AANP Certification Board Exams for the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse
This post focuses on the APRN (also referred to as nurse practitioner) licensing process through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB).
☝️ Other reads that might interest you:
Adult Gerontology Primary Care NP Programs
Psych/Mental Health NP Programs
What is the AANPCB?
The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board is an independent, non-profit organization that provides a valid and reliable certification process for nurse practitioners (NP). Its competency-based exams are designed to evaluate and recognize the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to enter, continue, and advance in NP practice.
How Do I Get my NP License?
Once you complete an NP program you must write a licensing exam prior to applying for an NP license. Within the US there are various licensing exams that are accepted by nursing regulatory bodies/nursing boards. Be sure to check with your regulatory body/nursing board to determine which certification exams are accepted prior to beginning the licensing process. Everyone who applies to be a nurse practitioner must successfully complete an NP exam approved for your specialty (e.g. family, pediatric primary care, adult gerontology primary care, emergency).
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Is AANPCB Recognized by all Nursing Boards in the U.S.?
According to the AANPCB, AANPCB certification exams are recognized by all U.S. state nursing boards. Again, always good to double check with your nursing regulatory body as changes arise.
What Certification Exams does the AANPCB Offer?
Entry level (taking for the first time) exams offered through the AANPCB include: Family NP, Adult-gerontology primary care NP, psychiatric mental health NP, and emergency NP.
AANP Certification Board Exam Registration:
You can actually start your certification application online before you finish your NP program. Once your school lets the AANP know you’ve officially completed the program, you’ll be able to schedule your exam date. There are several exam testing sites available through Prometric (not always in the city you live however).
Once you’re eligible to test, you’ll receive an email from the AANPCB (Certification@aanpcert.org) with all the details you need to schedule your exam through Prometric. If things seem delayed, you should reach out to your NP program to ensure they have submitted all relevant paperwork to the AANPCB.
Before exam day, you can review the testing rules by visiting Prometric’s Test Information page, selecting Schedule, and choosing American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board as the test sponsor.
What if I Fail the AANP Exam?
You have 2 testing attempts per calendar year (Jan 1st to December 31st). To retake the exam, submit an online or paper Retake Application and complete at least 15 CE hours. These can be from a general review course or focused on the domains where your previous scores were lower.
How Long Does it take for Results to be Released?
As soon as you hit “submit” (it is a computer-based exam), you will know immediately whether you passed or failed. If passed, the AANPCB will release this information to your nursing board - and you will be able to continue to NP licensing process. If you passed and things seem delayed, you can email AANPCB directly to ensure your exam results have been released. During busy exam seasons, sometimes this can be slower. Contact: Certification@aanpcert.org
What is the AANP Certification Exam Blueprint?
Each exam has 150 questions. Your score is based on 135 of those questions, and 15 are pre-test questions. You won’t be able to distinguish between pre-test and non pre-test questions. Each exam evaluates your ability to assess, diagnose, plan, and evaluate patient care. Here is a breakdown of each exam blue print – FNP, AGPCNP, Psych/mental health, and ENP.
AANP Certification Board - FNP Exam Blue print
The Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) certification exam evaluates your ability to assess, diagnose, plan, and evaluate patient care across all ages and settings.
Assess: Collect comprehensive patient information — history, symptoms, and physical findings — and order or interpret diagnostic and screening tests.
Diagnose: Integrate subjective and objective data to form and prioritize differential diagnoses, then determine the primary diagnosis.
Plan: Develop an evidence-based, patient-centered care plan. This includes prescribing medications, initiating non-pharmacologic treatments, making referrals, and providing health education and counseling.
Evaluate: Assess the effectiveness of care, monitor progress, and adjust the plan as needed based on patient outcomes.
The exam also covers key knowledge areas, such as:
Health assessment & specialized evaluations (developmental, functional, psychological)
Pathophysiology & comorbidities
Pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic therapeutics
Evidence-informed and diagnostic reasoning
Health promotion, disease prevention, and population health
Cultural responsiveness and therapeutic communication
Healthcare economics, interprofessional collaboration, and ethical practice
Pain management, procedures, and transitions of care
How to Study for the AANP FNP Certification Exam
| Provider | Offerings | Details / Links |
|---|---|---|
| AANPCB FNP Practice Exams | Practice exams | Each test has 75 multiple-choice questions, 90 minutes per exam. Purchase here |
| Advanced Practice Education Associates (APEA) | Exam prep bundles | Several prep bundles: 4-6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months. Includes audio/video review, 1 predictor exam, 200 practice questions, course manual, and study tips. 3 & 6 month bundles include study bank access. View bundles |
| APEA | MyQBank | 800 practice questions for different lengths of access. Purchase MyQBank |
| APEA | Practice test (single purchase) | 100 questions, no time limit. Helps identify strengths & weaknesses. Buy practice test |
| APEA | Predictor exam (single purchase) | 150 questions, 3-hour time limit, simulates actual certification exam. Buy predictor exam |
| UWorld Nursing | FNP Question Bank | Time-limited access (30, 60, 90, 180, or 360 days) to 1000+ FNP questions. Explore UWorld FNP |
| Fitzgerald | Review packages | Includes cue cards, 350 exam questions, printed workbook, 150-question practice exam. View packages |
| Fitzgerald | Other options | On-demand audio course, 350-question prep test, Family NP QBank, or NP Certification Exam Prep textbook with practice questions. |
| Maria Codina LEIK | Intensive live FNP review course | Offered on select dates for different states. View course |
| Maria Codina LEIK | Textbook: Family Nurse Practitioner Certification Intensive Review | Includes practice questions and exams. |
| Sarah Michelle NP Reviews | Bundle study options | Live study groups and self-paced course bundles (monthly subscriptions) with practice questions and exams. View options |
| Sarah Michelle NP Reviews | Monthly question bank subscription | Access to practice questions for ongoing study. Subscribe |
AANP Certification Board - Adult Gerontology Primary Care NP Exam Blue print
The NP certification exam evaluates your ability to assess, diagnose, plan, and evaluate patient care across the lifespan.
Assess: Gather comprehensive patient data — history, symptoms, and physical findings — and order or interpret appropriate diagnostic tests.
Diagnose: Analyze findings to develop differential diagnoses, identify urgent conditions, and determine the primary diagnosis.
Plan: Create evidence-based, patient-centered care plans, including prescribing treatments, making referrals, and providing education and health promotion.
Evaluate: Monitor outcomes, adjust care as needed, and address barriers to effective management.
The exam also covers key knowledge areas, including:
Health assessment & pathophysiology
Pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic therapeutics
Evidence-informed practice and clinical decision-making
Health promotion, epidemiology, and population health
Procedures, transitions of care, and interprofessional collaboration
Legal, ethical, and policy considerations
How to study for the AANP AGPCNP exam: Ultimately, you know how you study best, but I will provide some key resources to guide your studying journey.
How to Study for the AANP AGPCNP Certification Exam
Ultimately, you know how you study best, but I will provide some key resources to guide your studying journey.
| Provider | Offerings | Details / Links |
|---|---|---|
| AANPCB AGPCNP Practice Exams | Practice exams | Each test has 75 multiple-choice questions, 90 minutes per exam. Purchase here |
| Advanced Practice Education Associates (APEA) | Exam prep bundles | Several prep bundles: 4-6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months. Includes audio/video review, 1 predictor exam, 200 practice questions, course manual, and study tips. 3 & 6 month bundles include study bank access. View bundles |
| APEA | MyQBank | 800 practice questions for different lengths of access. Purchase MyQBank |
| APEA | Practice test (single purchase) | 100 questions, no time limit. Helps identify strengths & weaknesses. Buy practice test |
| APEA | Predictor exam (single purchase) | 150 questions, 3-hour time limit, simulates actual certification exam. Buy predictor exam |
| Sarah Michelle NP Reviews | Study options | Live study groups and self-paced course bundles (monthly subscriptions) with practice questions and practice exams. View options |
| Sarah Michelle NP Reviews | Monthly question bank subscription | Access to ongoing practice questions. Subscribe |
| Fitzgerald | AGPCNP Certification Review | Several learning packages available (Basic, Premier, Premier Plus) with a variety of study options. View packages |
AANP Psych/Mental Health NP Certification Exam
The Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) certification exam assesses your ability to assess, diagnose, plan, and evaluate care for patients with mental health needs across the lifespan.
Assess: Build a therapeutic alliance and conduct a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation, including mental status and risk assessments. Gather collateral information, interpret screening tools, and assess readiness for change or barriers to care.
Diagnose: Integrate clinical findings and test results to form differential diagnoses, identify urgent conditions, and determine primary and secondary psychiatric diagnoses.
Plan: Create evidence-based, collaborative care plans. This includes prescribing psychopharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatments, providing psychotherapy and psychoeducation, promoting wellness, managing crises, coordinating referrals, and ensuring continuity of care.
Evaluate: Monitor treatment response, side effects, and adherence; adjust plans as needed; and engage in ethical, evidence-informed practice and quality improvement.
The exam also covers major applied knowledge areas, including:
Scientific foundations: neurobiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and psychopharmacology
Psychotherapies: individual, group, and family approaches, and theories of change
Assessment and diagnosis: interviewing, DSM-based diagnostic reasoning, and use of screening tools
Care practices: trauma-informed care, crisis management, safety planning, and harm reduction
Professional role: ethics, scope of practice, interprofessional collaboration, cultural humility, and self-care
Systems and technology: health systems, quality improvement, and telehealth
Commonly tested disorders (based on exam frequency):
Most frequent: depression, anxiety, bipolar, trauma-related, substance use, sleep-wake, and personality disorders
Somewhat frequent: schizophrenia spectrum, OCD, neurodevelopmental, disruptive, cognitive, and eating disorders
Less frequent: dissociative, elimination, paraphilic, and other rare disorders
How to Study for the AANP Psych/Mental health NP Certification Exam
Ultimately, you know how you study best, but I will provide some key resources to guide your studying journey.
| Provider | Offerings | Details / Links |
|---|---|---|
| AANPCB PMHNP Practice Exams | Practice exams | Each test has 75 multiple-choice questions, 90 minutes per exam. Purchase here |
| APEA | MyQBank | 800 multiple-choice questions available for 3, 6, or 9 months of access. Purchase MyQBank |
| Fitzgerald | PMHNP Certification Review | Several learning packages available (Basic, Premier, Premier Plus) with a variety of study options. View packages |
| Sarah Michelle NP Reviews | Study options | Self-paced review courses and certification exam question banks (monthly subscriptions). View options |
| Sarah Michelle NP Reviews | Monthly question bank subscription | Access to ongoing practice questions. Subscribe |
The Emergency Nurse Practitioner (ENP) certification exam evaluates your ability to assess, manage, and stabilize patients across all ages and acuity levels in emergency and urgent care settings.
Medical Screening: Conduct focused histories and physical exams, determine patient acuity, and identify those requiring immediate intervention.
Medical Decision-Making & Differential Diagnosis: Develop and prioritize differential diagnoses based on likelihood and potential risk, and interpret diagnostic studies to guide treatment.
Patient Management: Rapidly stabilize patients, perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, prescribe treatments, collaborate with healthcare teams, and manage multiple patients simultaneously.
Transitions of Care: Determine appropriate patient disposition (discharge, admission, transfer, or observation) and ensure coordinated, safe care transitions.
Professional Practices: Deliver equitable, ethical, and legally compliant care in line with EMTALA and emergency medicine standards, while addressing the needs of diverse and vulnerable populations.
The exam also assesses broad knowledge areas, including:
Pathophysiology and medical screening
Diagnostic studies and interpretation (e.g., ECG, imaging, labs)
Pharmacologic and integrative therapies
Procedural skills and acute interventions
Health equity, population health, and disaster management
Legal, ethical, and quality standards in emergency care
Documentation, billing, and interprofessional collaboration
Procedural competencies tested may include:
Airway & resuscitation: intubation, ventilation, defibrillation, central access, and CPR
Cardiothoracic & vascular: pacing, thoracentesis, pericardiocentesis
Wound & skin: incision and drainage, wound repair, escharotomy
ENT & ocular: foreign body removal, peritonsillar abscess drainage, slit-lamp use
Musculoskeletal: fracture reduction, arthrocentesis, immobilization
OB/GYN: pelvic and sexual assault exams, emergency delivery
Psychiatric & behavioral: crisis stabilization and violent patient management
Renal & GU: suprapubic catheterization, testicular detorsion
Ultrasound & imaging interpretation
How to Study for the AANP Emergency Certification Exam
Ultimately, you know how you study best, but I will provide some key resources to guide your studying journey.
| Provider | Offerings | Details / Links |
|---|---|---|
| AANPCB ENP Practice Exams | Practice exams | Each test has 75 multiple-choice questions, 90 minutes per exam. Purchase here |
| Fitzgerald | ENP Review Course | Includes audio/visual review, practice questions, workbook, and online practice exam. View course |
| Sarah Michelle NP Reviews | Study options | Emergency care skills & procedures module question bank, ECG question bank, and ENP certification exam question bank (monthly subscriptions). View options |
| Sarah Michelle NP Reviews | Monthly question bank subscription | Access to ongoing practice questions. Subscribe |
I hope this review has been helpful - if you have other study tips or resources you want me to add to this page, please contact me!
Disclaimer - The views expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the official position of any organization. This is not a sponsored post.