APEA Predictor

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Specializes in Peds acute, critical care, Urgent Care.
APEA Predictor

I am 6 months out from graduating...I have to say I am usually a sharp student and critical thinker. Nursing school was not ridiculously hard, I had a study like everyone else but not near the amount of hours, I had a new baby during my RN bridge program and managed to pass everything and stay on schedule with my classes despite having my baby on holiday break (lucky timing). 

I have been a nurse for 10 yrs now, between being an LPN and an RN and am now almost done with an FNP program. 

I took the APEA predictor as a first assignment for my final 30 week course, and I scored a 65%. I feel sooo defeated. 

I'm wondering what anyone's experience is for this? I have a friend who scored a 73 on theirs, but failed their boards. I have been studying Leik, FNP mastery, as well as the Fitzgerald beast book. 

Anyone score below the 70% mark but still pass their exam? I am planning to test for the AANP. I definitely have the jitters like most FNP students. This program I have literally poured every waking moment of studying and question taking for the last 2.5 years... HALP!!

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Specializes in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.

APEA was incorporated into my FNP program with 2 predictor exams mid first year and mid 2nd year. I scored somewhere in the mid 50's on the 2nd year, was put in remediation, and studied for a couple weeks before re-taking the exam and scored somewhere around 65%. My instructor at the time said that 70% is where you want to be at as a good indicator. I do recall those APEA exams being very difficulty. I finished the program and took my AANP about 9 months later and passed without using APEA predictor exams or any other predictor exams (I used Leiks, Fitzgerald, and APEA lectures/syllabus).  

Remember, these are just predictor exams, so don't stress on low scores. It doesn't hurt to take these exams once in awhile, but don't necessarily use them to study over other resources.

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Specializes in Peds acute, critical care, Urgent Care.

Oh wow!! Congratulations!! Holy cow 9 months after you graduated? Now that's some dedication! 

I am currently using FNP mastery, the first timemi completed it I scored only in the 60s for the qbank, and I'm halfway through a second go at it with the reset, and am averaging 69 percent with the qbank..

Leik I keep finding so many errors that has me discouraged...

Im actually using UWorld, and wondering what the norm is for that qbank score? I'm not finding anyone talk about UWorld for FNP..

Congratulations again! APEA is just soul crushing...

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Specializes in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.

Remember, the focus should not necessarily be the % that you score on these exams, but looking at the answers that you got wrong and understanding the rationale.

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You're doing great! I scored a 49% my first try. Now I'm at 68% but I still have to retake it because my school made this predictor exam equal to 60% of our total grade, and I'll need at least a 70% to pass. Otherwise they're going to make me repeat my last term...

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65% is actually above average for the APEA predictor, the national average right now is 62%. My school incorporated the APEA review and the predictor exam apart of our last 2 clinical residency courses. To graduate from my program you must pass the predictor at above 70% which is total madness in my opinion. APEA is extremely difficult, we had to do 800 of their practice questions with is apart of the review. Every question will literally feel like the hardest question. There are a lot of trick questions, questions with all right answers but choose the best, questions with vague symptoms and is asking you treatment based of them. If your School never provided you with the APEA review you will like score 40s/50s and high 60s at best. I scored 75% on the predictor last week but that's just because I'm  use to the vague weird questions. The pass rate for my whole class was only 33% those who fail twice will remediate the whole class. So basically be happy with 65% it's just a predictor anyway you score high and still fail the boards also.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

I think I got somewhere around 61 and 63 when I took them. Sat for my boards, took AANP in an hour, I passed my exam. 

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Specializes in Peds acute, critical care, Urgent Care.

Thank you all for some words of encouragement, APEA really is soul crushing. Congratulations to all!

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Jtyorac83 said:

You're doing great! I scored a 49% my first try. Now I'm at 68% but I still have to retake it because my school made this predictor exam equal to 60% of our total grade, and I'll need at least a 70% to pass. Otherwise they're going to make me repeat my last term...

I just got a 49%. Super super discouraged. Any tips? I need at least a 70% too. 

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I am currently struggling! My school requires me to get 70% on APEA to graduate and I just did the retake and scored 65%. Has anyone else done their FNP through WCU and had the same experience? I'm just wondering if I will have to retake the semester or if they will allow me to take a review course and redo the exam again. I am super frustrated and I feel totally defeated!

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Specializes in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.
discouraged1989 said:

I am currently struggling! My school requires me to get 70% on APEA to graduate and I just did the retake and scored 65%. Has anyone else done their FNP through WCU and had the same experience? I'm just wondering if I will have to retake the semester or if they will allow me to take a review course and redo the exam again. I am super frustrated and I feel totally defeated!

I hate to throw this at you, but for my program they told me that if I do not pass the retake APEA predictor test, it would be a potential failure out of the program and not a simple retake of the course. The course/unit itself was literally just that one predictor exam and a few other assignments, but of course the predictor yielded the most points. I would definitely talk with your course professor or even program director about your fears and what are the potential next steps if you cannot pass with the 70%.

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discouraged1989 said:

I am currently struggling! My school requires me to get 70% on APEA to graduate and I just did the retake and scored 65%. Has anyone else done their FNP through WCU and had the same experience? I'm just wondering if I will have to retake the semester or if they will allow me to take a review course and redo the exam again. I am super frustrated and I feel totally defeated!

I go to WCU, I am in the repeat course. First predictor: 65, second 68. In this repeat term 69 for first attempt, and I have till Wednesday for the fourth. It is very frustrating given that WCU implemented this last minute. 

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