I can't seem to find the thread that most people were posting on in regard to this topic, but I wanted to share my experience in taking the ANCC exam yesterday. I passed. Yay! The resources I used to prepare for it were the Fitzgerald review book, Exam Edge tests, Lieks review book and 2 lectures from Margaret Fitzgerald on professional issues which includes ethics, research, DEA info, Medicare/Medicaid and a couple other helpful topics. I DID NOT take a review course. I was told by a professor whom I really respected that it wasn't necessary. Also out of the Lieks book I only reviewed the chapter on pharmacology, the rest I had already gone over in the Fitzgerald book, I mostly did review questions out of this book. What I feel prepared me the most was going through hundreds of review questions. On the days leading up to the exam I did 100-250 per day. This not only exposes you to a broad array of information but also trains your mind to focus for this EXTREMELY long period of time.
Memorize your basic lab values, they are not provided on the test. And write them down on your scratch paper as soon as you enter the room. One strategy that I believe helped my mind to get through the exam was that I did the first 100 questions and then took a bathroom break, then I came back and did 70 more questions and took another break. I finished the exam an hour early but it seems most people took the entire 4 hour block. Don't panic if you don't know an answer, just read through all the responses, usually you can eliminate 2 right off the back. Just read everything carefully. Private message me if you have any questions, and GOOD LUCK!!
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I can't seem to find the thread that most people were posting on in regard to this topic, but I wanted to share my experience in taking the ANCC exam yesterday. I passed. Yay! The resources I used to prepare for it were the Fitzgerald review book, Exam Edge tests, Lieks review book and 2 lectures from Margaret Fitzgerald on professional issues which includes ethics, research, DEA info, Medicare/Medicaid and a couple other helpful topics. I DID NOT take a review course. I was told by a professor whom I really respected that it wasn't necessary. Also out of the Lieks book I only reviewed the chapter on pharmacology, the rest I had already gone over in the Fitzgerald book, I mostly did review questions out of this book. What I feel prepared me the most was going through hundreds of review questions. On the days leading up to the exam I did 100-250 per day. This not only exposes you to a broad array of information but also trains your mind to focus for this EXTREMELY long period of time.
Memorize your basic lab values, they are not provided on the test. And write them down on your scratch paper as soon as you enter the room. One strategy that I believe helped my mind to get through the exam was that I did the first 100 questions and then took a bathroom break, then I came back and did 70 more questions and took another break. I finished the exam an hour early but it seems most people took the entire 4 hour block. Don't panic if you don't know an answer, just read through all the responses, usually you can eliminate 2 right off the back. Just read everything carefully. Private message me if you have any questions, and GOOD LUCK!!