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.
5 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.
The ANCC provides free Sample Questions you can start with. Look for more practice to get use to the format/timing on the real test. Need more practice? BoardVitals offers practice questions for both the ANCC and AANP FNP exams, with all questions targeted to the content outline for each exam.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
