Not sure what to do next. Please Help!!

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I recently joined this site after not passing both the ANCC x 2. Once in Jan. 2016 and again in March 2016. I am truly discouraged. I studied with 2 friends. They both passed first try before me. They were both not working and I was working full time because I have to, but to fail twice? I am really sad:( We all attended and studied Fitz the first time around. After not passing the first time, I studied Fitz and her review boths and CDs. I listened to her CDs so many times I could recite what she was about to say before she said it. I also bought the HESI prep questions and scored in the 60s and low 70s. I took the ANCC and missed again by 3 points (347). I felt ready going into the test the second time, but I guess I wasn't. I am so depressed. I have since lost the NP job that was waiting for me. I want to take both the AANP and ANCC next month-end of May. I will only work part time next month in preparation for both exams. I plan is to take them a week apart so that I don't forget too much. Is this a good plan? I am terrified of not passing again. I just cannot take another fail.

I just bought Barkley's review CDs and I am wondering if I need to buy something else. Money is tight but if I need it, I will have to. I have read about the NIH review. Has anyone used it and was it helpful? I thinking about buying either the Apea Q bank or the NIH review on line. I took the predictor test and scored 68%-still not good, but I am working on it. I will appreciate any advise, suggestions. By God's Grace I too will be able to say I passed either exams very soon. Please Help!!!!

Specializes in Adult/Gero.

OMG.....NP Removed! Thank You.

Specializes in Adult/Gero.

Thanks again carachel2. I bought some study cards today and have ordered the Leiks book. I cannot wait for it to arrive. I am here to get some help, so I welcome all constructive suggestions/criticisms because you all know just how important this is to me. Thanks again.

Specializes in Family Medicine, Tele/Cardiac, Camp.

There are several good threads on here about how to pass the AANC or AANP cert exams. Do some searching. This is one I commented in a while ago:

https://allnurses.com/student-nurse-practitioner/failed-aanp-what-1040556.html

I'm glad you're being proactive about this. So many people come onto this site and want advice but aren't able to admit their shortcomings and receive good constructive criticism. It sounds like you're on the right track for overhauling your study habits. Just make sure you can really understand the material. Some people listen to things over and over again, but when it comes to actually explaining it or re-wording it they can have a hard time. Explaining things outloud/"Teaching" others (even if it's just your wall or your dog or whatever) can actually help you retain info too. Best of luck. :)

Word of advice:

Write out your OWN study cards. Do not order pre-made ones.

Research has proven over and over that writing things out and making your own cards helps with the learning process.

I ordered flash cards once and promptly threw them away. It is another example of passive learning. *Active learning* = YOU read, write down things that you feel are important in a way that makes YOU understand. Draw things out; use arrows to indicate a link; write important summaries in a different color.

Seriously...go purchase a huge set of blank flashcards; a nice set of new markers and do the cardiac and respiratory sections of Leik and Fitz this week. Do not wait for those study cards.

Specializes in Adult/Gero.

Hello Carachel2, you have no idea how much I appreciate your advise. How did you know that I had just ordered Mometrix flash cards?...lol...I will MAKE MY OWN and return them when they arrive. No more passive studying for me thanks to you.

My plan Starting this Saturday: 9am-3pm

-In the month of May, I will only work Sundays. HUGE financial sacrifice, but this is important.

-Go to Library @ 9am

-Study a section in Leik, Fitz (review book) and Barkley (review book)

-Make note cards on each section.

-Actively study note cards and talk them out.

After 2 weeks

Start doing questions. I plan to order Apea Q Bank for one month. Has anyone used them? I read somewhere that they were very helpful. I hope they will help me. I used the HESI prep questions last time but as you know I failed x 2. Thought I try something else.

I have registered for both AANP and ANCC. I plan to take the AANP exam in 4 weeks (5/21 or 5/22) and the ANCC one week later-the first week of June. I will continue to study for 6-8 hrs a day until 2 days before the exam. I also plan to take the AANP sample exam 2 days before the exam.

DOES THIS PLAN SOUND REASONABLE? Any suggestions? Help me!!!! I cannot see another fail. I want to do everything possible, so if you see flaws in my plan, please offer suggestions. Thank you in advance.

Specializes in Adult/Gero.

Have you heard much about Barkley? I am debating if I should stick with Fitz and Leiks?

Specializes in Adult/Gero.

Thank you SnowShoeRN. I really appreciate your advise and will put it to use immediately. I will make note cards in my own words and talk them out to my dog...lol. I will read your post on what to do next. I need all the help I can get. Thanks.

Specializes in Family Medicine, Tele/Cardiac, Camp.

So, the Leik and Fitz books are pretty different. Fitz goes into more depth and has questions at the end of each section whereas Leik has short, awesome, bullet point type info with very helpful pneumonics and things like that. At the end of Leik's book is something like 600 questions so don't spend your money getting practice tests yet.

What I did was study 1 system at a time. I took 3 months to study for my boards and used about 2-3 days to focus on each system. Before I launched this, I read Leik cover to cover making notes. Then, I tried the Fitz questions on the section I would study to test my knowledge base. This may not work for you since you've memorized some of them. But then I would go over notes and lectures from my primary care class, re-read the right chapter in Leik, and go over the questions again to make sure I understand which ones I got wrong and why.

After I had done this for almost 3 months, and had done all the questions in the back of the Leik book, I paid for 1 - 2 practice tests.

I know you don't have 3 months, but I think your plan sounds reasonable. Just make sure you understand what you're reading and why you're missing practice questions. Memorizing them won't serve you any good since the questions on the exm are entirely different as I'm sure you're aware.

Fitz, in the course I took, said to aim for mid 80's on the practice tests before taking the boards. Good luck.

Feel free to PM me if you're needing some help. I just started a new job so I'm pretty busy, but I'll try to help the best I can.

Specializes in Adult/Gero.

Thank you SnowShoeRN. I appreciate all your help. It sounds like many people did not focus on Barkley, so I will start with Leiks, then Fitzgerald book. I will hold off on buying questions since I am short on $$ anyway. Based on my time, I will do one system a day, starting with Cardio today. Good luck with your new job. May God continue to promote and lift you for helping so many people. I will keep you posted.

Such good advice, I couldn't agree more. I do this along with a lot of rewriting notes and making lists or putting notes in colorful diagrams or outlines. It is not so much the act of having another material to review but the act of writing the notes, diagrams or whatever that helps to solidify material in my head.

Specializes in Adult/Gero.

Thank you leighRN2. I have been studying and re-writing notes . I have mostly been studying and rewriting the exam tips on Leiks. Really good. Thanks for all the encouragement.

Specializes in Adult/Gero.

Ok, so I could not help myself. I broke down and bought the AANP sample test for $50 dollars. I scored 72%. Slightly encouraged but I know I have to continue my study plan because I have come close to passing but failed the ANCC x 2. (last score was 347%. I cry every time I think of how close I came). I am still studying 6 hours a day and writing note cards. I am mostly re-writing the exam tips in leiks in my own words. They are really good.

I have a question for you good people out there. This time I have decided to take both the AANP and the ANCC. I plan to take the AANP on 5/20 and the ANCC on 6/3. Should I be studying differently for these 2 exams? I know how the ANCC is, but not sure about the AANP. Should I schedule them this close to each other? What should I be focusing on with the AANP? Help!!! I am desperate to pass ANY of these exams. Has any one ever taken them this close to each other? What sources will help me the most with AANP? Thank you. Anxiously awaiting your responses.

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