ANCC FNP April 2019

[dream2bnurse1234]

I took my boards today - the ANCC and passed!

I started looking at this forum the WHOLE time while studying while it had its pros and cons I have to say it really did have a little bit of both. It can be a blessing to read the forums and see what other people thought then it can be a curse because it stressed you out and makes you SUPER nervous and anxious and make you feel like your not ready!

I'm here to help you. Just take a deep breathe and realize everyone is different.

How I studied...

I was torn between what to take. I ended up taking ANCC because everyone said its more "known". I figured let me take it if I fail I'll do AANP. I was also super scared to put a lot of time into studying for the nonclinical topics but I'm glad I chose ANCC.

I graduated December. Took Barkley class in January in NYC. I had a breakup in February. I couldn't focus couldn't eat couldn't sleep. The end of February I realized I needed to start studying and let something good come from this breakup.

I deactivated my social media and facebook. I started Studying March 1. I took a week of vacation. March 1-12. After Barcley - I paid some extra money to have his audio until April 1 and I still had the textbook. I would do two systems a day. Listen to him go through his workbook. Then go through the LEIK book. Those two really correlate with each other and helped me. I would also do Board Vitals on the those days of the systems I finished along with the LEIK app questions. I did that and finished the whole book and all of Barkleys audios. When I would drive to work I would listen to him repeatedly. On my break at work I would listen to him.

I still worked 3 12 hour shifts a week but on any off day I would study again. I started to feel a little overwhelmed doing both. I started to only do LEIK and skim the Barkley or read some areas in his book that I liked better than Leiks. I also had Fitzgerlad workbook and only used that RESPIRATORY, ENDO, hypo/hyper thyroidism.

My next few days off were March 28-April 3. I kept studying and reading leik in that time. I bought EXAM MASTERY and started doing questions on there. I worked April 4-7 then the last week I just studied everything - no practice questions just straight studying until 9pm the night before the test!

I never went out with friends I just studied all the time! I felt I couldn't even workout because I needed to study. So what I recommend for studying LEIK! I believe you can pass only studying her book I read it a total of three times.

I also did enjoy Barkley - I think he was good! I felt Fitzgerald was too in depth . I think board vitals questions were super hard! I liked LEIK and EXAM Mastery questions. And I also did all the ANCC practice exam questions on Psych NP, Peds NP, Acute Care NP, GERO NP, Family NP, ambulatory nurse practice exam I did them all. I never finished the back of the book questions on Leik I felt the app questions were the same thing.

I did half of the Boards Vitals NON-clinical questions and honestly believe it was a waste of time I also did half of the exam mastery nonclinical questions but was getting upset I was getting so much wrong. My advice on Non-clinical I felt Barkleys and Leik did a good job and for that area I feel study the ratings of research and everything else from those two I feel the questions were all over the place. I rented the Bupart book which I didn't even open! I felt too overwhelmed.

Something I never saw on this was that there's questions on this exam that isn't graded right? So relax if you feel you are marking lot maybe you are marking some that isn't even counted!

I never took a practice exam and sat and practiced for 200 questions straight and I didn't even do practice exam questions the week of test. I just made sure I really studied the content.

I only studied content. Never did practice questions and I passed all the tests so I just did the same!

Good luck to all of you! And know you can do it once you master content. But I thank LEIK so much she was a blessing. That book was my bible I would not have passed with it.

[Lynn369]

I appreciate the feedback. I am schedule to take ANCC may 18. Do u think the questions in exam were similar to board vitals? Fitzgerald book does seem in depth. I have alot of review material and fee overwhelmed at times.

[dream2bnurse1234]

I wouldn’t have a lot of resources to be honest I think Leik is fine enough! Board vitals questions were way too hard I wasted my money buying it I believe there wasn’t anything that was similar to it to me except the practice questions on there website!

[Lynn369]

Thanks for the info. The university i attended provides board vitals for up to a year after graduation. At times I feel like those questions are easy then at times they aren’t as easy. Its so nerve wrecking.

[OHiONP]

I just passed AANP on 5/1/2019. After 2 years of school, months of studying and trolling allnurses for tips, I passed the FNP AANP on my first try! I graduated March 27th, but started lightly studying in January until I graduated then studied everyday that I wasn't working. First off, Leik is amazing! Everything on the exam was in the Leik book. I also did Hollier videos which supplemented my learning in Leik. I feel like repetition is what helped me understand the material. I took notes on Leik and read the book twice. I also did thousands of questions. During school we used APEA. Pre and post predictor score was 77 and 78. I re took those tests after studying 1 week prior to my exam and scored a 85 and 86 (I didn't remember the questions). I also did the Leik questions twice, used FNP mastery, bought 10 exam edge questions and board vitals. One week before the exam I purchased 2 PSI exams (retired AANP questions). Scoring a 90 and 82. Overall use Leik, and understand the material and do a lot of practice questions and read all the rationales. The q-banks that helped the most was Leik, FNP mastery and APEA. Boradvitals was good too, just way in depth and exam edge wasn't very helpful. Good luck everyone!!!!

[Jeana18, MSN, DNP, RN, APRN, NP]

What do you think is a good amount of time to give yourself for reviewing? Many people say 2 months. I'm trying to prepare for my near future.

And big thanks, your advice and overview is helpful!

[OHiONP]

I graduated in March 2019. Starting January I listened to Hollier and was reading Leik when I had a chance. Once I graduated I studied for 1 month on my 4 days off. Doing at least 800 questions a week and re-reading Leik and listening to Hollier while taking notes. I bought exam edge and board vitals, and didn’t find them very helpful. If you do Hollier, Leik questions and the FNP mastery app you’ll do great. Good luck!

[Devo19, BSN, MSN, APRN]

Congrats! What was your studying like? Was there a certain amount of material or time you study per day or week? Would you say two months of studying would prepare you?

Thanks!

[cityFNP, BSN, MSN, RN]

I'm revising this thread for some advice on the ANCC exam. for those of you who took the ANCC - is it true that normal lab values are not given on the exam and that we have to memorize these? I'm seeing from different threads that normal lab values are only provided on the AANP.