The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) are two of the leading certifying bodies for nurse practitioners in the United States. If you’re a nurse practitioner preparing for certification, you may be wondering which board to choose.
In this article, we’ll compare the AANP and ANCC certification exams and help you make an informed decision.
AANP vs. ANCC Certification
The AANP offers the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) certification, which is valid in all states. The exam consists of 150 questions and must be completed in 3 hours. The exam is computer-based and covers a broad range of clinical and diagnostic skills. The exam fee for AANP is $315 for AANP members and $375 for non-members.
On the other hand, the ANCC offers several certification exams, including the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) and the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP). The exams consist of 175-200 questions and must be completed in 4 hours. The exams are also computer-based and cover a wide range of clinical and diagnostic skills. The exam fee for ANCC is $395 for ANA members and $495 for non-members.
Pass Rates and Renewal
According to data from the AANP and ANCC, the pass rates for both certification exams are high, with a pass rate of 86% for the AANP FNP exam and 86.2% for the ANCC AGPCNP exam. However, the ANCC PMHNP exam has a lower pass rate of 75%.
Both boards require certification renewal every 5 years, with the AANP requiring 100 hours of continuing education and the ANCC requiring 75 hours.
Which Board Should You Choose?
Ultimately, the decision of which board to choose depends on your personal preference and professional goals. If you’re interested in working with a broad range of patients, the AANP FNP certification may be the right choice for you. However, if you’re interested in specializing in adult-gerontology or mental health, the ANCC AGPCNP or PMHNP certification may be a better fit.
ANCC: https://www.nursingworld.org/our-certifications 175 questions 4 hours. The cedidation is FNP-BC.
The ANCC test in AGACNP-BC, AGPCNP-BC, Family NP, Med-Surg, or other nursing certifications.
AANP: https://www.aanpcert.org/about 150 questions 3 hours The accreditation is FNP- C
What you need to know about each exam
The organization’s mission is to provide excellence in testing and certification for nurse practitioners. The organization achieves this by providing competency-based examinations to test their knowledge and expertise in the area of study. While the vision is to adhere to and uphold the highest standards for the certification of nurse practitioners. The organization does so by ensuring the nurses who are certified are well-skilled and competent nurses (AANPCB, 2022).
For one to earn certification from the American academy of nurse practitioners certification board, the individual needs to hold current nurse licensure. The individual needs to have met specific educational requirements that assess national competencies. Some of the academic requirements are the APRN core, the NP role, and at least one population focus area of study. An individual needs to maintain continued competence in the profession as a Nursing license, ANP, AGNP, ENP, FNP, or GNP through an established certification renewal process. For an individual to be termed a certificate, they need to subscribe to the established scope and standards of practice for nurse practitioners.
Cost:
ANCC: https://www.nursingworld.org/our-certifications
AANP: https://www.aanpcert.org/about
ConclusionÂ
Choosing between the AANP and ANCC certification exams can be a tough decision, but with this article, we hope we’ve provided you with the information you need to make an informed decision. Remember, both boards offer high-quality certification exams, and whichever you choose, you’ll be joining a community of skilled and dedicated nurse practitioners.
References
Welcome to the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board. The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board. (n.d.). Retrieved April 30, 2022, from https://www.aanpcert.org/
