I have appreciated all previous posts on this matter ,and just wanted to reach out and ask if anyone has taken the 2016 version (or other other recent versions) of the AANP FNP exam (as most of the other posts are a bit outdated). I am looking for any type of advice on this exam (regarding prep work, or even day of/week of advice. I am currently scheduled to take the exam at the end of this month (in two weeks).
As for prep work thus part I have purchased and completed the Fitzgerald Review, Read Leik's most recent book and done the corresponding questions in the back of the book, and have taken the AANP FNP practice exam on their website, only scoring a 72% (66% is passing on this exam). This of course made me a little more anxious than I already was. After taking the practice exam, I've realized my weak areas and plan to spend some time on those in the next two weeks.
Any other words of advice on this matter, are definitely welcome! Thank you in advance!!
Hello after numerous attempts at certification, I passed the exam on 12/19/16. I had to ask the test proctor if it were a mistake. I used Apea, to study for this exam, I went through the material 5 times. I went through the live course 2x online, and listened to the audio portions of the material 3 more times.
Sorry I passed the AANP FNP exam. Hollier's review was the best. I printed out the syllabus, put it in a large 3 ring binder, and went through the material 5 times. I failed on my first attempt it gave me room to improve my study habits. I listened to her for at least 2-3 per day or when I had time. I would always follow along with the syllabus. I still can't believe I passed.
All, just thought I would share my experience with the AANP-FNP examination. I passed on the 30th of Dec.. Here is how I prepared. First of all my FNP program left a lot to be desired. I was by no means prepared for the exam but realized in order to pass this difficult exam I had to really "buckle down" and study. So here is what I did:
1) Fitzgerald Review
2) Read cover to cover Mrgaret Fitzgerald Nurse Practitioner Certification Examination and Practice Preparation
3) Practice questions from APEA and Board Vitals
4) Made a lot of flashcards from the Fitzgerald book
5) Leik book fast facts
6) Most importantly, lots of prayers!!!
****make sure you memorize the following mneumonics:
MR ASH (systolic)
MS ART (diastolic)
mitral 5th ICS
aortic 2nd ICS
puLmonic-Left of sternum
aoRtic- Right of sternum
Grade IV 1st time thrill is palpable
If you know the above you can answer any question regarding murmurs
You are guaranteed to get at least 1-3 questions on murmurs
Good Luck to any of you taking the examination. Know your drugs but DO NOT worry about dosages because you wont see any. Know your derm.
I passed the AANP FNP boards on December 29, 2016 and graduated from my FNP program in May of 2015, that is a full year and a half after I was done with my program. (Life got in the way with two boys with autism). I only took the exam once and passed, but I will say that if anyone has a weakness in geriatrics, get on that now. I took the online Fitzgerald course which was very helpful, but her questions in her study book are much harder than what was on the exam. I also did ALL of the questions in the APEA Q bank and studied over a four month span of time on and off. Liek is awesome for fast facts and understanding the heart and Fitzgerald also has a great review of heart sounds, S1 and S2 and what is pathologic and what is physiologic. Liek was my bible and I carried that book everywhere. Although outdated with JNC 8 guidelines and some of the USPTF guidelines for cancer screenings, overall it is the best book to study from. I will also say that the APEA Q bank mimics the questions on the AANP test I think the closest. Good luck to all!!
Most causes of liver cell injury are associated with an AST that is lower than the ALT. However, an AST to ALT ratio of 2:1 or greater is suggestive of alcoholic liver disease, particularly in the setting of an elevated gamma-glutamyl transferase
Identification of Murmurs (Amelie Hollier) Reproduced From Quizlets on the internet
Systolic Murmurs- MR. PEYTON MANNING AS MVP: ALL SYSTOLIC
Mr- Mitral regurgitation
Peyton Manning- Physiological murmur
As- Aortic Stenosis
MVP- Mitral Valve Prolapse
ALL ARE SYSTOLIC MURMURS
Identification of Murmurs (Amelie Hollier) Reproduced From Quizlets on the internet :
Diastolic Murmurs ARMS: ALL DIASTOLIC
AR- Aortic Regurgitaion
MS- Mitral Stenosis
ALL DIASTOLIC ARE ABNORMAL
The bell of the stethoscope is best used for auscultation of S3 and S4 and low-pitched tones REMBER: Bellow Bell Low Bell low pitched tones
The bell is used to hear low-pitched sounds. Use for mid-diastolic murmur of mitral stenosis or S3 in heart failure.
The diaphragm, by filtering out low-pitched sounds, highlights high-pitched sounds. Use for analyzing the second heart sound, ejection and midsystolic clicks and for the soft but high-pitched early diastolic murmur of aortic regurgitation.
If we can do it we know you can do it.... Do not let the test defeat you... The exam is more about the stress than the general knowledge... You all know more than you think you do... It is what you do with the knowledge (analysis) not how much you can memorize....
I wanted to add my tips when studying for the the AANP exam. I just took it in January 2017 and passed first time! I, like many of you, tried to find study tips. I found this website very helpful and wanted to help future ARNPs out there. I used multiple study materials. My school provided the Amelie Hollier MP3 audio and book and QBank. She is a natural teacher and very funny. I listened to her twice. I also went to the live Barkley Review and bought the audio CDs. I also used the Maria Leik book, FNP Certification Intensive Review book and ExamEdge questions.
I know I overdid the studying and materials. So to save you guys money and time, here is my bottom line tips. I spend too much time reviewing questions. If you want to pass this exam, study the Barkley Review book and the Maria Leik book and questions. I mean, really study these two books. I went over each one 2-3 times and made notes on areas that I was weak on. You have to know the material really well before you go crazy on the questions. I did it backwards and it just made me more frustrated. I also did the PSI, AANP exam. The one for $50 for 75 questions. I had about 3 questions that were exactly the same on the real exam. I felt the test was very fair but you need to know the material for it to make sense. This means putting a lot of hours in studying. It is very doable. FYI, there were about 3-4 questions I had NO idea the answer and several that I could narrow down to two correct ones. I don't know my raw score yet but I had time to review my marked question and review the entire exam. I used the entire 3 hours in order to review my answers. I found 2 questions that I misread and changed my answer because I felt 100% sure of the answer. I felt good and confident about my answers. My strategy was to quickly answer each question with my first instinct and Mark the ones I was not 100% and then go back over the test.
Just passed my AANP today, and thought to contribute to this thread as i took a lot of information from this site, during my review . For me the best book is LEIK. She just simply navigates you through everything, pointing out how to tackle the exam questions. What to think in a given situation, what clues to look for. Go over her test taking tips again (first chapter) a day before you take the test. I think she was brilliant! Next one is Hollier, very concise, very organized, though lacking in exam pointers. I read the entire Fitzgerald, but like the other posts; was just too much information you don't need. She was just here, there and everywhere. The tables were crowded. No key words unlike LEIK and Hollier. I also purchased the EXAM EDGE 10 bundles of questions and 2 APEA predictor exams. I initially rescheduled my exam to a later date, after 3 weeks of studying. My friends told me to go through the APEA reviewer one more time. But then (was just to sick of studying), i took the AANP practice exam ($50) and i got 83%, so i just rescheduled back to my original exam date. I had a lot of frail elderly, a lot of viral exanthems, derma, a lot of clinical ortho, no research, no legal stuff, no immunization schedules and developmental milestones at all! There were probably 2-3 questions that appeared from the EXAM EDGE and AANP practice exam, but that's it. I say, in the EXAM EDGE questions, if you made a mistake and not familiar with the questions topic, to go back to Hollier/Leik. It usually sticks that way. Good luck to everyone!!!
rtrainer36
2 Posts
Hello after numerous attempts at certification, I passed the exam on 12/19/16. I had to ask the test proctor if it were a mistake. I used Apea, to study for this exam, I went through the material 5 times. I went through the live course 2x online, and listened to the audio portions of the material 3 more times.