I will make this post as short as possible , I really appreciate your contribution and reading .
Today December 11th 2022, I failed my AANP, first attempt, it took me about 5 months of studying an average of 2 to 4 hours per day after work, I thought I was ready, I ended up failing and I am feeling very upset and defeated.
I have read leik book entirely, I did the questions in the book and then the online practice questions twice, I took lots of notes along the way while I was studying, (50 pages). I also did the FNP mastery app, about 1500 questions and I read the rationales very carefully,
Unfortunately I did not pass, I am not surprised because I failed the NCLEX three times in the past, I am not the smartest person out there, I have a brain fog which makes it very hard for me to retrieve information I have learned, so for me it's either I know the question or I don't know, it is very hard for me to think about the materials that I have read,
What would you suggest at this point? I would really appreciate if you could add some advice or recommendations or study strategy. When I was doing the exam, I was not nervous at all, I did not waste any time, I used my time very efficiently and I had about 10 minutes left to review some of the questions that I marked.. however for me it's either I know the question or I don't know. So I would really appreciate if you could give me some recommendations on how to study moving forward....I was thinking APEA, but I'm really trying to not to spend too much money ..unless it's worth it ..
by the time I finished dermatology, I had already forgotten about endocrinology
The board exams are minimum competency exams; they are designed to make sure that a new graduate NP has at least a bare minimum fund of knowledge to safely begin practice in their certification specialty.
I am happy to say that I passed! Looking back, I believe I was very close to passing the first time because I received a 461/500 and left nearly 20 questions unanswered. This means the test is not testing for "knowledge," it is testing for your ability to recall "key terms" that correctly match the "stem of the question." I also say this because how is it possible that on my first exam I got 461 and 3 months later, after intensive review for the S.M. and L.W. courses, I just went up to 469? This means that in my first attempt, I was mainly using recollection and association.
Some personal recommendations:
Stick to the Leik's testbook (BEST INVESTMENT).I know it's easier said than done, but the reality is that the more courses I took, the more extensive and broader the topics became, and it just seemed that by the time I finished dermatology, I had already forgotten about endocrinology! No, I didn't read the entire book "cover to cover" like most people claimed they had done. Instead, I read all of the notes, clinical pearls, and danger signals... If I felt like I needed more, I would review the specific chapter.
Buy the two (second-best investment) versions of the PSI exam from previous years! I had questions taken verbatim from there every single time. It also helps you remember the questions that will be asked of you on the exam.
This is from Leik's, and this was probably my biggest weakness: I didn't memorize all of the terminology or all of the "special names" or "key words" of the signs, assessments, landmarks, etc. The test will expect you to know all of them, and if you are getting them confused at home, you will get them wrong during the test:
Are Two Names Better Than One? I. Discussion
Some diseases and conditions are known by two different names that are used interchangeably in both the clinical area and the literature. Sometimes the alternate name is the one being used in the exam questions. This can fool the test taker who is familiar with the disease but only recognizes it under its other name.
II. Examples
· Degenerative joint disease (DJD), or osteoarthritis
· Atopic dermatitis, or eczema
· Senile arcus, or arcus senilis
· Lupus, or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
· Otitis media with effusion (OME), or middle ear effusion (MEE)
· Group A beta Streptococcus, or S. pyogenes …… and so on!
Sarah Michelle's crash course is all you need from her (third best investment), and her comprehensive review is too comprehensive! Also, I noticed that S.M. leaves out all the "key words." She teaches you the concept but leaves out the key word that's going to really help you distinguish right from wrong. The SM test bank is cheap, but those questions really test knowledge and concepts; again, if you need to brush up on content, then go for it. But her questions are far from what you see on the exam.
I'm conflicted about Latrina Walden's reviews. Simply put, the "Buzzword review" is like reading the clinical pearls from Leik, and her comprehensive review again is over 800 PowerPoints of more information that will just overwhelm you.
If you are answering most of Leik's questions correctly, I would recommend taking an APEA practice exam, identifying your weak areas, and purchasing the Q-banks from APEA, which are harder but more structured and similar to the actual exam than S.M.
Brittani NP on YouTube has videos on the major topics, as well as Dump-sheets for each major section, and it's all free!
If I had to do it all over again, I would make sure to memorize all the "key terms" from Leik. Do all her questions until you get 90%, or at least you know most of the rationales. If you need a review course, I would have simply purchased S.M.'s crash course. and definitely the PSI exams from previous years. Stop making notes on the same stuff, hoping you will memorize it; instead, do questions and really understand why you got it right or wrong.
First I would like to congratulate you on passing, it must feel amazing that you no longer have to study and stress about this nightmare.
I would love for you to give me your opinion and suggestions and I'm going to tell you what I did so far very specifically..
Before going for the first time, I did the leak book entirely and I took notes on all the study pearls, then I reviewed all the notes and I did the questions in the book and online and I reviewed the questions 3 days before the exam. I felt that I got liek very well.. I also did FNP mastery which I thought it was useful..
After failing:
I did Archer review ( by Brittany holsbeck) NP .. then someone shared with me the Cohen review videos and I went over them, I feel that things are getting very repetitive.. I feel that I learn more from answering questions..
Do you think it is worth buying the Sarah Michelle comprehensive review which cost about $300?
I am going to look into the psi , and APEA .. look over liek again ..
The idea here is, I do not like to repeat myself. I feel that once you do the liek questions two times, there is no benefit of doing them third time because you already know the answer..
I honestly feel at this point I need more of an advising on what to do next.. and I really appreciate your help and advice you have given me so far
The board exams are minimum competency exams; they are designed to make sure that a new graduate NP has at least a bare minimum fund of knowledge to safely begin practice in their certification specialty.
Having foundational knowledge doesn't necessarily mean calling every single fungal infection "tinea ..." or when you wrote the exam how did you distinguish b/t Tinea versicolor VS Pityriasis versicolor VS Tinea flava when they are all the same?
If the exam is designed to practice safely, that means in 2023, you feel comfortable with your patient walking around with a blood pressure of 150/90? Because the exam is currently designed that way!
Specializes in RETIRED Cath Lab/Cardiology/Radiology.
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what is a psi exam? and how do you access the last 2 years as suggested to review
uniqueguy34 said:
First I would like to congratulate you on passing, it must feel amazing that you no longer have to study and stress about this nightmare.
I would love for you to give me your opinion and suggestions and I'm going to tell you what I did so far very specifically..
Before going for the first time, I did the leak book entirely and I took notes on all the study pearls, then I reviewed all the notes and I did the questions in the book and online and I reviewed the questions 3 days before the exam. I felt that I got liek very well.. I also did FNP mastery which I thought it was useful..
After failing:
I did Archer review ( by Brittany holsbeck) NP .. then someone shared with me the Cohen review videos and I went over them, I feel that things are getting very repetitive.. I feel that I learn more from answering questions..
Do you think it is worth buying the Sarah Michelle comprehensive review which cost about $300?
I am going to look into the psi , and APEA .. look over liek again ..
The idea here is, I do not like to repeat myself. I feel that once you do the liek questions two times, there is no benefit of doing them third time because you already know the answer..
I honestly feel at this point I need more of an advising on what to do next.. and I really appreciate your help and advice you have given me so far
what is a psi exam and how do access the last 2 years
Let me first start out by saying I am so sorry you didn't make it on the first attempt but there is hope...
I am a DNP student for AGNP. I took my exam on December 9th. I took it in one hour and I am happy to report that I passed.
All through my program I struggled with testing anxiety. The only tried and true method I use that works for me is the speed dating sort of test taking. What I mean by that is I read the question, look at the answers, make my selection. I either know it or I don't. I don't go back I do not change answers and if I don't know it I guess. Re reading the questions or taking a long time causes me great distress and more brain fog.
My study plan included Leik, the Sarah Michelle quiz bank, and APEA video review. I highly, highly recommend the APEA videos. HOWEVER, I am an audio visual learner. I do not retain much from reading, whereas I always remember a good lecture. I suggest going online and taking a free test to see which way you learn best in order to reframe your study plan. Also, with AANP you can print off their reference list, to know where they are getting the test questions. And take as many quiz questions as you can to get used to the format and what they are asking. Take a break! There is such a thing as over studying. Enjoy your Winter break, and re take when you are comfortable.
All in all, I studied for two solid weeks prior to the exam, 8-9 hour days. The day before and the morning of, I didn't look at anything. I created a 2 inch binder with sections (cardiac, GI, etc). I filled it with notes. Do not try to study while working, you need to be able to focus solely on the information you need to retain. After a 12 hour shift there is no way you can adequately do that. Clear your schedule prior to your next exam, focus, exercise, and continue to focus on self care. Take a deep breath, you got this!
Hi I am also taking the AANP exam and was wondering if you would be able to tell me what you were scoring for a percentage on sarah michelle? I just decided to get it!
Hi I am also taking the AANP exam and was wondering if you would be able to tell me what you were scoring for a percentage on sarah michelle? I just decided to get it!
I was getting between 70-90 on the practice exams. I would print out the questions I got wrong, look them up, and write my own notes on the side. You got this!!
BostonFNP, APRN
2 Articles; 5,583 Posts
The board exams are minimum competency exams; they are designed to make sure that a new graduate NP has at least a bare minimum fund of knowledge to safely begin practice in their certification specialty.