Passed AANP on 2nd attempt!

[NurseJae19, BSN, RN]

I took the FNP-AANP exam for the 2nd time, and I PASSED! I told myself I would make a post for future students who may have to retest and, of course, to encourage others. I did a lot of googling once I failed the exam as I felt discouraged. I originally took the AANP, graduating in December; I rushed to take the exam 2 weeks after completion. I know some say you should hurry and test after completing the program, but it honestly depends on you and how much you have prepared while in the program. I attended a school with a good pass rate (I can't recall the exact percentage, but I remember reading that at least 90% have passed the board exam the first time, according to their stats). During my last semester, my program used Leik for board preparation, and I read how so many students used Leik only and passed on their first try. I also purchased Sarah Michelle and used her program for the last two months. I would say I studied to memorize, which did not help me in the long run. 

When using Leik, I recommend taking active notes, highlighting, rereading, doing the practice questions in the back & knowing the clinical pearls and tips in the book. I want to emphasize knowing the clinical pearls and understanding the TIPS because there is a high likelihood of the subject being on the exam. Granted, I only took AANP, so this is based on my experience with AANP. 

I did like using Sarah Michelle as a review source, but I had trouble recalling information about specific diseases. I purchased the crash course, and I completed all of the videos, but I didn't complete the Qbank due to time constraints and the fact that it is an expensive program. I paid for the subscription for two months, and time flew, so I did not want to purchase it for a 3rd month. I would say the program did help with some information, but I feel like her program scratched the surface of the content on the boards. Yes, some topics she discussed were on the boards, but I think some of her questions were broad in comparison. I think Leik was more specific in comparison. 

That said, I used only Leik and Sarah M the first go around; I was also VERY pregnant and tired at this time. I unfortunately failed the exam by 7 points. I had so many regrets, and my main regrets were not resting a day before the exam, rushing to test, and changing answers. Please don't change your first answer unless you are 100% sure you answered wrong the first time. 

After failing, I took two weeks off to recharge and had my baby, so I spent that time focused on my newborn. Afterward, I spent about 3-6 hours on & off preparing for boards, but this time, I used an FNP visual aid on Etsy & 3 weeks before testing, I caved and purchased APEA audio review. This was very expensive, but I feel like the lecture was super informative, especially for clinical practice; the con is that the audio is only available for one year. I do plan on listening to some of the lectures. I did not finish all the lectures; I listened to the systems I felt weak on. I purchased the bundle and completed the pre-test. 

For test questions, I purchased the FNP mastery app and did questions every day. I did not miss a day and I simply had a goal of doing at least 10 questions no matter how busy my day was. I did not want to place too much pressure on myself to minimize stress. I also made sure I knew the Leik clinical pearls this time and retook two of the exams in the back of the book. I was scoring in the mid-60s, but I was not too focused on the score; I focused more on reading the rationales. 

The day before the exam I simply brushed up on some topics I kept getting wrong or felt weak in, I gave myself a break and didn't study for more than 2 hours. At this point, I was beginning to feel burnt out, so I tried to take it easy but felt much more comfortable and prepared. I just knew I was going to pass, and that is the mindset I went in with. I took my time and did not focus on the clock. I highlighted a lot more this time. I also took a longer break after answering all the non-flagged questions. If I wasn't sure about a question, I just flagged it and moved on. After I took a 5-10 min bathroom and water break, I returned to the test with 55 minutes left and answered the flagged questions. I believe I had about 15 questions I left unanswered or flagged. Definitely less than the first time. I also did have some repeating questions from the last exam, which surprised me. I answered those questions with confidence because I was familiar with the topic. I also felt like the questions were more straightforward and reminded me of the FNP mastery questions to some extent. 

I then received the score after the exam and read the words PASS. What a relief! With prayer, consistency, dedication, rest, and CONFIDENCE, I am able to say I have passed. Do NOT rush to test if you are not ready, and remember to breathe. I allowed time to get the best of me and that is my biggest regret. Invest in yourself and know your learning style before purchasing any program. I recommend doing what is best for you. If it takes you 2-3 months, like me, to test and pass, that is OK.

 The visual aid I used was The Complete FNP Disease Study Guide Digital on Etsy. I also used it during the end of my program. Good luck! You got this!