that systems again while writing important details in my notebook. I took the Mosby's final test though and got a grade of only 63 %. I knew it was not reflective of my real grade because I was not really reading the entire topics of the course. Was down when I saw it.

LEIK Review Book (2014)-

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Most of my time was spent here on this book reading, re-reading, doing the 652 questions twice, and making sure to write important details, my wrong and right answers. This book has tons of important tips in every chapter which I believe helped me study and it's straight to the point too. I printed all the TIPS section areas of the book and concentrated on them 3 days prior to exam and do believe been helpful. Anyway, all my notes and this book are full of scratches highlights (I believe I learn good this way) The messier the better!

.

ANCC FNP PREP TEST from fnpprep.com-

Highly recommended too. All my theory, reimbursement, research topics are learned from here. I only took the 10 practice test because of time constraints. Got a 10 dollar promo code from one of the blogger here too.. I got okay grades here and took 200 questions every other day the week leading to the exam to help me trained my brain and endurance. This tests mind you have tons of theory related q's and even ask for the the theorist who made this and that and please don't memorize those theorist because none of those were on the exam. I did focused on different theories and understand their concept even if nothing came out of the exam, but hey at least I'm prepared. I guess.

. The real exam passing is 350/500 and my grades on this practice test ranges from 330- 396.

ANCC Yellow Book

- Good book. I've read the first 3 chapters and only the 3 chapters because I was overloaded with all information and my brain could not process additional books and notes anymore. I only bought the first book and not the second. The first 3 chapters were good in referencing for basic theory, understanding licensure, accreditation, medicare, medicaid, palliative, etc. stuff. This book is great on those topics and some of their topics came out of the exam.

Family Nurse Practitioner Certification Comprehensive (Audio) Review from Amazon-

It's okay. Only superficial information and kind of boring to listen. I bought it mainly because I am also an audio learner, I didn't really dwell on it. Which didn't hurt either.

ANCC test taking strategies and Practice Test-

The test taking strategies was a good buy, especially knowing the tricks how to answer questions and advises how to conserve time and energy. The practice test is okay didn't finish the second part though. Not really reflective of the exam.

My notebooks and my written manila papers posted in the bathroom-

All the important infos from the above resources are written on here. So the last 3 days I focused on this including my printed tips from LEIK and the Yellow book from ANCC. My husband and daughter would make fun of me coz I would stay in our bathroom and talk to myself early morning, after shower, and at night. But whatever helps, I'd do it, and it paid off.

Doctor Derm App on my Iphone from American Osteopathic etc

- I paid a little on this app, I got this during the beginning of my clinical rotation, It has not been used but decided to take the time to look at certain common skin conditions and their treatment and it somewhat helped. Recommended.

Allnurses Website

- Please take the time to read this website because it helped me gain general tips and advises which I found to be helpful on the exam, I have this website screen on my Iphone to read and remind myself about positive experiences from the other learners. If they can do it on the first try then I know I could do it too!

Exam day

- Only had 4 hours of sleep due to some anxiety on the exam , I took a long nap the day before and paid for it exam day oh boy tough. i am a morning person so I took it in am and took some tylenol and wallahhh.... My advise is study, not just memorize but understand, tons of practice questions and think about it as a general entry exam!! I already got a job offered to me before graduation. I am just waiting for the final deal of the contract.

[BSNbeauty, BSN, RN]

Yay! Congratulations!!!

[RubicsCube]

Congrats!

[jmcfar09]

Congratulations!!!! What exactly is the ANCC yellow book? I've tried looking around and not sure what it is. I should be taking the exam in the next few weeks.

[sofiej]

Hi JMC, go to the ANCC website and find that yellow book for FNP. There is the first and second part of the book. I got the first part and read the few chapters it really helped for the theory part of the exam.good luck!

[jmcfar09]

Thank you!

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Congratulations on your achievements, and thank you so much for continuing to provide helpful information and updates to the membership nearly one year later.

[csweetooth]

Congrats!!