I passed my board exam yesterday. Prior to taking the exam, I searched this board for advice/tips and thought it was very helpful. I am posting now to pay it forward.
This is what I did to prepare (2 weeks: around 4 hours a day):
1. I took a DRT exam from Barkley to see how much I remembered (took the boards 7 months after I graduated) and what I need to focus on. Tip: take the test as soon as you can after you graduate. It's hard to get back into studying mode if you wait too long and you would've forgotten much of what you learned in school. If you get a 70 or above, you will very likely pass the boards.
2. Read the ANCC FNP exam outline.
3. Listened to all of the online FNP lectures from Barkley. (Very useful but very time consuming) I took notes so I can I quickly look it over before the exam.
4. Read the Leik book: read the tips. If you have time, do the questions in the back and read the rationales. I didn't. Download the app: read and do questions.
5. Google pictures of different skin conditions. There were a few pictorial questions for you to pick a skin condition.
6. Took another DRT exam from Barkley. Read the rationales at the end.
7. Had coffee, ate breakfast and went to the exam center. Go at least 30 minutes before the exam. Make sure you use the restroom right before you start your exam. There are no breaks once you start. You will lose exam time if you need to use the bathroom after.
To be honest, my scores only improved slightly on exam edge by the time I took my 25th test. Also, some questions kept repeating did not sure if that did the trick.
Overall, exam was a lot easier than all the test banks I've done.
Just focus on the questions not on the fact that your are taking an exam. This exam isn't tricky and is simply testing your knowledge.
@msjune thank you! You think its worth it for me to buy the ANA questions and do that next week or finish the rest of the examedge tests? My test is on 11/16.
Hi, I didn't take it yet, changed it for 11/21 LOL! I bought the ANA questions, did it all in a day, it was good for practice but its only 1 cumulative exam with 100 questions and 4 quizzes (assessment/diagnosis/clinical management/professional role) between 36-93 questions. Also the questions are drawn from a pool of only 240 questions so you will see repeated questions on the quizzes.
I passed my exam on the first try and had more than an hour left. ANA questions qq helpful, although they may throw you off as they make you feel like you don't know your stuff.
Exam questions were a lot more straightforward and knowledge based. Not designed to trick you.
OK thank you. What study tool did you find the most helpful? I'm doing Leik Qbank, APEA review, Sarah Michelle review, and Joanne Asia. I'm just wondering if FNP mastery is needed. I am not a fan.
I did Barkley review at my school a couple months ago, listened to all the audios for each chapter and did all questions. It was very informative and I liked it but took a very long time to do it all. I also did FNP mastery but didn't really like it, felt like a lot of questions were either too easy or too hard. I recently been doing examedge 25 tests and leik Qbank. Also did the ANA questions like I mentioned before. Out of all of them I honestly prefer Leik. I was thinking of also buying boardvitals since almost done with the other 2 qbanks and still have a little over week left until my exam but wasn't sure if its needed because a couple people said boardvitals qbanks were harder than the ANCC and not very similar to it.
Thank you for the tips, very helpful! I plan to take a review course and then the exam in March. Just curious, if there was a reason you chose ANCC over AANP?
I chose ANCC because I'm doing PMHNP next year and only ANCC offers certification, so figured I should just do ANCC for FNP as well. Also, I may want to be an educator as well and the ANCC would be a better option.
I just failed my 2nd AANPCB, I also failed the ANCC. I am at a loss. I have always done well in school, have been a RN for 31 years. 16 trauma, the remainder specialty areas. I have studied Liek cover to cover, Fitzgerald, Amelie, Walden's Bronze, studied 40 hours this week. Felt very confident going in- didn't see much of what I had studied- I just don't know. I really don't feel it is "entry level and not designed to trick you."
msjune
5 Posts
Hi Emma,
To be honest, my scores only improved slightly on exam edge by the time I took my 25th test. Also, some questions kept repeating did not sure if that did the trick.
Overall, exam was a lot easier than all the test banks I've done.
Just focus on the questions not on the fact that your are taking an exam. This exam isn't tricky and is simply testing your knowledge.
Good luck!