How I passed the ANCC FNP Exam on my first attempt September 2019

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Hey y'all! I know all to well the stress of studying for the nurse practitioner board exams! I found a lot of peace in reading about others' experiences and wanted to be helpful to someone else out there.

I recently graduated from a DNP program in August 2019 and took the ANCC exam (and passed!!) this past Thursday (9/12/2019). Here are some resources that I found helpful and day of the exam tips:

1. DO A REVIEW COURSE. I whole heartedly believe this was so helpful! Personally, I did the Barkley review. I chose this one because it was in the city that I live and the timing of it was perfect for when I graduated. Review courses have board studying down to a science and the info they give you is concise. I used my review course as a jumpstart to studying. Also, if review courses weren't helping recent graduates pass the board exams, they wouldn't exist.

2. LEIK REVIEW BOOK. This book is the best investment you will make in your nurse practitioner program. Honestly, I wish I would have read the entire book before I started my clinical year. I read nearly the entire book my last semester of my program. I reread some sections as I was studying. I promise you will not be sorry you bought this book! Make sure to pay attention to her exam tips and clinical pearls.

3. PRACTICE QUESTIONS. The Leik book has 726 questions with rationale in the back of the book. I did every single question and read every rationale. The questions I got wrong I would make myself write the rationale and reread the content pertaining to whatever I got wrong. You will not be sorry you did this many questions with rationale. The ANCC site has practice questions as well but they do not provide rationale. I recommend doing the FNP, pediatric, psych, and adult gero questions they provide. This helps give you and idea as to how they will ask questions on the exam.

4. COMMIT TO STUDYING. I studied for almost 4 weeks straight (Monday-Friday afternoon) for 5-7 hours a day before I took the board exam. Make a schedule and stick with it.

5. HEALTHCARE LAW/THEORY and EVIDENCE BASED MEDICINE. Do not underestimate the amount of questions in these topics that will be on the exam. The Leik book has sections in her book specifically on these topics. Don't ignore these sections if you are planning to take the ANCC exam.

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF and YOU WILL PASS this exam! Best wishes to all of you future Board Certified Nurse Practitioners out there!