AANP exam prep

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Specializes in CCU/ MICU/ Cardiac/ Neuro.

Hi!! 

I am posting this today to seek some guidance from fellow NPs who have passed their board exam or learned better study techniques if you failed the exam. I am preparing for the AANP FNP exam. I graduated in December but had a heavy semester and a lot of personal and health issues going on at the time so I didn't start studying until May of this year. I read the Leik book like a bible and made notes, did questions from it (but then my access expired so I didn't do all of them). I am now doing my second review by reading it over again and doing some questions from the Fitzgerald review book. I also purchased 10 tests on Examedge and just doing the first one I find it to be extremely simple so now I'm thinking if I just wasted my money on it (but it was fairly cheap). I also bought FNP review app and some questions on there are tricky and am averaging about 69% on those. My plan is to continue this for another 2.5-3 weeks and then do APEA's predictor exam. After which I can solidify my weak areas for next 2-3 weeks and then give the exam. 

For those who have taken it already, which application/ review book had questions most similar (style/ format/ difficulty) as the actual AANP exam? What would you suggest to someone who is terribly terrified of this exam? What other resources/ tips you wish someone had given you to feel more confident? 

Thank you for your help. Anxious nurse here trying not to fail an exam. I know if I fail once I'll be even more anxious going in the second time and will likely not do well because of the anxiety. 

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Specializes in Emergency Medicine.

I highly recommend doing the Sarah Michelle review course. If you can do the live review. Especially if you have test anxiety. She has strategies on how to manage this. Best of luck. You can do this!

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Hi Shriya,

Sorry on your health struggles, hopefully you are well recovered.

As for your preparations, you are doing very well. The nerves are normal with the gravity of the exam at stake. Do what makes you smile, some try funny movies,shows, prayers, walk, it should help, but trust that you are doing everything right even by posting for tips.

If you have finished Leik, especially twice, then congratulations cos you are 80% prepared. Just keep reviewing the EXAM TIPS at the end of each chapter. I hear that Exam edge is similar in format to the AANP exam, it is a straight forward exam. The reason it's simple is cos you probably have mastered Leik content.

Additional tips:

Sarah Michelle and Latrina Walden are good reviews to help you tie everything together. I encourage one month of her crash course, about $120-160s. If cost is an issue, head over to Quizlet or Etsy and search for her.

Take the PSI AANP exam. Those are the retired exam questions from past years. Gives you a good feel for format and experience. If cost is an issue, then go to Quizlet and search for "PSI EXAM." Those are exactly what you would have paid for on the site. Review as many as you can.

Create dump sheet items. This will include those items that just refuse to stick, cram them and when you get in the exam, you will be provided a pen and paper, just "dump" those crammed items there before you start your exam. Example; Milestones,  screenings,T score, etc.

I hope this helps. Congratulations ?

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Latrina Walden is who I was referring.

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Specializes in CCU/ MICU/ Cardiac/ Neuro.
On 7/2/2022 at 9:11 AM, DzaGal said:

Hi Shriya,

Sorry on your health struggles, hopefully you are well recovered.

As for your preparations, you are doing very well. The nerves are normal with the gravity of the exam at stake. Do what makes you smile, some try funny movies,shows, prayers, walk, it should help, but trust that you are doing everything right even by posting for tips.

If you have finished Leik, especially twice, then congratulations cos you are 80% prepared. Just keep reviewing the EXAM TIPS at the end of each chapter. I hear that Exam edge is similar in format to the AANP exam, it is a straight forward exam. The reason it's simple is cos you probably have mastered Leik content.

Additional tips:

Sarah Michelle and Latrina Walden are good reviews to help you tie everything together. I encourage one month of her crash course, about $120-160s. If cost is an issue, head over to Quizlet or Etsy and search for her.

Take the PSI AANP exam. Those are the retired exam questions from past years. Gives you a good feel for format and experience. If cost is an issue, then go to Quizlet and search for "PSI EXAM." Those are exactly what you would have paid for on the site. Review as many as you can.

Create dump sheet items. This will include those items that just refuse to stick, cram them and when you get in the exam, you will be provided a pen and paper, just "dump" those crammed items there before you start your exam. Example; Milestones,  screenings,T score, etc.

I hope this helps. Congratulations ?

Thank you for these tips. I did look up Sarah Michelle on quizlet and found some good content. Also did the PSI exams on quizlet and am really really praying that the actual exam is similar level of difficulty/ straight forward. I did exceptionally well on those questions. I did APEA predictor exams x2 and although I did well on them (76%, 74%) I got very nervous because I didn't like how some of the questions were soo random and testing things I didn't really focus on studying. I also got nervous because some of the topics were not mentioned in the Leik book. Additionally, there were about 8-9 pregnancy related questions which I totally guessed on. So even though it said "high likelihood of passing" I am not convinced because of how much I had to guess. Would you say the actual exam is similar to PSI questions rather than APEA predictors? The two exams in back of Leik book got me an average of 75% as well. I thought there are some things I definitely needed to brush up on but had a decent background knowledge. 

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Specializes in CCU/ MICU/ Cardiac/ Neuro.
On 6/26/2022 at 4:24 AM, AlwaysTiredNP said:

I highly recommend doing the Sarah Michelle review course. If you can do the live review. Especially if you have test anxiety. She has strategies on how to manage this. Best of luck. You can do this!

I wish I did that! people also recommended Walden to me. I kept pushing it off and now it's too late. I did look it up on quizlet and it reenforced things I knew and I learned things that I had forgotten as well. I like that she focuses on pharm. 

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Hello,  anyone from NYC area looking for study group or partner to prepare for the AANC or AANP boards?  I did Fitzgerald and Leik and failed.  Any suggestion help will be appreciated 

paul f 

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