lulasuerte

Hi, I took the exam yesterday and passed. ~I used Board Vitals, the ANCC Practice IQ (https://www.nursingworld.org/continuing-education/psychiatric-mental-health-nurse-practitioner-certi3/), and The Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certification Review Manual (https://www.amazon.com/Psychiatric-Mental-Health-Practitioner-Certification-Review/dp/0826179428/ref=sr_1_3?crid=P0TX4H6GFQWF&dchild=1&keywords=pmhnp+certification+review+book&qid=1595814201&sprefix=pmhnp%2Caps%2C335&sr=8-3). ~I also watched the Memorable Psychopharmacology series on Youtube and took notes. Excellent pharm review. ~Like many others have stated, the questions on Board Vitals are complex and comprehensive. If you feel you need to learn the material I think this is a good resource but otherwise, the other ones will suffice. ~I thought the review book was great and easy to read. I have not seen the ANCC version but, judging from reviews, it sounds similar but at twice the cost. The book I got comes with online access to tests, which I thought were very helpful. ~The ANCC test IQ is excellent and great practice for the exam itself. ~I used the scratch paper during the exam to write down basic test strategy tips (Maslow, identify question stems, ADPIE, least invasive/most cost-effective first!, etc.). You can highlight parts of the question during the exam to pinpoint what exactly needs to be answered (terms like "safest, best, most effective, do first"). I did this when taking practice tests and it really helped. (Speaking of practice tests, read the rationales for both correct and incorrect answers carefully and take notes!!) If I could do it differently, I would not have bothered with BVs and just focused on the other resources. My strategy for test-taking is to answer every question and then go back and double-check the answers. I did this and finished the exam in just under two hours. Do not spend tons of money on multiple resources that are offering the exact same material. Just find a study plan that works best for you, be consistent, and know the content well. There is nothing "tricky" about the questions and the information the ANCC gives us to prepare is spot on. Best of luck!

I did Hurst and Kaplan starting about ten days prior to testing. I graduated in December and took the NCLEX last Friday so I felt very rusty and far removed from studying/school! I did the in-class Hurst course through school a week prior to graduation, but I felt like I was starting from square one when I began to prepare. I blocked information into body systems for content and did 50-100 Kaplan questions on top of that. I felt that the Kaplan questions were very similar, albeit more difficult, to the actual exam, right down to the color and style of the screen. I was scoring in the low 60s/mid 50s. Nothing higher than a 67. The questions I got on the NCLEX were mainly priority and delegation, infection control, teaching, and safety. Focus on these areas as you review and think carefully about the nursing process as you review. All in all, I thought most of the questions were very clear and straightforward. Try not to overcomplicate things and Happy studying!

I scored a 54 on QT7, low 60s on the rest and thought that Kaplan was quite a bit harder than the actual exam. GrnTea's answer is spot on...I would add: do not to overthink the answer, keep it basic...you are a new nurse! You sound very well prepared and I would opt for a study break at this point Good luck!

No! The more I studied, the more overwhelmed I became by all the information. I tested on Friday, March 21st and was sure I failed. 75 questions, took me about 30 minutes total. All in all, it was a very anti-climatic experience and I can honestly say that 90% of what I studied did not even apply (I did Hurst and Kaplan). Doing the Q banks on both helped the most in terms of giving me the confidence to face NCLEX style questions. Got the "good" pop-up on Friday/Sat and found out I passed according to quick results this morning. Good luck and don't let your nerves get the best of ya!