Tips on passing AANP FNP certification

I know everyone learns differently and likes one review over the other but after taking them, I'm very partial to certain ones now. We were required to take the Fitzgerald Review our last semester of school which I was soooo grateful for because it was the best thing I believe they could have done for us. We also had to take an exit HESI exam modeled after the AANC for 15% of our grade which really forced us to study. Of course, I passed with a 79.98% but still didn't feel ready to pass boards.

I graduated on May 5th and took the live Hollier review 11 days later. Unsure if this helped or not but it was entertaining at the very least. People did suggest taking the boards soon after graduation so you wouldn't lose the information learned but, to be honest, I wasn't sure if I even learned as much as I think I could have. But that's neither here or there.

I actually didn't take boards until 3 months later. I had 2 jobs, 1 full time and one labor pool, both in the ER (one level 2 trauma center), and a family to care for while attending school. So you can imagine how exhausted I was. I ended up taking 2 weeks of vacation at the end of May (but one didn't count because I spent it catching up on hours required for my labor pool job) and the other, I did absolutely nothing. Probably studied two days in total during that time. I also took two more weeks of vacation in mid-June and took my family to Universal Studios and Disney World. It wasn't until I returned in July that I decided to even think about school again and schedule my exam date. Not sure if I would recommend this to everybody but it was a much-needed break to rejuvenate my mind and body.

I ended up cracking down and studying every waking minute when I was not at work (ended up quitting my labor pool job by the end of July). This is what I did for those 4 weeks:

Reviewed by systems starting with my weakest systems first. Writing things down on note cards helped me because if I needed a quick reference back, it was available. Using mainly both Codina-Leik's intensive review book and Fitzgerald's Nurse practitioner certification examination and practice preparation. These really complemented each other, although some information like someone said earlier isn't up to date or incorrect but 95-98% is. I only completed like 30 questions out of the 600 in the back of the book. I just didn't make it that far. And although Fitzgerald went more into depth about information, I loved it. It's better to know more than to know less. For each disease that I read in Leik's book, I went and read in Fitzgerald, which reinforced the information and added to. If you have seen this Fitzgerald book, questions are presented prior to the information on the condition/disease but I actually did it in reverse order and read the information then answered the questions.

After I reviewed each system in Leik and Fitzgerald, I tested my knowledge by taking practice questions on the FNP Mastery application I downloaded on my phone full version) which by the way is awesome. Similar to Leik's application because it's by the same company but it was better than hers. Questions can be completed by body systems which is cool.

I also used another application on my phone called FNP pocket prep which are questions from Fitzgerald 2014. Anytime I had some kind of downtime or if I was watching tv to so-called "rest" from studying, I completed questions on this app as well as the FNP mastery app.

Two weeks before my exam, I took Hollier predictor exam. I scored 69% which really made me panic and was very discouraging. I went ahead and bought the two exam bundle for like $50 or $55. I scored 73 on another one 1 week before my exam but I really didn't agree with some of the answer choices and rationales. So I decided to just use it as a guide to review the systems that I score low on (50-60%). I actually took the last one just because I paid for it two days before the exam and scored a 79% so I felt a little better. Really do not know if I recommend this at all but as I said, it made me review systems I scored low on.

One thing I would strongly recommend is taking the two practice exams, the Family as well as the Adult-Gero exams offered by AANP on their website. It actually redirects you to the PSI website (who is the ones that schedules and administers the official board exam). They are supposed to be retired questions but I swear I had similar if not verbatim questions seen on there. Wasn't a whole lot but a handful but they were there. The Fitzgerald online course has an exam at the end of it modeled after the exam and was awesome. I believe I saw some similar questions from there.

So in all, the best-spent money was on the following. I would recommend getting the Fitzgerald Review. Whether online or in person as well as her Nurse practitioner certification examination and practice preparation book. Get the FNP exam bible--Codina-Leik's intensive review book. It complements Fitgerald's information well (not completely exact but very well). As I said, I didn't complete all 600 questions in the back of the book or even 50 because I ran out of time but it is a great resource with quick facts and tips that you need to know. If you don't do anything else with this book, at least read over the sections labeled "exam tips" and "clinical tips". Downloading the FNP Mastery and FNP pocket prep is also highly recommended. I would also take the two practice quizzes offered by AANP online as well as the few questions at the end of their candidate booklet available online.

Some things I did do that I probably could have done without. I did end up buying questions from boardvitals which I probably shouldn't have bought. I only used it for like 2 days and never completed any questions after. I also took the Hollier review after graduation and had her audio CDs that I purchased a year before graduating that I listened to while driving to and from work those last four weeks prior to my exam (which I didn't get all the way through). I ended up not listening to them anymore because it began to confuse me with the information that was already stored in my head but I cannot be sure if this helped me or not. I also had the Hollier certification practice book I bought the year before and never completed questions out of it, which now is a waste of money. But you know they say the mind is an incredible thing and stores information seen or heard so when it needs to recall it, it will recognize the info unconsciously as being familiar and may have helped me answer some questions. But either way, study hard, try to understand the information instead of memorizing (although there is a small amount that just needs to be memorized) and don't purchase everything that is offered (was minutes away of buying ExamEdge questions because I read about it but soooo glad I didn't waste more money and I was also tempted to buy the tons of stuff offered at Hollier's live review because everyone else was). Make sure to take the time to rest and be reassured your life will become yours again!