Are you taking the acute care nurse practitioner certification exam this year? Preparing to take the boards can be a daunting experience. Where do you start? Yes, the exam will cover a wide range of content, but with well planned preparation it is possible to arrive on test day feeling like you’re ready to ace the exam (OK, maybe not ace, but pass with flying colors!). If you’re a soon to be acute care nurse practitioner, check out these certification study resources to guide your test prep.
Cost: $449.50
While I’m a family nurse practitioner myself, I once borrowed a friend’s Barkley and Associates acute care certification review audio materials. The CDs proved to be quite useful for improving my clinical know-how. The content is delivered in a straightforward, easy to understand format. Better yet, the audio portion of the review package allows for easy downtime study, particularly during your commute. While the Barkley home study package is pricey, content is so robust that you can skip out on even more costly live review sessions.
2. Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certification Study Question Book
Cost: $172.64
Practice questions are hands down the best way to study for the nurse practitioner certification exam. They provide an accurate assessment of your knowledge, familiarize you with test structure, and most importantly indicate your areas of weakness. So, get your hands on as many practice questions as possible before you sit for the AGACNP certification exam. Start with Sally K. Miller’s study question book. The resource contains 300 questions including the answers and rationale for each response.
3. Fitzgerald Health Education Associates Live Review Course
Cost: $494-$599 + travel and lodging
If you find self-study difficult, or your latest Netflix series proves far too distracting, a live review course may be in order. FHEA offers 2.5 day live review courses for acute care nurse practitioners at various locations across the country. Ask a classmate to join to add a social aspect to the study session (and cut down on travel costs!). Just remember that live courses tend to teach what you need to know for the exam rather than diving into a comprehensive review of content. You’ll still need to put in some hours at home.
4. ANCC
Cost:Free
There’s no better place to begin your acute care nurse practitioner certification study than with the test maker itself. Check out the ANCC website for a breakdown of test content as well as online practice questions. The 25 practice questions won’t get you far into your study experience, but hey, they’re free!
Cost: $99-$199
Test prep company Board Vitals offers a robust practice question databank for AGACNPs taking the certification exam. The six month, $199 pass to access 2,100 practice questions is the site’s best value and allows plenty of time to prepare for the exam. Sign up for a free trial to see if the resource will benefit you before finalizing your purchase.
6. Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Exam Flashcards
Cost: $73.31
Get back to the study basics with these certification flashcards. The cards prompt AGACNPs to spill knowledge about various topics and allow for a quick self-check with detailed answers on the back of each card. Exam flashcards offer another easy alternative for taking your test prep on-the-go and are an engaging way to direct your study sessions.
How will you study for the acute care nurse practitioner certification exam?
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