AANP Certification Exam

Nursing Students NP Students

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I, like many others have been addicted to reading posts from fellow students desperately seeking advice on how to study for the FNP AANP certification exam. I promised after taking and passing the exam I would share my study techniques...so here it is.

I began studying for the AANP exam around the middle of June 2014. My school required us to take the HESI exam prior to graduation, so this was a big motivator. Starting around the middle of June to the middle of July I read Maria Leik Family Nurse Practitioner Intensive Review: Fast Facts. I made flash cards for every single topic in that book (yes...Crazy, I have over 500 flash cards). Writing these flash cards took about 1-2 weeks but it helped greatly as while I wrote, I had to really think and focus. After completing that I purchased Dr. Hollier (APEA) CDs. As I listened to these CDs I updated my flashcards with further key points she talked about. She is AMAZING! I love how she is too the point, does not overwhelm you with stuff you do not need. She provides hints such as "HIV, you will see that again maybe 3-4 questions.." and she is dead on! I was still in school at this point so I really only dedicated 3-4 days a week 5-6 hours a day. Once my flash cards looked like a war zone, I just kept reading them,,, over and over and over. I purchased 2 practice exams from EXAM EDGE that were geared toward the HESI(HESI FNP EXAM) and got 775 and 712. This scared me a bit as a "passing score" was 750, but time was up I had to take the HESI prior to the end of July.

On July 28, 2014 I took the HESI exam at a pro metric test site and scored 838 points which indicated I was prepared for the boards. There were many ethical and professional type questions on the HESI as it is geared after the AANC exam. The print out from the HESI test is very specific and listed all the question topics I missed. I missed 34 out of 110 questions and when I saw I missed so many ethical/professional type question I instantly decided to take the AANP despite my schools recommendation. After all I thought my schooling focused on clinical topics so why not be tested on clinical topics. I then took a week break cuz I was exhausted! While resting I did however apply to take the AANP exam online (very very easy, took 10 minutes), within 1 day I received an email stating they had all the information they needed and my file will be reviewed.

So after my week break I began studying again on August 4, 2014. I just continued to read over my flashcards. I also began taking practice tests from the Adult and Family Nurse Practitioner Practice Questions Book from Hollier (APEA) and also the 600+ questions in the back of the Leik book I mentioned above. I had good days and bad days as far as amount of questions I missed. I purchased 10 bank of questions again from EXAM EDGE this time I picked the AANP FNP model tests. I took one a day scoring any where from 515-580. Honestly these questions are very specific and overall I feel they were harder than the true boards exam. Overall looking back I can say that the questions in the back of Leik seemed most like the AANP boards. As I did these practice exams when I missed a question I would update my flashcards with key facts as needed. Also listed to Hollier CDs a few more times (the ones that covered my weak content). This was my life 7 days a week as I was not working. I spent about 8 hours a day reading and studying. I did take breaks to clean, do errands, whatever when I needed breaks.

I received my letter to test from the AANP on August 10 telling me I would next get a letter from Proexam with an ID number indicating I could schedule my exam. I did not feel ready and started to panic so I purchased the Fitzgerald online review (FHEA) to just get one more perspective. Honestly, the women is brilliant and I know she prides herself in being the "most comprehensive review" available but I was very disappointed. There was just to much information... her in course manual indicated constantly to print more information from her site and it was just to much. For example she goes way in-depth about the CPY-450 inhibitor and her tables are very staggered and the manual that accompanies the course is even messy and overwhelming. She does not provide hints at all that you might see on the test, nor does she explain things at a level that makes it easy to remember (like how Hollier explains Hepatitis panels, anemia, and physical examination tests). I would not recommend this for exam prep at all, maybe for practice later but it just overwhelmed me so I had to forget it and go back to what I was doing... Hollier and Leik!

The letter from Proexam came August 13. I just wanted to move forward with my life so I scheduled my exam for August 16, 2014. My anxiety instantly increased!!!! I kept reviewing my flash cards and rereading the questions in the back of Leik I already had answered. I made little posters in pretty colors to catch my eye with pictures on how to do physical exams (psoas, valgus, drawer, drop arm, straight leg, spurling, etc), CNs, Anemia table and hung them on my bathroom mirror. This just reminded me and made me think while I brushed my teeth, did my hair, and cleaned. I also took a second Hollier (APEA) predictor exam and scored 85%. As I had taken one of these exams way back in the beginning of June and only scored 63% at that time, my confidence did increase. I also took the AANP 75 question test for $50, yes it is expensive but I figured as the AANP sponsors this test it would be the best indicator of what will be on the exam.

Sorry that was so long just wanted to be specific. Overall if I could do it again, I would not panic and spend so much money on material that I did not need (Fitzgerald review, Winland-Dunphy Adult-Gerontology & family Nurse Practitioner: Certification Exam).

All in all the test was very hard, but it is fair. Out of the 150 questions their were about 10 that had topics I had never seen before. When I sat down as the 8 minute orientation slide show played I wrote down hints for myself. This included the MR. Peyton Manning MVP ARMS for heart murmurs, CNs, anemia table, ABT for certain illnesses, Weber/Rhinne chart, and some key findings in childhood rashes. This was helpful as when I was nervous I could turn to my sheet to refresh my mind. The questions were very straight forward I do not feel they tried to trick me at all. When the question asked "all the below except" the word except was bolded and all caps which really helped. I marked about 25-30 questions and only changed 1 answer. When I hit the end button honesty I felt it could have went either way as many questions were so simple and some were very hard. Remember the test is general knowledge, but they want to know if you know when to refer, or what to order as far as diagnostics and when. As Hollier points out, know the cheapest tests to do and do what you can do in the exam room first if safe (physical exam tests, etc).

I wish everyone luck with their exams and thanks for posting as I have spent hours reading all your remarks over the past few months looking for guidance and encouragement. If you have any questions feel free to send me a message.

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I will be taking the AANP in December after I graduate. My program is having us take the Barkley Review and I have the Leik book that I am going to go through and maybe do some practice exams. So you found doing flash cards helped alot?

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ryguyRN....Hi there,

yes it worked for me just because I kept updating them and could easily pick out the women's/men health stack and take them in the car or read them when I was at clinical. My girlfriend on the other hand color coded the Leik book and she took that thing everywhere with her.... so whatever you find helps you.

Good luck!!!

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Specializes in Cardiac, Home Health, Primary Care.

Thanks for this! I keep wanting to spend more and more money on study material that I read about on these message boards. I have already bought several (Leik, AANC book [before I realized I wanted to take AANP], and have borrowed Fitz CD's and booklet from someone, etc.). I am doing something similar to the flash cards but with binder with dividers indicating each body system/area. Writing it down helps me focus on it too! I graduate in December but figured with my break between summer and fall semesters I'd start studying (with my least favorite subjects so I'd get them done lol). I'll try not to spend anymore money than I have as if the books I have don't give me the information something is probably wrong.

Did the purchased AANP practice test seem true to the actual exam?

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Specializes in Internal Medicine.

Thank you for your study prep info. I'm glad you mentioned the Exam Edge questions were very specific. I graduate in December, bought a package of 20 exams, and the few that I do seem really specific, and there are lots of questions about nursing theories and stuff that doesn't seem like it would be tested on. I'll probably take one a day like you closer to the time that I graduate.

When you signed up for the AANP exam, how quickly did you start the process? I know they allow you to get the ball rolling up to 6 months before graduation, and I'm curious if this actually speeds up the process. From what it sounds like, you graduated and took the test pretty quickly. This would be the ideal situation for me since I have my post-graduation job lined up, and want to start working ASAP.

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anh06005

If you are studying already, you have a great start! I forgot to mention in my post I also bought the ANCC book (only part 1 for the professional stuff) when I though I was going to take the ANCC and it was just too much information. That book is great but not for studying for this exam, its almost like reading our text book over...... Don't over spend, I think fear was my motivator for buying all kinds of review material and I didn't use half of it.

To answer your question about the 75 question $50 test from the AANP, yes it is very similar to how the boards questions are worded. On both the sample test and boards many of the questions were 1-2 line questions, very direct. I think I had one very long case scenario type question on boards, some 3-4 liners but the average was 1-2 lines. In no means is this a question from the boards but many of the questions were something along this line "which of the below physical examination tests could indicate a possible acute appendicitis?" Some were a bit longer as they provided descriptions but easy to read.

I do recommend the sample test, it is spendy but gives you an idea of how the questions read and even though I did not have the exact same questions on boards, some of the topics were repeated on boards.

Good Luck :-)

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Riburn,

Yes Exam Edge was helpful to get use to the direct type questions. Make sure you picked the AANP tests from Exam Edge if that is what you are taking they have many different types of tests on that site.

Regarding the application for the AANP it took 2-3 weeks at the most. Prior to graduation (Aug 1) I applied to take the test on the AANP site. If you attach an unofficial transcript and your RN license that is sufficient to sit for boards. The AANP will not release your official scores and certificate until they receive your official transcript from your university but you can test. Almost 1-2 days after I applied I got an email saying my file was complete and will be reviewed. On August 10 I got a letter in the mail from the AANP approving me to test and telling me that I would receive a letter from ProExam with an ID number for scheduling proposes. It came on August 13 and I schedule my exam that day. The process is very quick, I actually graduated August 8 and took boards August 16.

Best of luck with your studies!!

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Specializes in Internal Medicine.

Thanks again for the great information. I do use the AANP exam questions from Exam Edge and a friend of mine has the ANCC questions, and the reality is they are both taken from the same question bank. We have gone through tests together on each others separate accounts to see the differences, and we found out that they are the exact same questions word for word.

My plan at this point is keep reviewing the Leik book, take a few practice tests here and there, and a week before I graduate, go to a live Barkley review. From there I will take the AANP practice exam and do an Exam Edge test everyday. The Barkley review is my ace in the hole since they claim a greater than 99% pass rate if you attend their live review. I feel like it might be a bit much, but I want to test as soon as possible after graduating, while giving myself the best chances of success so I can start my new job. I love bedside nursing, but the role of provider is so much more gratifying that it's spoiled the bedside for me.

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That's Fantastic! Congratulations! Thank you very much for a valuable information. I am going to graduate in August 31. I took my HESI test yesterday and got 86%. I went through all the books and practice questions that you did, Nurse54321. I am still planning to take 75 practice questions from AANP website, just to see where I am at... I bought 20 tests bundle from Exam Edge, completed almost all of them, but 4 tests still left. I am scoring in 80th on average... I hope for the best:) I applied for AANP exam back in May, all my paperwork has been completed by now, but they are waiting till August 31 (degree conferred) to send me a permission to schedule my exam. I am anxious and excited at the same time! I am ready to get it over with:)

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Accelerated25,

Awesome sounds like you are well prepared, I wish you the best!

Stay calm, breathe, remember how hard you have worked for this and you so have the knowledge to beat this test.....

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Thank you very much! I really appreciate it!

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Hi, congratulations by the way.

I'm taking the AANP FNP soon. Is the APEA practice test similar to the exam or does the Exam Edge also helped out with the actual exam?

By the way all and any prayers are greatly appreciated.

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