AANP Certfication Exam ( I failed it)

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Hello,

My name is Jamie and I have been an ER nurse for 7 years. I took the AANP exam yesterday April 3 and failed it. I am extremely sick to my stomach about this. How can I fail this exam? I was a 4.0 GPA student during my MSN/FNP program. I took Fitzgerald review update course 3 days long. I have her CDS and her review book. I have Hollier, many guideline books and so many quiz books as well. My weakness has always been test taking. I know the material. I have to say this exam I took yesterday was like NO OTHER! There were questions on the exam I have never seen before. I guessed on more than half of the questions. There was maybe a handful of questions I said WOW I know this one.

So I need help! Where do I begin now? I need 15 Ce's I guess and then I need to re take the test. Anybody who has failed this exam I would love to talk to you. Also anyone who has taken it and passed I would love to talk to you. I am just so depressed. The sad part is my job in the ER as an FNP has been waiting for me for months. I hope that they do not pass me by because of this.

I am just so depressed! I cant believe it... I studied so much that I have not spent much time with family or my friends. I was really looking forward to being me again.

Specializes in FNP.

Wait a minute.... are you hoping the study materials themselves somehow prepare you for the test, or are you hoping the materials teach you what you need to study to be prepared for the test, because there is a difference! It sounds like the former.

No matter what source you use, Fitzgerald, Hollier, Barkley, etc, the point of the material is to use it as a survey to identify strengths and weaknesses so that you can go back and study those content areas in depth. None of those sources advertise themselves as a replacement for focused concentration on all/any of the subject areas. They are not a "short cut." If you are trying to use them that way, it is no wonder you are not being successful.

You have to go back to your physical assessment text. You have to go back to your pharm. You have to study normal growth & development. You have to study disease processes and treatment algorithms, national screening and treatment guidelines, etc. If you aren't studying core content in each subject area, with in-depth concentration on areas of identified weakness, you are likely going to have trouble.

I graduated in May, passed my AANP in June, I used Hollier review CD's and Fitzgerald CD's and what was very useful, on Hollier (APEA's) website, they have a question bank over 1000 questions, and I went through every question, it details why it is what it is and why it isn't, I wrote everything down, so it was a very good study tool!!! I did Fitzgerald questions online, I didn't find those as helpful...... Good luck!!

I know I kind of sound like a broken record here...but I failed the AANP yesterday. I started to have a panic attack with 20 minutes left thinking I needed to go through several questions..and then I basically wasted those 20 minutes because I couldn't think straight. Anyway, I am so embarrassed...and missing out on a job that was being held for me...and worse, I don't get to move on with my life! Guess God saw me making plans!

Just to give some history on my studying...I had the Fitzgerald CDs, question book and I attended the Barkley class. Personally, I thought Barkley was too general. I saw someone's post about the APEA website and question bank so I have been working on those as of last night. I like it because it shows what areas are weak.

I agree with LinearThinker, in that he/she said to go back to the books. All these resources by Fitzgerald, Barkley, Hollier are essentially review..

However, I'm still in a funk.. and I want to take the test immediately but I actually still have to defend my thesis this week so they won't let me re-test until I send them an official transcript this time. So I think its going to be a couple months. Did anybody feel like the second time was much easier? I really can't afford to fail again. Financially and mentally.

I just want to verify...for those of you who take the AANP and did not pass, did it show up "not passed" or "fail"?

Specializes in ICU, out pt CV, CV surg, peds, Int Med,.

I am taking the AANP exam in early January and am trying to prepare based on the reading I have done from prior posts. While I am a decent test taker, I have no idea how I will do. I actually graduated from a post-masters program in 1996 if you can believe that and am finally getting around to getting certified! It wasn't really required when I finished school and I had a job ready for me. Sorry I have waited so long--so much to review and much has changed. After reading the posts from all of you who have passed and not passed I am determined to move ahead no matter what happens. I have a couple of NP friends who didn't pass the first time and one didn't pass the first two times but all are now certified and working in NP jobs. So to all who didn't pass the first time..... hang in there. You will make it. I know many NPs and all have made it. We can all do it! Good luck to all.

Specializes in Critical Care, telemetry, Legal.

I am getting ready to take my exams as well-AANP for ANP and GNP through ANCC (my school recommended this). I lost my last post, not sure where it went so posting againg.

I have been studying a lot, even took Fitzgerald's review course (2 days isn't enough for that much info, but that is just me I am sure), I got straight A's in school, but in taking the mock exams through APEA, I am getting at best scores of 58-60%. I a discouraged, disheartened, and mortified of actually testing. I have sent my apps in, and I have preliminary clearance, waiting on getting my testing site code etc. But I am not sure if I should take it within the next month, or study a bit longer and practice the exams a little more. I am surprised at some of the questions I am getting on the mock exams.

I also have Fitzgerald's review book, and just received Leiks, which seems to get a lot of praise.

Any other suggestions? What else can I do to feel better about these tests??? Any help and/or advice is much appreciated! I want to PASS on my first try!

Specializes in ICU, out pt CV, CV surg, peds, Int Med,.

To update my post from November 2011, I took and passed the AANP FNP exam one month ago today. I was reviewing the posts from the past six months and all I will say is that I studied all of the same material that all of you did and I too was a good student in school--it sounds like no different than any of you who did not pass on your first try. The exam was extremely difficult and to be honest, I do not know what I would have done differently to study again had I not passed. Many of the questions were not ones that I could have studied any differently for. I did not feel confident about alot of it. I will say that the one thing that helped me quite a bit when I got stuck was to disect the questions and try to methodically pick apart each answer as the reviewers did during the review classes. And to you, Duckfan23, I too did poorly on the practice questions so I quit taking them. I instead just concentrated on studying the review materials from the review course that I took (Barkely) and when I was confident with that, I listened to Fitzgerald's tapes. I really tried not to go in too many directions with the studying because it started to make me crazy. I, instead tried t stay focused and organized.

Be confident. You can do this! I know that the studying part is gruesome because it seemed for me as if it would never end but it did. Hang in there! Wishing you the best!

Specializes in Urology, Nephology, Internal Medicine.

I passed the AANP FNP exam last week. I did not think it was difficult. What I will say is that you definitely have to be able to think through some of the questions. Know the progression from the complaint to the assessment techniques, laboratory or radiological test and definitely when to refer. This is true for lab test and medication regimens as well.

Ya'll with test anxiety....get yourself a script for some propranalol.....Smooths ya right out according to one gal in my class who swears by it. I personally have never experienced it even when I took the nclex I went in knowing I was going to beat it down and 75 questions later I had....that's my approach to all tests.

Hello, thank you for the above..I to just failed the Adult Exam. First exam of my life, too. I was shocked! I have been a practicing NP for thirty years.It was more like a geriatric exam than adult NP. I had to guess at almost 50% of the questions.

Many of the topics that were on the AANP study list were not on the exam. Used Fitsgeral and Lief. Only helpful in the geriatric section.

Having so many people who are outstanding students fail makes me wonder what it takes to pass this exam.

Depressed, Absolutely NOT. Angry...yes, Will I spend the $$ again, well, yes, cause they have us by the tail.

Perhaps someone can send me a list of resources/ review books. Fitzgerald was recommended which I used for a baseline.

Since the exam was so limited to internal medicine and geriatrics maybe that is what we need to study. Not sure, any assistance will be appreciated.

Hi Jaime, I hope by now you have passed the exam and if so congratulations.

..I too, just failed and I have been an NP for thirty years, good grades in school, and have EVER failed any exam. I passed the exam in 95, however, did not renew. If you have any suggestions please comment.Thanks much,. RKO

OK you just described my whole case scenerio yesterday. I also failed the test. I think I am living your life. I have a job waiting for me and the pressure of that and test anxiety I think I was my worst enemy. When I called my coworkers and friends and told them, they all thought I was lying about failing. I explained painfully that NO it was true. My head was numb the whole time, I felt like I was going to faint a couple times, and had palpitaions like crazy. I too did not know if I should have taken a Xanax that day but I was afraid it would make me groggy. Now I wish I had. I chose to take the it at 1:30 in the afternoon thinking I would be alert instead by 3pm I was wanting to sleep. I made such great grades in school but there was things on that test I had never heard of. I have been a nurse for 20 years.

I felt like I over studied if that is even possible.

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