NP Licensure Exam Prep Resources – What to Use

I’d like to write about the study materials and apps I used to pass the NP licensure exam. Trying to work through all of these takes quite a bit of time. But in my personal opinion, if time allows, it’s better to take several months and work through everything without rushing.

Online Programs

Davis Edge (F. A. Davis)

Various paid seminars are available to prepare for the NP certification exam, and it seems like most schools incorporate them into their courses for test prep. I think that this is the most cost-effective way to prepare for the exam. Therefore, before enrolling, I recommend confirming whether the program you’re considering includes such a course.

At my school, a program called “Davis Edge“ was used and incorporated into the school’s course. The practice exams incorporated at the beginning and end of the course were from “Barkley & Associates.”

Depending on the school’s settings, you may continue to access the program for self-study even after the course ends. I recommend to utilize the resource first while it is accesible.

Here is the number of questions in Davis Edge. There appear to be 1,755 questions in total, though that number may have increased with updates.

If you repeat the questions until all levels reach 5, the same questions will reappear, so with enough repetition you can reach Level 5.

Board Vitals

I learned about the program from one of my classmates in the class discussion.

I decided to try this for two reasons: (1) Someone online mentioned that “the actual exam questions aren’t this difficult, so if you can solve questions on Board Vitals, you’ll be fine on the real exam,” and (2) the price was reasonable.

I liked the Board Vitals interface, analysis, rationales, and customer services. I would give 5-star for this program.

Exam Prep Textbooks

  • Leik
  • Jill E. Winland-Brown & Lynne M. Dunphy
  • Fitzgerald
  • Amelie Hollier (APA)

AGPCNP Certification Intensive Review by Maria T. Codina Leik

Based on information I found online, this book’s content and questions are said to be the closest to the actual exam, so I knew I had to use it. Tests 1 and 2 at the back of the book are also accessible online, which is convenient. Just like Fitzgerald, I recommend reading through the “Exam Tips” sections that highlight important points.

Adult-Gerontology and Family Nurse Practitioner Certification Examination: Review Questions and Strategies, 4th Edition by Jill E. Winland-Brown & Lynne M. Dunphy

 I completed all the questions in conjunction with the online component.

NP Certification Exam Prep by Margaret A. Fitzgerald, 6th Edition

I bought both the physical book and the e-book. The e-book lets you instantly search for whatever you’re looking for, so while it costs twice as much, having both on hand is very convenient.

The book is 1,025 pages in total — dense, in-depth, and packed with questions. Personally, I used it as a supplemental resource for both certification exam prep and in-school semester exams. I recommend to check the “Clinical Concepts” sections, which highlight key points. The book also comes with online practice tests, so make sure to take advantage of those.

APA Clinical Guidelines in Primary Care, 4th Edition by Amelie Hollier

I used the question book, but I didn’t use the reference guide (the red book) much for exam prep. It’s black-and-white monotonous appearance, also bulky with thick papers. That said, it might be useful once you start working clinically.

Mobile Apps (Highly Recommended)

  • FNP Exam Mastery
  • AGNP Mastery Exam Prep
  • AGNP: Adult-Gero Exam Prep

There are others as well, but doing 10 free questions per day across these three apps gives you 30 questions daily. That might sound like a small amount, but doing 30 questions every day is actually quite challenging. Reading through the rationales takes me about 30–45 minutes. I was curious what would unlock with a paid subscription, so I paid for two of the apps for one to two months. With a subscription you can do more than 10 questions per day, so if studying through apps suits you, it may be worth subscribing for a few months. Though I used other online programs and textbooks as well, I ultimately felt that the free 30-questions-per-day approach was sufficient.

The comment sections in the Mastery apps in particular are incredibly educational. When someone asks a question, the people behind Mastery respond with genuinely thorough explanations — it’s impressive. Their patience and kindness in responding to every comment, without ever being critical, reflects wonderful character. You’ll often see comments like, “I passed the exam. Almost all of my studying was through this app. Thank you so much.” Since these apps can be used during spare moments throughout the day, I highly recommend them.

YouTube Videos

I had a long commute, and I used that time to listen to videos. Even though I was in an NP program, the videos I liked and watched were actually made for PA (Physician Assistant) students. It felt like having a study companion running alongside me the whole time.

Lastly..

We have limited amount of time every day, so the number of quizzes in the books made me feel faint! Also, a sample exam test usually have 75-150 questions. Phew! but doable!