I failed my FNP boards...help.

Silverdragon102, BSN · May 9, 2015

Sorry to hear you failed, your husband may be right and take a small break before starting over again with studying

blondenurse12, MSN, NP · May 9, 2015

I'm sorry I took the AANP exam in 2014. Personally, I thought Fitzgerald's review was overpriced and quite useless. I happened to run across Maria Leik's review book and downloaded it on my IPad. I think it was a million times more informative and the questions were more indicative of the questions that are on the AANP exam.

This is also my opinion from the questions I got on my exam but I did not feel that most questions were things a new NP should know. I got lots of zebra questions. Weird, off the wall stuff. I also feel like the test knows you well. I got almost no questions on diabetes, HTN, or cardiology which are all my strong points. I got psych, ortho, and PEDs mostly which are my weaknesses. So maybe try to focus most of your energy on studying your "weak" points?

Good luck!

synaptic · May 9, 2015

They made us take fitzgerald in school it sucked. Everything that helped me pass was taught in school

racarlton85 · May 10, 2015

Get the Leik book it is great study material and can't be beat for the price, get someone to quiz you on the material. You will pass on the second try, I did. They will send you your score to tell you how you did, good luck.

NaturalFNP · May 11, 2015

I passed the AANP exam on June 28, 2014 on the first try, and I wanted to let those who are preparing to take it know how I did it. I attended Apea's review and bought the CD's. I listened to the cd's every day. I purchased the q bank questions, and 25 of the aanp bundle questions. I read Leik's fast facts and answered the questions at the end of the book, and for those of you who are religious...I prayed while doing the work. I studied 8-12 hours a day for 6 weeks. I have to admit that the test was not easy, BUT it is achievable. I felt very prepared and I don't think that I would have passed it if I had not studied the way that I did.The feeling of seeing PASSED on the screen was sooo overwhelming. I broke down and cried! This is a closed chapter in my life, and I look forward to what the future holds. I have been enjoying life again, and getting all the required info for me to start my career as an FNP. Good Luck to anyone who's preparing for the exam...you can do it too! :yes:

Fnpatlast · May 14, 2015

Don't be disheartened. Start studying all over again. I passed ANCC first try in March. I took online Fitzgerald. The course helped me with test taking strategies and what to expect on the exam. Case scenarios were presented for the most part of the exam. You need to know skin rashes well and drug of choice. You need to know how to treat htn, dm, lipid disorders. What needs an urgent referral? Leik helped me focus on the other basics I should know before taking the exam. Lastly, I reviewed my bates book-the newest edition has more upto date information in a table format differentiating and comparing different diseases. Good luck. Pray.

Dixiecup · May 14, 2015

I don't think it has anything to do with the way you study it's the test you get dealt. there are several versions. I believe there is one test that very few pass and only by luck. I failed the AANP the first try with this horrible test. It was like reading Hebrew. I knew about 30 minutes in I was not going to pass. Never heard of about 98% of the questions that were asked. Immediately did my required CEUs signed up to take the test again and did so three weeks later. Finished in three hours and was confident while taking the test. Passed without a problem. Studied the exact same way for the one I failed as I did the one I passed. If I would have gotten the same test again I would have failed again. Hang in there. You will pass without a problem if you get a different test version.

nik6 · May 15, 2015

I don't think it has anything to do with the way you study it's the test you get dealt. there are several versions. I believe there is one test that very few pass and only by luck. I failed the AANP the first try with this horrible test. It was like reading Hebrew. I knew about 30 minutes in I was not going to pass. Never heard of about 98% of the questions that were asked. Immediately did my required CEUs signed up to take the test again and did so three weeks later. Finished in three hours and was confident while taking the test. Passed without a problem. Studied the exact same way for the one I failed as I did the one I passed. If I would have gotten the same test again I would have failed again. Hang in there. You will pass without a problem if you get a different test version.

I feel the same! I'm not stupid and studied well. Hebrew.... Is that what that was?!?

I'm studying hard. Probably 5-6 hours a day. I have a ton of stress right now and know that I pushed myself too hard in getting it done. I've recognized what I need to mentally overcome and what to focus my studies on. I appreciate everyone's kind words. Honestly helps me so much. Thank you!

Mr.Bar-be-SubQ · May 19, 2015

Sounds like you've gone through content enough...you need need to put the rubber to the road.

You know what helped me the most after studying a ton and doubting myself? I was not doing well in the few practice tests I managed to squeeze in and then having my friend, a newly graduated(but very bright) physician say after he went through about 40 questions from a practice test..."these questions suck, I probably wouldn't pass your boards". He said those "chose the least likely result...except" "which is NOT a false statement about..." he said that stuff is not allowed in his med school board exams. All that does is second guess and keep your mind off content in a way that makes sense in a normal persons brain, he said the questions themselves are more important than the content when you have round-about questions like that..so play that game and do a ton of questions. That is what I did. (I think doing many questions early in board study doesn't really let you practice pulling content out of your head if it...isn't there yet. So after many weeks of content, content, content. I completed about 1,200 questions with rationals (reviewed the ones right and wrong) the last week before boards and nothing else. Timed myself in stretches of 100 to 150 questions and keeping log of scores, visualized being in the test center etc.

Good Luck!

p.s. in dealing with test anxiety, my dad is a natural holistic healer...well paid hippy...and gave some actual good advice over a Skype call i used in the exam. He said keep a "totem" by you at all times when you study, something small you can look at when you want to freak out, get tired, get all negative Nancy etc. (mine was a fridge magnet souvenir from a really great trip) you end up glacing at your totem so much, even if you cant take it with you in the test center, you can still visualize it fully when you need to calm your nerves, which i needed to do half a dozen times in the test. I even drew a picture of my totem on my scratch pad next to my cardiac murmur mnemonic.

urbanrn328 · Feb 16, 2016

Gosh I hope you eventually passed

Give us an update and G-d bless !