PNCB CPNP-PC exam failed. Need guidance!

[NurseMeg13]

Hi everyone, I just took my PNP-PC exam through PNCB today and failed. I did the Barkley audio home review along with questions from the Pediatric Nurse Praftitiner Certification Review guide by Joanne Silbert-Flagg and Elizabeth D. Sloand.

I also took both pncb practice exams and 1 DRT practice exam from Barkley.

I felt pretty good going into the exam but the questions I guess were more in depth than I thought they’d be.

If anyone who has failed then passed or passed has any advice it would be appreciated. I’m feeling very disappointed and discourage and that I’ve let my family down as I had a job lined up and everything.

Thanks in advance.

[gradstudent2017]

1 hour ago, CLogue28 said:

Oh no! I have taken the home version of Barkley and Fritzgerald (?) And I have the secrets book and note cards. I pretty much have tried and studied everything out there. I'm kinda fed up and I'm not completely sure if I even want to take it again. I'm sure what is going to help.

Hey,

What did you think about the Fitzgerald review? 

Thanks.

Don't give up!!

[CLogue28]

I didn't think it helped and you only a have a couple of times to go through it then it's done. I did think it was a little better than the Barkley review.

[gradstudent2017]

2 hours ago, CLogue28 said:

I didn't think it helped and you only a have a couple of times to go through it then it's done. I did think it was a little better than the Barkley review.

I just order the Fitzgerald review. I hope it helps me. I tried Barkley...wasn't successful. 

[SMS3]

I did Barkley and failed the first time. This time around I read the Flagg book cover to cover and practiced the questions out of that book multiple times then I took the NAPNAP course over last weekend and took the exam 5 days later and passed! 

[CLogue28]

Is the NAPNAP course live or online?

[SMS3]

They held it virtually but “live.” You could ask questions etc. 

[Gateway]

15 hours ago, SMS3 said:

Just wanted to update everyone! I passed my boards on my second attempt! Thanks for all the support! I think any edition of the Flagg book will be perfectly fine! Read it cover to cover! 

Congratulations!

Congratulations!

[Sarah B.]

I passed too!!  To everyone, don't give up----I was ready to, but it is doable.  The Silbert-Flagg book helped a lot.  I would really do it cover to cover.  I also really made myself memorize that growth and development stuff---y'know, weight doubles by six months, triples by 1 year, like that---I memorized all that particularly because I felt like it guided me through some questions.  I also memorized the tables---Asthma types in the Barkely book, Dehydration in the Silbert, Roseola/Rubella/Rubeola in the Barkely.  And I thought the NAPNAP course was totally worth it.  It helps because they answer so many questions during the course.

I also wound up speaking directly to the wonderful person at PNCB who handles retakes.  I found her wonderful.  She gave me some good tips, and was just very encouraging.  So don't discount reaching out to the board itself---it isn't a magic bullet or anything, but it helps.  She REALLY encouraged me to slow down and read every question.  I usually take tests really fast and do well because it helps me not overthink.  But slowing down really helped me---stupid, I know, but somehow I needed someone to tell me that.

I think I kept looking for a magic bullet---some trick that would help me understand the way the questions are framed.  I can't say I ever really did that---but I took several days off before the exam, and just crammed.  I had to put everything I learned in clinicals, everything I had learned in class aside, and just focus on the facts as presented by the reviews.  I think that helps too.  Good luck, and don't give up!

 

[Sarah B.]

Also, I used the guidelines they give about what clinical areas get the most focus----------I think it is provided by most review courses.  Like ENT always gets the most questions, followed by Derm----I can't remember the rest.  It may be posted on the PNCB website, not sure.  But focusing my study on those topics with more questions really helped me, too.  There are these key phrases for different conditions that the test uses again and again.  I'm sure you know that, but if you really get those key phrases in mind, you help yourself a lot.

Oftentimes I would have a hard time separating what I saw and knew, and how conditions are narrowly described on the test.  Like, most strep throat kids in clinical I saw had a cough, because there throat is so irritated.  But as far as the test is concerned, strep throat will never present with a cough.  

It took me forever to finally get that, but for conditions which you see frequently-----flu, common cold, pneumonia, strep throat, EBV---learn those presenting symptoms hardcore.  I used to get those kinds of questions wrong all the time, because to me, I kept thinking that well, IDK what this is, so I would culture it.  But in the test, they want you to act as if you have no cultures and no labs, but you still have to guess what it is given the symptoms they present.  Once I understood how precisely they treat these conditions, I started getting those questions right.

I think it also helps a lot to have a good overview of which antibiotics are used for different basic conditions-----like amoxicillin for most strep infections, regardless of where they are, macrolides for community acquired pneumonias.  Get really good at knowing which infections are treated with Ceftriaxone.  

You can do it!

[Nursedees]

Hello all 

I took my PNP -AC exam today and failed !

Although I am a little down because I wanted it to be over I am not giving up!

I will take the weekend off, regroup and start studying again on Monday! If anyone has any tips or suggestions please let me know. Thanks in advance ! 

[KateC]

Hi all,

Looking for some tips/any advice. I wrote for the 1st time yesterday and failed. I haven’t found out yet by how much. I used the silbertt-Flagg and although at first was getting low marks but by the end I was getting high 80’s. I did maybe 500 board vitals but found they didn’t really help/reflect primary care topics. I also skimmed the AAP anticipatory guidance and bright futures booklets. The week before the exam I took the PNCB 501 got 54.67% and the 502 and got 60%. I was a bit rattled but kept studying. Unfortunately my insomnia and anxiety got the best of me and on exam day I was exhausted.

I start my new job on Tuesday so now I’ll have to study while working but they’ll give me two weeks off before the exam. What do you guys recommend I do differently this time ? I found the exam soooo much harder than my prep questions. 

[gradstudent2017]

Hello,

Has anyone use Pocket Prep for practice questions? Not doing well on the practice test and was wondering should I just forfeit my money and pay for a later test day?

 

Thank you