6 Tips to Pass the FNP Board Exams

Portrait Of Female Family Nurse Practitioner Wearing White Coat In Exam Room

Are you getting ready to take your Family Nurse Practitioner Exam? Getting started in studying can be daunting. You need to prioritize time to study and prepare — and take practice questions! The best thing to do to get started is to narrow down what exam you’re going to be planning for. We’ve broken down the ANCC and AANP exams for you so you can find the right fit.

6 Tips for Successful Studying

1. Devise a Study Plan

Plot a study plan schedule about six months prior to the exam. Target your self- or group study by employing the ANCC Test Content Outline or AANP Handbook for a breakdown of the topics by percentage that you can expect on exam day.

2. Take Practice Questions

Research shows answering questions in the format close to the exam provides the best format for studying. There’s a statistically significant correlation between the number of questions that you take and the performance on the exam.

BoardVitals offers practice questions for both the ANCC and AANP FNP exams, with all questions targeted to the content outline for each exam. Need extra practice? Purchase an add-on practice test for additional questions in a format that mimics the exact blueprint, length, and interface you’ll see on test day. Speaking of which…

3. Simulate Exam Day Conditions

The best way to face test day with confidence is to be ready for everything you can experience at the testing center. While you obviously can’t sit in the center before the exam, you can simulate test conditions during your practice sessions. This includes adhering to time limits and quiet rules.

4. Address Problem Areas Before Test Day

As you complete practice questions, keep track of which areas are giving you the most trouble. These are the sections you should be focusing on as you prepare for the Family Nurse Practitioner exam. From books to online courses, there are various resources available to help you study.

5. Anticipate Your Exam

Know the location of the examination site. Check-in at the test site requires personal identification like driver’s license or state identification. Plan for a full night of sleep prior to the test, consume a protein (e.g., eggs, yogurt, oatmeal or cereal) breakfast and ingest plenty of water as no food or drink is allowed in the test room. Arrive ahead to use the restroom before entering the exam room.

6. Take Your Time

The examinee uses a computer to answer multiple choice questions. Be sure to read the entire question prior to looking at the answers. Then, read all the answers choices and choose your response. The exam allows guessing with no penalty. Guess if you do not know the answer. Misconstruing the question leads to wrong answers.

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