Passed ANCC FNP exam today

JustAGreatRN · Jun 10, 2015

Fill be starting FNP school this Fall. Great to get get a little insight on what is to come in the near future. A HUGE congratulations to you!!!

NeldaFNP · Jun 10, 2015

RCongratulations on passing! I took the AANP FNP exam last Saturday and passed as well. I used some of the same books as you did and will give my opinion for those who would like some info for studying for the exam.

first of all, it is almost ridiculous that it all boils down to 150 questions. I know so much more than what they tested on and then they asked a few questions about something that I had never heard about (or don't remember hearing about). The books.....

Codina Liek: the first thing is that I did like her questions, and they were similar to some on the boards. None were the exact same as I have heard others say. Be sure you do all the questions, I found them harder as I went along. My process:

1. I kept track of my scores on a post it note, writing. + for those I got right, a - for the wrong ones and also circled any that I got wrong on or guessed on. I Had one post it note for each page.

2. I studied the circled questions again. I took the entire bank of question, all 643 of them 2 times.

3. I made flash cards on any question that had two circle on it.

4. I took the test for a total of three times for all of it, four times for any question that had circles on it.

5. I was averaging a 97-98% on the answers. My original scores were closer to the low 80S so I saw a lot of improvement.

I also researched any any question that I missed. And here is the kicker, I FOUND MORE THAN 38 ERRORS IN HER QUESTIONS, EITHER THE ANSWER WAS WRONG OR THE RATIONALE WAS WRONG. I wrote her about this and she said that she would correct them on in the next edition of the book, like that was going to help me! So I changed the answers based on my referenced study.

So I would recommend the book with a caveat, be sure you research any question that you miss or you think is odd, don't count on her to give you the correct answer or rationale. Thirty eight questions could make the difference between passing or failing if you happened to pull the wrong ones.

Holliers book was was very accurate, I only found a few discrepancies and she has corrections posted on her site. The link is in the front of the book. Also, I emailed her and she responded within a day and answered my questions about one of her answers.

I did did the same process of answering her questions, I did all 1200 plus questions at least three times, made flash cards, and worked at it until. I was in the high 90s with my results.

FITgERLD book, this one was the least helpful to me. I did all the questions once, scored in the mid to high80s but let it go at that.

FITZGERALD CDs, I bought the 2014 version, did the CDs while reviewing the manual. Did it once.

BARKLEY CDs, I had an old copy of the manual from 2011 with the CDS, and I bought the new CDs, went through the old manual with the new CDs one time and made lots of notes in the manual on any corrections. This was helpful to me.

I took the the test and passed. I was not. Rey nervous because I felt ready. And I had the Brakley review scheduled so it would be my remedial course if I failed. That really helped with my anxiety. Pushing that button and waiting those 4-5 minutes was the most anxious part! I copied the notarized copy for my r cords and framed it, I was so happy!

I do do have to say I am a more mature student and this was my second certification. I did not study anything like this for my CNM exam. That was back in 2001 when it was still on paper. I really put the hours in for this exam and it did pay off for me.

sorry for the typos, I am writing on an iPad and the only way to correct it to erase it and start over.

BTW I had an EKG to read, I had to say what kind of MI the person was having. I guessed. I am sure it was a practice questions, and I am also sure that I missed it! The EKG was small enough that I could not see any ST elevations at all. Regular p waves with QRS, no heart locks, no missed beats, no wink each, no agin or flutter. There was a PVC. I could see all, that but I could not see the tiny little ST elevation must have been there.

JustAGreatRN · Jun 11, 2015

So insightful... I will try this technique for my CCRN certification. Congrats to you too. I will be beginning the FNP journey this Fall.

NeldaFNP · Jun 11, 2015

More info on the format of the AANP exam (no specific questions). Hopefully this will be helpful to those getting ready for the test. (and I apologize in advance, I am entering this on an iPad and the spell check is terrible, it keeps changing my correct typing to something else. I am trying to watch it but there may be some odd sentences here and there.)

The format of my AANP exam was all multiple choice, there were two questions that were linked, that is there was a small scenario or case study, probably 2-3 sentences and then two questions that related to the case scenario. The case scenerio was visible for both questions, it kinda split screen with the scenerio on the left and the question with choices on the right.

One scenerio was on a rash, first question was what kind of rash, the second asked for what treatment. I dont remember the the second scenerio.

The Ekg asked about what kind of MI and then listed 4 kinds, there was no option for not having an MI. The EKG popped up when you hit a box. It was small enough that I couldn't even see a ST elevation on any lead. So I just guessed at the answer. It was just one question and I could not see enough to tell so I just let it go at a guess. You have got to just let some questions go with a guess. I really think this was a sample question since no one else has reported an EKG on the AANP test.

I am not usually a quick test taker, I usually finish in the bottom third of the class. When we did the HESI exam, I finished with about 12-15 students left in the room, out of 42. I finished the AANP exam in about 90 minutes, and I had plenty of time to review any and all questions. You can mark questions to go back to later but you can also go back to any individual question, review all marked questions, or review all of them if you want. I really liked that option. Even after I reviewed my test, I think I only changed one answer and I was done in about 2 hours. When you hit the complete button, it gives you the option of a survey, and then you wait. I think I waited 3-4 minutes, I was told that it was thirty seconds but mine definitely took longer.

I know now that the questions are weighted, because I came home and reviewed what I remembered and I missed most of them. I was freaked out that I could not have possibly passed, even though I had the printout. I have come to the conclusion that they were probably the sample questions, because I asked the peds reviewer about one of the questions and she did not even know the answer, I had to do some internet research to find it.

I have not yet received my paper work to know how well I did but I did check the website, under Certification History, and my initial pass date is listed as 6-10-2015, and I am able to print out a wallet card. So I took the test on Saturday 6-6-2015 and the results were posted on line by Wednesday night, which is a great turn around time. I definitely know that they were not posted at 1pm, so keep checking through out the day. I have read that AANP get the test results weekly, so I may have lucked in, that the test results are sent to them at the end of the week (Saturday) and that is why I got results so quickly. So if you take it on a Monday, it may take you more like 10 days to see your wallet card.

Some things in Codina Liek were right on, like know Polymyalgia rheumatica, know temporal arthritis, know that they are associated, know Lyme disease, know AK, BCC and SCC. I did have a decent amount of derm, scabies, rashes, Lyme, skin cancer. Read her tips and make sure you know that info, it was helpful. The content of Liek is good, especially her tips, but do not rely on the answers to her questions (see my other posts). But I did not have any question that was word-for-word from any of the three review books that I did. The concepts were similar but no exact question. I thought this was an advantage, since I didn't learn the questions, I learned the patho and the concepts behind the questions, which will be the most helpful in practice.

They tell you not to fall for distractors, and you will probably have at least one question with a distractor. I had one question with a patient ( I think it was a peds patient) with lung symptoms, and the distractor was pneumo-something-that-I-had-never-heard-of. The other answers were reasonable and it was a "which of the following is least likely to be in your differential diagnosis" question, so I excluded it. But at first I thought, "oh that has pneumo in it it must be one to keep" but it was not. So just be aware that they do kinda put little tricky things like that in there. I came home and researched the condition and it was one that is usually seen in adults and should have been excluded. But I thought it was a little tricky, the condition is one that is not usually seen in primary care, it was a specialty care disease and it was not listed in any of my texts nor covered in my course work. Why deliberately try to trick you up by including something that most likely most NPs would not recognize (even those already in practice)?

I was surprised, I did not get a Hepatitis question, and I only had two anemia questions. I had really studied these and was well prepared for them. I did get two "what kind of heart murmur is this?" questions, so know them. Cardio is not my forte (I was a CNM first) and I was surprised that my test was not real heavy on it. I know there was one where you had to distinguish between angina and a MI (that is a Liek exam tip), distinguish between DVT and PAD (also a exam tip), and the EKG question. I am sure there were a few others, I don't remember specifics so well. There were no questions that made me choose between JNC 7 or 8. There was a question on Parkinson's disease.

it seemed like there was a lot that my CNM experience helped me, STIs, treatment for these, discharge, lesions on the perineum, men's health, women's health, osteoporosis, etc. so bone up well on these. I don't think there was a pap question. I think there was one that described a DRE result and you had to say what you initial diagnosis was based on the DRE and symptoms.

Know about intersussusuption and pyloric stenosis, the difference between the two and physical findings consistent with either one.

I think there was a question on burns , know what is first, second and third degree and how that correlates to thickness, superficial, partial, etc. I don't remember the exact question but I don't think it involved the rule of nines. I think they described a patient with a burn and you had to diagnose what type(s) of burn it was.

There was one that you had to know the difference between Addisons and Cushings and had to choose what you thought your patient had (a Liek exam tip to know this). See what I mean about reviewing her exam tips? Looking back, this is good tip for me to pass on to you, review her exam tips, and be able to master differences between two similar or opposite conditions.

There were no straight out ethic questions, no research questions, no coding or billing questions that I remember.

There were a couple of "your patient has this condition, what do you know about it" and you had to choose the right answer. It pulled from various knowledge parameters of the disease and you had to look out for distractors. One question, they put the opposite of what was right to see if you just say the term and picked it. I think it was cholinergic and anticholinergic, maybe in relation to COPD knowledge.

I don't remember the question but ther was something about CAP on the exam.

I wish i could remember more subjects but I went to the Barkley review on Monday after I passed on Saturday and I am now remembering some questions but I can't remember if it was from the exam or one of the Barkley questions that he has in the review course. I would not share question content, but I am happen to share "Be sure to know this subject" tips.

I plan to post information after I get my paper work, relating to strengths and weaknesses if I think it would be helpful. I am happy to answer questions and suggest topics but I won't reveal any specific questions. And remember, my exam will probably not be like your exam, so prepare to know it all!

I hope the original poster does mind me adding on to her post. If she does then I would be happy to move to a new post, just let me know. I am not trying to hijack the post, just adding to it.

JustAGreatRN · Jun 11, 2015

Any tips for np students @neldafnp

NeldaFNP · Jun 12, 2015

Buy a good guideline book, like Uphold and Grham. Ask your program what they require, it was a required textbook for one of my classes. Use it in addition to your regular textbook to study for your individual sections. You may also want to buy a exam review book early on as well and use it in conjunction with your regular text.

You should purchase at least two different review books with questions. I did well with Hollier and Codina liek, but Fitzgeral or the question bank at ExamEdge would work as well. Start reviewing the questions now, do just a few every day, maybe 25 or one section (Each section in Holiers book is about 25-27 questions each). Work your way through the review books now, it will help in classes and for your boards. Finish one book completely, then review just the questions you missed. If there is something you are unsure about in the questions, ask your instructors. Correct any incorrect responses. If it is A question about Holliers questions, email her and she will answer you. Once you finish one book, start another and work through it 25 questions at a time. When are finished with it, review the questions you missed. Go back to book one and start over. After you have answered every question at least three times in both books, make flash cards on the ones you missed or guessed on two times. Research why you missed it and review the patho behind it. Be sure you understand the disease process, symptoms, classic picture and treatment options. You are not just memorizing answers, you are identifying weaknesses and fleshing out your knowledge once the weakness is identified.

I also bought a used CD/manual set on eBay (I will be selling my Barkley one soon) and listen to it until you are tired of it. I burned mine and put it on my MP3 player, and carried it everywhere. Don't worry about the manual until after you graduate. Then set down after you graduate and work through it for three hour sessions (it's hard to stay focused for much more time that that. You could even take it a CD at a time, there are 19 CDs) with the manual and taking notes. That will solidify the information for you. It is also nice to have a quiz partner like Barkley suggests on his CDs. I had one, although she was not very helpful since we were at different places with studying; she is taking the exam next week. Also she is taking ANCC exam.

Keep track of your progress on the questions. Make flash cards using the Brainscape app for information you have trouble processing. The last month before your boards, review every question, then concentrate on the ones you have missed the most, paying attention to the rationale and patho behind the question so you know why you missed it. If it is rote memorization (like the Cranial Nerves), memorize it. When you are getting in the high 95% or above on the practice tests you are probably ready.

Everybody is different, I studied for three three hour sessions a week after graduation, and felt ready in about 3-4 weeks. I was also still working 24 hours a week. You will know when you feel ready. Do not wait too long after graduation.

NP2015 · Jun 12, 2015

Congratulations to you NPs for passing national board certification !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will be taking mine in a month or so...I am currently recuperating from total knee surgery and need to focus on healing from that.......I have Leik's book, Fitzgerald's book, Barkley's CDs, and 3,000 question test bank I purchased from ExamEdge........

NeldaFNP · Jun 12, 2015

NP2015, I considered NP Edge, and have heard that it is a great resource. What i did not like was the way the packages were set up, I wanted more than 10 but less than 25, so the way it was set up did not appeal to me for the money. I tried to get a friend to split it with me, she could do the odd and I could do the even tests but she did not want to.

You will have to report back after you pass your exam of how it helped. Good luck!

MICU_2015_FNP, MSN, APRN · Jun 21, 2015

Its so interesting to read about the different reviews. I took the AANP and I found the Barkley's review to be more helpful for the AANP exam. I also did listen to Fitzgerald and her style of questions were different than what I found on the boards.

NeldaFNP · Jun 21, 2015

MICU_2015_FNP said:
Its so interesting to read about the different reviews. I took the AANP and I found the Barkley's review to be more helpful for the AANP exam. I also did listen to Fitzgerald and her style of questions were different than what I found on the boards.

They both cover similar material but from slightly different perprectives, which was helpful. What I found the most helpful was reviewing the questions in Liek and Hollier and going over them again and again until I got them right and until I understood the rationale behind the questions I missed and why I got it wrong.

NP2015 · Jun 24, 2015

Hey NPs I have a question...when studying Barkley's review CD's for AANP-AGNP certificaton, should I take notes?

Passed ANCC FNP exam today

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