Passed the AANP, but have a question about the ANCC

[Mr.Bar-be-SubQ]

First, I apologize if this question has been asked before but I tried to do my due diligence to search before asking this question, hopefully someone can help or clarify.

I am a recent graduate and passed the AANP(yay) and was wondering if there is any penalty if you take the ANCC & for some reason do not pass AFTER passing the AANP?. Does that somehow negate the passing of the AANP? I really hope this is a dumb question as I'm pretty sure it doesn't but I obviously don't want to risk even it unless Im completely sure.

In case you're wondering why I am attempting this...before you ask...I already paid for both boards and went through the entire application process (just in case I didn't pass the first time) but I would still like to be double certified as I'm finding there are a few places in my area that prefer the ANCC. So if i pass, great, if i dont, thats ok too, im ok with losing out of the smaller amount refunded money. Just wanted to make 100% sure I didnt get in some circumstance that, for lack of a better term, screws me. Thanks for any help.

[Fnpatlast]

Congratulations on passing the AANP. You asked a very interesting question. The question was actually answered by one of my faculty instructors while in school. She said there's no penalty in taking both board exams. There's no communication between the two exams. If you pass both, you have a better chance of being hired?-I didn't agree with her on this one.

I passed the ANCC in March but signed up for only 1 exam. I knew I wanted BC after my name. I also knew that I would pass-gut feeling. I had a job offer yet I did not sign up for AANP. I say take the AANC for the fun of it and come back to tell me how it went.

[Mr.Bar-be-SubQ]

Thank you for the reply and answering the question. I will hopefully be able to schedule a time this week then and knock it out. Another selling point is that the nerves will be non existent which will be a first for anything having to do with boards.

[Mr.Bar-be-SubQ]

Update! Just sat for the ANCC and passed it.

It was great to go into the test without any stress if I passed or failed. I think that helped alot because I might have been thrown off otherwise. I can see why I've seen people complain about it. That exam was no joke, completely different than the AANP. You have to agree at the start of the test to not disclose any details of the exam. But I can stress what they disclose already on the ANCC website and it is very correct. If you add the cultural questions which is considered part of the clinical questions it is about 50% to 50% clinical/non-clinical so look at theory/research/leadership/policy/legal.

Having both sounds good on paper at the very least I will have see if the "strong preference" of the ANCC in a certain group of hospitals around here is true

[Fnpatlast]

Congratulations on passing the ANCC too. Now you are double certified. The ANCC exam was no joke I can attest to that. I've never taken the AANP and I don't intend too. I think most employers prefer ANCC because you get the BC at the end of your name. What area are you looking to work?

[lovely72]

Congratulations on passing both boards .I will be taking the ANCC next month. Any advise on what study articles/books/reviews or test question that was helpful.

Thanks.

[Mr.Bar-be-SubQ]

Thanks and as for what I used and feel was the most helpful was the Leik book questions, Fitzgerald questions, and the Hollier questions were helpful. Those combined for over 1400 questions with rationals. And they help you with the wording of the questions on boards which is very helpful as most questions are not straight forward. I covered the Fitzgerald review then went system by system in each book like Neuro in fitz, then leik, then Hollier. etc etc....its mind numbing but thats what worked for me.

Honestly what helped me the most with the ANCC was taking the AANP first. I'd say they are both equally challenging for different reasons. The clinical questions on ANCC were more straight forward (less tricky) than the AANP but the non clinical questions were surprisingly ambiguous IMHO. Good Luck!