ACNP exam

mossyoak · Aug 28, 2007

Thanks for all of your replies, I will definitely look into the Fitzgerald review. I am new here so forgive me for the double post-

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Aug 28, 2007

Mossyoak, I typed a response but couldn't figure out why the the entire thing all of a sudden disappeared. So I decided to type it again.

I am sorry to hear about your exam experience. I was told that in the ACNP exam, most of those who fail miss the passing mark by a few points. I took the ANCC exam in April 2004 and prepared for it by using the Fitzgerald Health Education Associates review tapes (available through fhea.com). The tapes are by Sally Miller, ACNP and are recorded sessions of previous live reviews. She is also available for a live review sessions in select cities nationally. Check the fhea.com website for dates and locations if you prefer a live session. She gave excellent pointers as to how to analyze the concepts found in the ANCC exam. Indeed, many of her tips on answering exam questions were very useful in the particular exam I took.

There is another company that also provides ACNP reviews. Half of my classmates went through this company called Thomas Barkley Review. He also offers live review sessions in select cities as well as pre-recorded review sessions in CD form available for purchase in his website. Unfortunately, I did not purchase his materials to provide an honest evaluation of his work as I was broke after finishing grad school and had set a budget for just one set of review tapes.

Finally, I recommend you purchase this book called "Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certification Examination: Review Questions and Strategies" by Barbara Todd. I bought the book as a senior ACNP student but didn't really read it until the time I was preparing for my test. This is a good book because it has extensive sample questions arranged by body system. She explains the rationale for each correct answer. Her questions are actually VERY hard. They are nowhere near the actual degree of difficulty encountered in the ANCC exam. However, her book prepared me to expect the worst and study the really difficult scenarios. If you find that you are already acing her exam questions, then you are more than prepared to take the ACNP exam!

Don't despair. Take the test again and prepare better next time around.

mossyoak · Aug 28, 2007

Thanks pinoyNP, I will definitely look into the Fitzgerald review book/live recordings; I studied using only the Barkley review book and obviously it helped me, but not quite enough. I have the Barbara Todd book and will also review this. I have noticed that the Barbara Todd questions are much harder that the actual test was. Again, thanks.

DaisyRN, ACNP · Aug 28, 2007

mossy... so sorry to hear about your test. 3 stinkin' points. geez... i know you're ticked. at least now you have a better idea of what to expect... and i'm sure this will prove helpful for your retest.

good to know about the todd book being more difficult than the exam... i also have this and will graduate this december, so knowing that if i can study that and be ahead of the game, that's encouraging. i guess its kinda like in my adn program where we had to take the hesi exam... it was much more difficult than the nclex. i have the barkley book, too... but it seems very brief, but i use it as an adjunct in studying for my course exams.

like david, i thought there was another exam also... and mossy, what did you think was most difficult about the exam? pointers for a future grad? what do you think tripped you up the most?

best wishes for your next test... i know it must be very frustrating... i'll say a little prayer for ya! lemme know how it goes...

DaisyRN, ACNP · Aug 28, 2007

hey all, with regard for the fitzgerald book... it does not appear specific to acnps. i would be concerned it'd give too much information and i'd feel overwhelmed. what did ya'll think about that? was it an issue? was it primary care focused? thanks!

DaisyRN, ACNP · Aug 28, 2007

whoa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

$250.00 for the miller acnp review cd?! that's crazy... i know i bought the todd book for maybe $30 on ebay, but it'd be great to listen to the lessons on my 9 hr round-trip commute back and forth every week.

mossyoak · Aug 28, 2007

... and mossy, what did you think was most difficult about the exam? pointers for a future grad? what do you think tripped you up the most?

i guess the most difficult thing for me was having worked in an icu for almost 8 years, you kinda get used to the way your physicians treat and manage certain illnesses. also, i tend to read too much into application type questions instead of taking it for what it is worth, and of coorifice test anxiety.

thanks for the prayer, god has a way of humbling us!!!

DaisyRN, ACNP · Aug 28, 2007

yes, he does. and you're welcome! when are you able to take it again? isn't there a waiting period?

understandable about the test... i do a lot of overthinking myself. i'll be looking for zebras when all i need are cats and dogs. *haha*

mossyoak · Aug 28, 2007

when are you able to take it again? isn't there a waiting period?

i will be able to take it again in late november ( there is a 90 day waiting period)

DaisyRN, ACNP · Aug 28, 2007

well best of luck to you... i'll be thinking about ya!! let us know how it goes... and i posted a msg about the miller review cds. they are soooo expensive, so maybe someone can help us out. i'd like to utilize them, too.

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Aug 28, 2007

whoa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
$250.00 for the miller acnp review cd?! that's crazy... i know i bought the todd book for maybe $30 on ebay, but it'd be great to listen to the lessons on my 9 hr round-trip commute back and forth every week.

now you know why i only purchased one set of review materials from one company, and i'm glad i chose well as i got good tips on exam preparation from the fhea review materials. my tapes have already been bought by another acnp who took the test a few months after i did and she also did quite well in her exam. i heard she sold my tapes as well after she was done with them.

you got the same idea! i listened to the tapes on my commute back and forth to work and before going to bed at night. because they were in tape form, i had to buy a walkman 'cause my car has a cd player only. the tapes are not boring at all, sally miller has a sense of humor and is quite lively when she lectures.

good luck on your test.

DaisyRN, ACNP · Aug 28, 2007

now you know why i only purchased one set of review materials from one company, and i'm glad i chose well as i got good tips on exam preparation from the fhea review materials. my tapes have already been bought by another acnp who took the test a few months after i did and she also did quite well in her exam. i heard she sold my tapes as well after she was done with them.
you got the same idea! i listened to the tapes on my commute back and forth to work and before going to bed at night. because they were in tape form, i had to buy a walkman 'cause my car has a cd player only. the tapes are not boring at all, sally miller has a sense of humor and is quite lively when she lectures.
good luck on your test.

well, that is good to know. my pharm instructor had a cd with all of his lectures on it and he was a dragggggggggggggggggggg. it would have been a driving hazard had i listened to it while commuting. :lol2: right now, there are none on ebay... but i'll keep an eye out since i probably won't be able to test until feb anyway. i also posted an ad in the classifieds here, in case someone else has them.

and yea! i completely understand why you chose wisely!!! i was lucky that i found the todd book on ebay for so cheap... and actually, i received the barkley book as a... "gift." :) how soon after you graduated were you able to test? our instructor said that the earliest anyone has taken the exam after dec graduation is feb. does that seem right to you?