Nursing, Nursing Advanced Practice, Exam Prep
10 Exam Prep Tips for the FNP Exam
Jan 25, 2019
Tips for the FNP Exam
1. Start seriously reviewing for the exam at least 3 to 4 months in advance. Study time can range from 2 to 3 hours per session or you can break it up into 1-hour segments. Be consistent! The best time to study is the time of day you are most alert.
2. Prepare a study schedule by organ system. Photocopy the table of contents of your primary care textbook and place check marks next to the diseases that you want to concentrate on; then schedule the date and time period for each organ system.
3. Concentrate your studies on your weaker areas. For example, if orthopedics is one of your weak areas, devote more time to it. Spend 3 days on orthopedics versus 1 day for the “easy” organ systems (“easy” because you understand them better).
4. If possible, attend at least one quality review course and buy CDs of another review course. Educator Maria T. Codina Leik, MSN, APRN, BC, FNP-C, teaches review courses live and by webinar. You can view her class schedule at her website: http://www.npreview.com.
5. Buy a new notebook. If you find that you are having a problem understanding a concept, write it down in your notebook, then research it and find the answer to your question.
6. Meet with someone in your local area who is also taking the exam or call another test taker (who may not be local) and practice quizzing each other.
7. Note the disease and topics that are highlighted in this review book. Some organ systems have more “weight” on the exam than others. Become more familiar with these areas.
8. If you are taking the ANCC exam, devote at least 30% of your study time to learning about the nonclinical topics.
9. If you learn better in a group, organize one yourself! Decide ahead of time what organ systems or diseases to cover together to avoid wasting time.
10. Save yourself time (and mental strain) by reading the last sentence (or stem) of long questions and case scenarios first. Then read the question from the beginning. The advantage of this “backward reading” technique is that you know ahead of time what the question is asking for. When you read it again “normally,” it becomes easier to recognize important clues that will help you answer the question.
Want more preparation tips for the FNP exam? Don’t miss our Family Nurse Practitioner Certification Intensive Review book, packed with tips for the FNP exam and clinical pearls to help you make the grade!
Resources
Leik, M. C. (2018). Family Nurse Practitioner Certification Intensive Review: Fast Facts and Practice Questions, Third Edition. New York: Springer Publishing.