AANP vs ANCC certification exam – which should you take? Congrats on arriving at the point in school where you begin thinking about your board exam! You’ve put in blood, sweat and tears to get to this point. Now you’re faced with a confusing decision, and everyone seems to have their own opinion about which exam is best. In the moment, it seems like a really big and important decision. At the end of the day and for most people, either exam is an excellent choice. Finally, at the end of the post, we’ll be looking at a few frequently asked questions about the exam.
Students studying certain population focuses don’t have to decide between two different exams as there is only one certifying body. But, if you’re a FNP, AGNP, or PNP, you’ll need to decide between two different exams. Depending on who you ask, you’ll get different answers and opinions on which of the two certifying exams for FNPs is best.
While I cannot tell you specifically which exam you should take, there are some differences to consider that may help guide you down the path of choosing the exam that is best for you. Regardless of which exam you choose to take, at the end of it all, you will be a licensed Nurse Practitioner.
We’re breaking down the differences between the exams for FNPs and Primary Care AGNPs. There’s a lot of different factors to consider so stick around and let’s take a look.
aanp vs ancc
| Certifying Body | AANPCB | ANCC |
| Associated membership | AANP, $55 for a student membership | ANA, $174 annually (no student membership option) |
| Who administers the test? | PSI Testing Centers – see if there is a location close to home for you here | Prometric – see if there is a location close to home for you here |
| Pass Rates | 86% of FNP candidates passed the first-time in 2019. | 87% of FNP candidates passed the first-time in 2019 |
| Cost | $240 for AANP members and $315 for non-members | $295 for ANA members and $395 for non-members |
| # of Questions | 150 questions – passing score is based on 135 questions. The other 15 questions are pretest questions (questions being tested to include on future exams that do not contribute to your score). | 175 questions – 150 of the questions are scored and 25 are pretest questions. |
| Time allotted for exam | 3 hours | 3.5 hours |
| Exam Format | Multiple choice; computer-based | Multiple choice with other question styles including drag and drop and multiple response; computer-based |
| Exam Content | Testing Domains (% of questions) 36% on Assessment 24% on Diagnosis 23% on Plan 17% on Evaluation See this webpage for a breakdown of questions by age range and further explanation of each testing domain. | Content Domains (% of questions) 21% on Assessment 26% on Diagnosis 43% on Clinical Management 10% on Professional Role See this webpage for further details of each content domain. |
| Scoring | Scores range 200-800, minimum score possible is 200 and a score of 500 is passing. This exam uses scaled scoring meaning it does not correlate to a percentage of correct answers, but rather is based on an algorithm. | Passing score is 350 with a maximum possible score of 500. Scores are scaled meaning that scores are based on an algorithm and do not get directly converted to a percentage based on the number of correct answers. |
| Receiving Results | Preliminary pass or no pass results are printed and given to you at the testing center. A letter with your official score and the certificate will be mailed. This letter will also list your strongest-weakest testing domains. | Test results are pass or fail and will be provided to you at the testing center. If you do not pass, you will receive feedback (rated low, medium or high performance) on each content area. |
| Re-taking the exam if you do not pass | You must take 15 hours of advanced practice nursing continuing education (CE) hours in the areas of weakness noted on your score report. After completing the CE, you will re-apply online. You will only have one more opportunity to test within the same calendar year as you can only take the test twice in 1 calendar year. The cost to retest is $240 for AANP members and $315 for non-members. | You can retest after 60 days. You can retest a maximum of 3 times in 12 months. The cost to retest is $270. |
| Testing window once approved | 120 days | 90 days |
| Credentials | FNP-C | FNP-BC |
| Verification of Certification Cost | Free to release results to any State Boards of Nursing and for any active duty military personnel. $40 per verification requested for other organizations (for example, your employer). | The 1st verification is free. Any additional verifications cost $40. |
| Cost of recertification by Practice Hours and CE at 5 years | $120 for AANP members and $195 for non-members | $275 for ANA members, $295 for AANP members and $375 for non-members |
AANP vs Ancc faq
So really, what’s the difference here?
The biggest, most important differences are that the ANCC exam includes non-clinical questions in the form of asking about the professional role (leadership, culture, research, quality improvement, etc.) and includes other styles of questions (drag and drop, multiple response). Consequently, if you perform better with multiple choice questions or struggle with the professional role questions, you may prefer the AANP exam. Check out my study guide and tips for the AANP exam. See the next question for when the ANCC might be better suited for you based on the inclusion of professional role content.
Both exams have similar pass rates and at the end of the day, you will be a certified NP once you pass your exam. See this post for info on certification vs licensing vs credentialing. There are other differences with regards to the number of questions, cost, time allotted to take the test, procedures if you need to retake the exam, and the credentials awarded to you upon certification. In my opinion these are all things to consider, but are not significant enough to lead definitively to choosing one exam over the other.
Does the exam I take matter with regards to getting a job? Is one preferred by employers?
Generally speaking, no, it doesn’t matter which exam you take. Most employers don’t care which exam you took as long as you are certified and licensed. If you have a dream place to work, it may be worth checking if they accept one or both certifications just for peace of mind.
I’ve heard that the ANCC exam is better if I want to work internationally or teach. Is that true?
This is still commonly talked about. The ANCC exam has been around longer so there may be more name recognition internationally, but that’s not to say that you wouldn’t be able to work internationally with a certification from AANP. Here in the U.S. most employers are going to be familiar with both exams and do not have a preference between the two.
Regarding wanting to teach, I could not find a single source that clearly stated that one certification is better than the other. You may read some sources that say ANCC is better suited for teaching because it includes content on the professional role whereas AANP does not. Again, if you have a dream job, it may be worth checking with the college or university. Generally speaking, AANP and ANCC are equally recognized and accepted across the country regardless of the position. However, if you prefer to be on the safe side and all of the other differences between the two exams are insignificant to you, it may be worth going the ANCC route just to be 100% safe.
Can I take both exams?
In theory, yes, and some people do. However, there’s no benefit to being certified by both AANP and ANCC. There is added cost – to register for the exams and for recertifying every 5 years.
There are some individuals that register for both exams to have a safety net (aka if you don’t pass one exam you could take the other without having to wait or take continuing education classes). I’ve heard of this most commonly if you have a job lined up and need to get licensed as soon as possible.
AANP vs ANCC – Summary
Finally, when deciding whether to take the AANP vs ANCC FNP certification exam, you cannot go wrong. After taking and passing your exam (whichever you choose), you will be on the road to getting licensed and begin practicing as a NP. You’ve worked so hard to get to this point. As you read through the differences, you hopefully had a gut feeling about which exam is right for you. Here’s the truth – for most people, it really doesn’t matter which exam you choose. The end result is the same.
I’d love to know – if you have already taken your exam, which did you choose and why? If you have not taken your exam yet, what above factor is most important for you?
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