Most of the questions on both tests are related to the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. Nonclinical questions include subjects like privacy laws, risk management, nurse practice act, and advanced directives. The AANP exam might include a couple of questions on bioterrorism.
When studying for these exams, concentrate on what is "normal" or "classic". Diseases will appear on the test as classic textbook cases. Learn the normal results of a physical exam, rather than concentrating on benign variations. Use national treatment guidelines found in the test reference list posted on the ANCC website.
You don't need to memorize drug doses. You need to know the drug class, generic and brand names, and what the drug does. You also need to know safety issues like how drugs interact with each other, or why you shouldn't prescribe certain medications. Some questions don't allow you to choose the name of a generic or brand name drug for the answer. Instead, the answer will be the drug class. Most of the drugs that appear in the test are older, well-known drugs.
Guidelines and procedures that have been published within the past one or two years before you take your exam aren't included in the test questions. Neither are borderline disease cases or diseases without any symptoms. Most questions won't ask for a number. Instead, you can expect questions to ask about the clinical significance of a test. Neither exam tests your knowledge of specialty disorders. Instead, they focus on primary care disorders. Remember this when you're deciding which answer to choose. Nursing theory questions haven't appeared on either exam for several years.
Don't leave questions unanswered. If you run out of time, fill in the rest of the questions at random. You won't be penalized for guessing. Look for patterns, when guessing, and choose the answer that doesn't fit the pattern. Follow your instinct, when guessing, and choose the answer that "feels" right. Give yourself about one minute to answer each question. Wear a watch so you can monitor how much time you're spending on answers. Sometimes it's easier to understand a question if you read the last sentence first because you then know exactly what the question is asking and it's easier to pick up clues while you're reading. Don't read too fast. Don't let a hard question discourage you. Remember that it's only worth one point.