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Click HERE to read Amelie's certification exam article in Advance for Nurse Practitioners.
Which exam should I take?
In the US today, adult and family NP students have the option of taking either the ANCC (American Nurses Credentialing Center, a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association) or the AANP (American Academy of Nurse Practitioners) exams. There used to be an advantage to taking ANCC’s exam because AANP’s exam wasn’t accepted in all 50 states. However, BOTH exams are accepted by licensing bodies in all 50 states.
Tell me about the ANCC exam.
ANCC’s (American Nurses Credientialing Center) exam is computer based. This is relatively new; the exam used to be offered only as a paper and pencil exam. You’ll be able to schedule the exam once ANCC sends you confirmation that all of your information (application, transcripts, payment, etc.) has been received. There will be 175 questions on the exam, but 25 are sample questions. That is, only 150 count toward your final score. (No, they don’t indicate which ones are samples!). This exam tests basic, entry level information. It doesn’t test what you will have learned after 5 years in practice or 10 years in practice. I remind students all the time that you don’t have to be a “whiz kid NP” to pass the exam. You’ll have about 3 hours to complete your exam. This can change! Make sure that you read the information that ANCC sends you regarding your exam and be sure to read your admission ticket carefully BEFORE the exam. You should expect results in the mail about one week after you take the exam.
Tell me about the AANP exam.
The AANP (American Academy of Nurse Practitioners) exam is also computer based. It changed from being a paper and pencil exam to a computerized exam in 2003. Unlike ANCC’s exam, there are only 150 questions on this exam. There are 15 sample questions. You’ll be able to schedule your AANP exam once AANP has received all of your information (application, transcripts, payment, etc.). This exam, just like the ANCC exam tests basic, entry level information. It doesn’t test what you will have learned after 5 years in practice or 10 years in practice. I remind students all the time that you don’t have to be a “whiz kid NP” to pass the exam. You’ll have about 3 hours to complete the exam. This can change! Make sure that you read the information that AANP sends you regarding your exam and be sure to read your admission ticket carefully BEFORE the exam. You should expect results in the mail about one to two weeks after you take the exam.
Where can I get more information about the certifying agencies?
Is there an equal distribution of questions on the exam?
No, there is not an equal distribution of cardiac, respiratory, neurological, etc. questions on the exam. In fact, you may take the exam on the same day as one of your classmates, and you’ll receive different questions. One test may have 6 questions on hypertension, another exam may only have 2 questions. It’s the luck of the draw. Be prepared to answer questions in random order on a variety of topics.
Does the computer turn off after I’ve answered enough questions to pass?
No, it does not turn off after you’ve answered enough questions to pass. You may have had this experience with the NCLEX if you took it on the computer, but this is not true of the NP exam. Be prepared to answer all 150 or 175 questions depending on the exam that you’re taking.
Are the tests comparable or is one easier than another?
Yes, the tests (ANCC and AANP) are comparable. No, one is not easier than another. I get reports from students who have taken both exams. Some students feel that one exam was easier than another;others feel just the opposite, but there is no consensus among students about which one is easier. Both are very heavily based on clinical questions.
Should I take both exams?
Sure, if you want to spend twice the money and have twice the stress!!! Seriously, TAKE ONLY ONE! I tell students all the time that if they know enough to pass one exam, they’ll know enough to pass the other exam. If they don’t know enough to pass one exam, they won’t pass the other one either.
What about time?
Generally, you have about 3 hours to take either exam. This corresponds to about 60 questions per hour (or one question per minute) that should be answered in order to finish in the allotted time. Some questions will require a little more thought and thus a little more time. Other questions will require less of your time. The bottom line is that you will have about 3 hours to take the exam. This should be plenty of time. In fact, for some students this may be too much time because it allows them to go back and change answers. Statistically, your odds of changing a response to a correct answer are lower than the reverse. In other words, your first impression about an answer is usually correct and if you change it, you’re more likely to change it to an incorrect answer. Stick with your first impression!
Are the questions all multiple choice? And are there multiple multiples or sequential questions?
All of the questions on either exam will be multiple choice. There are no short answer or fill in the blank questions. Students tell me that there are a few multiple multiples (Ex.: Response 1. a, b, and c; Response 2. b and d), but the vast majority of the questions are multiple choice questions. There may be a few sequential questions (those which depend on the situation in the previous question), but, the vast majority of questions are multiple choice questions.
Are the questions set up like case studies?
No, you may have had case studies in school, but the questions on the exam are usually brief and to the point. There may be 2 or 3 statements leading into the question, but I’ve never had students tell me that they had longer question stems than indicated above.
Will I know if I passed the exam before I leave the testing center?
Students tell me that they receive a preliminary “pass/fail” on the computer screen after they have completed the exam. An official paper copy of your results will usually follow in about one week.
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