{"id":46032,"date":"2025-04-25T13:19:36","date_gmt":"2025-04-25T13:19:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/?p=46032"},"modified":"2025-05-07T16:48:54","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T16:48:54","slug":"aanpcb-fnp-exam-vs-ancc-fnp-exam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/nursing\/aanpcb-fnp-exam-vs-ancc-fnp-exam\/","title":{"rendered":"AANPCB vs. ANCC: What\u2019s Tested on the FNP Exams?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>To become a certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), you must first earn an FNP credential from the ANCC or AANPCB by passing their respective FNP certification exam. Deciding which of the two FNP exams is an important step to take before you begin your FNP test prep as the two exams are different. In this guide, we\u2019ll walk you through what you need to know about the ANCC and AANPCB FNP exams so you can choose the one that\u2019s right for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>[ READ NEXT<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/study\/nursing\/how-to-become-nurse-practitioner-np\/\">How to Become a Nurse Practitioner<\/a><strong> ]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\t<div  style='background:#f9f9f9;color:#000000;border-color:#bcbcbc;' class='av_promobox  0 avia-button-yes   avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_promobox  avia-builder-el-first '>\t\t<div class='avia-promocontent'><\/p>\n<h4 class=\"has-text-color\" style=\"color:#ab0c78\"><strong>FREE TRIAL<\/strong><\/h4>\n<h3 class=\"has-col-240-f-6-e-color has-text-color\">FNP Certification Exam Prep Course<\/h3>\n<p>Preview our new on-demand FNP Review Course for free.<\/p>\n<p>\n<\/div><div  class='avia-button-wrap avia-button-right ' ><a href='https:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/nurse-practitioner\/free-trial' class='avia-button  avia-color-theme-color   avia-icon_select-no avia-size-large avia-position-right ' target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class='avia_iconbox_title' >Sign Up<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2>What are the AANPCB and ANCC FNP Exams?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Both the AANPCB and ANCC have exams that certify you to practice as an FNP. Below is a brief overview of each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>ANCC FNP-BC Exam<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ANCC, or the American Nurses Credentialing Center, is a certification body for nursing board certification. The ANCC FNP-BC exam assesses entry-level clinical knowledge and skills necessary to function as an FNP. If you pass the ANCC FNP certification exam, you will earn the FNP-BC\u2122 credential. This certification typically appeals to nurses who want to pursue a career in academia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>AANPCB FNP-C Exam<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The AANPCB, also called the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board, is an independent, nonprofit certifying body. The AANPCB FNP-C exam is an entry-level competency-based test that assesses clinical knowledge in families and individuals across life spans. If you pass the AANPCB FNP exam, you will earn the FNP-C credential. This certification typically appeals to nurses who want to practice as clinicians.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>What\u2019s the difference between the AANPCB and ANCC Exams?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many differences between the AANPCB and ANCC exams so you should consider your career goals when deciding which exam to take and what type of credential you want to receive. In the following table, we highlight some of the critical differences between the two FNP certification exams:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><\/td><td><strong>ANCC<\/strong> <strong>Exam<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>AANPCB<\/strong> <strong>Exam<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Test Content<\/strong><\/td><td>Clinical content<br>Professional practice<\/td><td>Clinical content<br>In-office minor procedures<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Blueprint<\/strong><\/td><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nursingworld.org\/~4a312f\/globalassets\/certification\/certification-specialty-pages\/resources\/test-content-outlines\/ancc-22-fnp-tco-2021-final-for-web-posting_updated-08122022.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ANCC Blueprint<\/a><\/td><td><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aanpcert.org\/certs\/fnp\" target=\"_blank\">AANPCB Blueprint<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Time<\/strong><\/td><td>3.5 hours<\/td><td>3 hours<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Number of Questions<\/strong><\/td><td>175 (150 + 25 pretest)<\/td><td>150 (135 +15 pretest)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Question Format<\/strong><\/td><td>Single answer multiple choice<br>Select all that apply<br>Drag and drop<br>Hot spot<\/td><td>Multiple choice<br>Select all that apply<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Credentials<\/strong><\/td><td>FNP-BC\u2122<\/td><td>FNP-C<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>FNP Exam Pass Rates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The two FNP exams have different pass rates. Here are the FNP exam pass rates for 2022 (the most current year the data was available):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nursingworld.org\/~497c80\/globalassets\/docs\/ancc\/ancc-cert-data-website.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>ANCC<\/strong><\/a><strong> FNP Exam<\/strong><ul><li>Pass rate: 85.9%<\/li><li>Tested:&nbsp; 8,192 (total) \/ Passed: 7,040&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aanpcert.org\/resource\/documents\/AANPCB%202022%20Statistics.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>AANPCB<\/strong><\/a><strong> FNP Exam&nbsp;<\/strong><ul><li>Pass rate: 74%<\/li><li>Tested: 17,968 (total) \/Passed 13,296<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2>FNP Certified (FNP-C) vs. FNP Board Certified (FNP-BC\u2122)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At this point, you may be wondering: what is the difference between being FNP certified (FNP-C) and FNP board certified (FNP-BC)? Both certifications are well-respected by employers and qualify you to provide clinical care to patients as an FNP. One type of FNP certification is not \u201cbetter\u201d than the other. Both types of FNP certifications are valid for five years and have many certification requirements in common. However, the FNP-BC is typically considered a more extensive exam since it is not limited to multiple-choice questions. Due to the different question types, this exam can also be more challenging for some test-takers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>What\u2019s tested on the FNP Exams?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the biggest differences between the AANPCB and ANCC exams is that the ANCC focuses on professional practice while the AANPCB emphasizes clinical skills. However, both exams certify you to work as an FNP. Below, we break down the FNP exam outlines and blueprints so you know what to expect on test day.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<div  style='background:#f9f9f9;color:#000000;border-color:#bcbcbc;' class='av_promobox  0 avia-button-yes   avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_promobox  el_before_av_heading '>\t\t<div class='avia-promocontent'><\/p>\n<h4 class=\"has-text-color\" style=\"color:#ab0c78\"><strong>FREE PREMIUM CONTENT<\/strong><\/h4>\n<h3 class=\"has-col-240-f-6-e-color has-text-color\">FNP Study Guide<\/h3>\n<p>Get access to our free FNP Exam Cardiovascular Study Guide<\/p>\n<p>\n<\/div><div  class='avia-button-wrap avia-button-right ' ><a href='https:\/\/prismic-io.s3.amazonaws.com\/kaptestmocha\/4a508d2d-b294-4c8a-a3fd-5d9c8b27846b_38531-11-KTP-NUR-FNP-Launch-Phase-1-Study-Guide-FINAL-ADA-02-24+FINAL-s.pdf' class='avia-button  avia-color-theme-color   avia-icon_select-no avia-size-large avia-position-right ' target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class='avia_iconbox_title' >Download Now<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h3    avia-builder-el-2  el_after_av_promobox  el_before_av_heading  '><h3 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >AANPCB FNP Exam Outline <span class='special_amp'>&amp;<\/span> Blueprint<\/h3><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>There is a new <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aanpcert.org\/certs\/fnp\" target=\"_blank\">test blueprint<\/a> for the AANPCB FNP exam as of January 2, 2024. There are 150 single answer multiple choice questions on the AANPCB FNP exam, but 15 are pretest (unscored) questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The AANPCB FNP exam assesses your ability in four FNP knowledge areas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>Health assessment<\/li><li>Pathophysiology<\/li><li>Therapeutics<\/li><li>Evidence-Informed Practice<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is the AANPCB exam blueprint by domain type:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Domain<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Number of Items<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Percentage of Items<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Assess<\/td><td>43<\/td><td>32%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Diagnose<\/td><td>36<\/td><td>26.5%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Plan<\/td><td>36<\/td><td>26.5%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Evaluate<\/td><td>20<\/td><td>15%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Total:<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>135<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>100%<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>And here is the AANPCB exam blueprint by patient age:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Patient Age<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Number of Items<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Percentage of Items<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Newborn<\/td><td>3<\/td><td>2%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Infant<\/td><td>4<\/td><td>3%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Toddler<\/td><td>5<\/td><td>4%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Child<\/td><td>6<\/td><td>4%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Adolescent*<\/td><td>12<\/td><td>9%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Young Adult*<\/td><td>30<\/td><td>22%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Middle Child*<\/td><td>35<\/td><td>26%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Older Adult<\/td><td>40<\/td><td>30%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Total:<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>135<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>100%<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>*Includes Prenatal<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div  style='padding-bottom:10px; ' class='av-special-heading av-special-heading-h3    avia-builder-el-3  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_sidebar  '><h3 class='av-special-heading-tag '  itemprop=\"headline\"  >ANCC FNP Exam Outline <span class='special_amp'>&amp;<\/span> Blueprint<\/h3><div class='special-heading-border'><div class='special-heading-inner-border' ><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>There are 175 questions on the ANCC FNP exam, but 25 are pretest (unscored) questions. The ANCC FNP exam has a variety of question types, including: single answer multiple choice, multiple response multiple choice, drag and drop, and hot spot. See the complete ANCC FNP test outline <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nursingworld.org\/~4a312f\/globalassets\/certification\/certification-specialty-pages\/resources\/test-content-outlines\/ancc-22-fnp-tco-2021-final-for-web-posting_updated-08122022.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is the ANCC exam blueprint by domain type:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Domain<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Number of Items<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Percentage of Items<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Assessment<\/td><td>29<\/td><td>19%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Diagnosis<\/td><td>26<\/td><td>17%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Planning<\/td><td>29<\/td><td>19%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Implementation<\/td><td>43<\/td><td>29%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Evaluation<\/td><td>23<\/td><td>15%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Total:<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>150<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>100%*<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>*Total does not come to 100 because of rounding<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Studying for the AANPCB and ANCC FNP Exams<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you\u2019ve decided which FNP certification exam you are planning to take, you can get started on your FNP test prep. Here are some of our best tips on how to study for the FNP exams:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Use an FNP test prep book, like Kaplan\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Family-Nurse-Practitioner-Certification-Prep\/dp\/1506233384\/ref=sr_1_1?crid=Q8TO2BRDSQ81&amp;keywords=Family+Nurse+Practitioner+Certification+Prep+Plus%3A+Proven+Strategies+%2B+Content+Review+%2B+Online+Practice&amp;qid=1688743876&amp;sprefix=family+nurse+practitioner+certification+prep+plus+proven+strategies+%2B+content+review+%2B+online+practice%2Caps%2C322&amp;sr=8-1\">Family Nurse Practitioner Certification Prep Plus<\/a> and get access to 800+ practice questions and expert guidance, including exclusive test-taking and study strategies that optimize your preparation.&nbsp;<br><\/li><li>Use free FNP study guides to supplement your test prep. Download our free <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/prismic-io.s3.amazonaws.com\/kaptestmocha\/4a508d2d-b294-4c8a-a3fd-5d9c8b27846b_38531-11-KTP-NUR-FNP-Launch-Phase-1-Study-Guide-FINAL-ADA-02-24+FINAL-s.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">FNP Exam Cardiovascular Study Guide<\/a> to enhance your test prep.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2>FNP Exam Pop Quizzes <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Find out how you would do on the AANPCB and ANCC FNP exams by answering a few practice questions in our short quizzes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div  class='avia-builder-widget-area clearfix  avia-builder-el-4  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_sidebar '><div id=\"custom_html-89\" class=\"widget_text widget clearfix widget_custom_html\"><div class=\"textwidget custom-html-widget\"><div><div class='op-interactive' id='65bd44a48e39a6378edcfae8' data-title='FNP AANP Pop Quiz' data-url='https:\/\/kaplannorthamerica.outgrow.us\/65bd44a48e39a6378edcfae8?vHeight=1' data-width='100%'><\/div><script>var og_temp=document.createElement('script');og_temp.async=true;og_temp.defer=true;og_temp.src='\/\/dyv6f9ner1ir9.cloudfront.net\/assets\/js\/nloader.js',og_temp.onload=function(){initIframe('65bd44a48e39a6378edcfae8')},document.querySelector('head').appendChild(og_temp)<\/script><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div  class='avia-builder-widget-area clearfix  avia-builder-el-5  el_after_av_sidebar  avia-builder-el-last '><div id=\"custom_html-88\" class=\"widget_text widget clearfix widget_custom_html\"><div class=\"textwidget custom-html-widget\"><div><div class='op-interactive' id='65bd4e5d9860b75ecac54c44' data-title='FNP ANCC Pop Quiz' data-url='https:\/\/kaplannorthamerica.outgrow.us\/65bd4e5d9860b75ecac54c44?vHeight=1' data-width='100%'><\/div><script>var og_temp=document.createElement('script');og_temp.async=true;og_temp.defer=true;og_temp.src='\/\/dyv6f9ner1ir9.cloudfront.net\/assets\/js\/nloader.js',og_temp.onload=function(){initIframe('65bd4e5d9860b75ecac54c44')},document.querySelector('head').appendChild(og_temp)<\/script><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To become a certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), you must first earn an FNP credential from the ANCC or AANPCB by passing their respective FNP certification exam. Deciding which of the two FNP exams is an important step to take before you begin your FNP test prep as the two exams are different. In this [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":48327,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1222],"tags":[1224,126],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46032"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46032"}],"version-history":[{"count":36,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46032\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48328,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46032\/revisions\/48328"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48327"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46032"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46032"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46032"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}