Analyzing Your AANP or ANCC Score Report After a Failed Exam

At SMNP Reviews, we don’t like to talk about failing the NP board certification exam, but sometimes it happens! There are a few reasons: test anxiety, didn’t complete enough NP practice questions, or didn’t have a good grasp on knowledge in certain content areas.

Whatever the reason, let this post help get you back into a positive “I will pass!” mindset. In particular, you’ll learn how American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) score their respective certification exams, and if you fail, how to use the score report as a study tool and what your next steps to board success should be.

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Scoring for ANCC Certification Exams

NP board examinations through ANCC contain 175 questions. Of those, 150 questions are used to determine competency for entry into NP practice and 25 questions are pretest questions (used as research and do not count towards your score).

Instead of using a raw score (such as 112 questions correct out of 150 scorable test questions = 74.6%), ANCC uses a “scaled score.” That means the raw score is converted using a specific formula where some questions are weighted higher than others. Using a scaled score preserves the integrity of the exam, especially since there will be some variations in questions between different test takers.

For ANCC, the scores range from 100 to 500, with a passing score of at least 350. 

Scoring for AANP Certification Exams

AANP nurse practitioner board examinations contain 150 questions, of which 15 questions are considered pretest questions.

Similarly, AANP also uses a scaled scoring system. Neither board certification organization discloses how they convert the raw score to the scaled score. For AANP, the range is from 200 to 800, and a passing score is a minimum of 500. Once again, using a scaled score helps eliminate bias between test takers, so don’t compare your score to others.

I took the AANP exam and I scored a 550. At first, when I got my score report back, it made me feel like I barely passed, which is not true! My test questions were different from my peers, so I can’t compare my score to theirs. 

How to Use Your Score Report

While both ANCC and AANP both display preliminary “pass” or “fail” notifications as soon as you submit your exam, you will have to wait about 4–6 weeks for the complete score report. Also, a preliminary “pass” on your exam does not signify certification and cannot be used to apply for licensure. You must wait for your score to be officially processed (about 4–6 weeks) before your certificate and score report is sent out.

Next, let’s go over how you can use the score report as part of your plan for success if you fail the NP board exam the first time.

For all test takers, both ANCC and AANP will send a detailed score report that includes testing metrics for each domain and content or knowledge area.

When you receive your score report after failing an exam, take some time to review it. Was there a particular content area or body system that you had difficulty with? Was it a particular age group? Did you do really well with assessment questions, but the score for diagnosis was not as great?

Also give yourself some credit for the areas that you did well in! Be proud of the content you mastered. 🙂

Retest Options

What are your options for retaking an exam?

Option 1

Before retaking the ANCC exam, you must wait at least 60 days and cannot take the exam more than three times in a calendar year.

With AANP, there is no minimum waiting period, but you do need to complete at least 15 hours of continuing education (specific for NP practice) in the areas of weakness as outlined on the score report. You cannot retake the exam more than two times in a calendar year. 

Option 2

If you fail either exam, it does not prevent you from taking the other board certification exam. For example, if you fail the AANP exam today, you can schedule an ANCC exam for tomorrow (after submitting appropriate application and fees).

Passing either exam means you are a “board certified” nurse practitioner! 

Next Steps

Once you’ve taken some time to look over your score report, it’s time to get into that “You Will Pass!” mindset! While it might be tempting to just go ahead and choose Option 2, make sure you are fully prepared before retaking your board exam.

It is highly recommended that you complete some type of board review program (even if you’ve already done one). You’ll have the insight from your exam score report to know what areas to put some extra effort into and what areas you know really well.

Give yourself at least a month to review what you need to and work through a review course. You might feel A LOT of pressure to retake the exam as soon as possible. Maybe you have a job lined up, or you have other life priorities coming up soon, but it is crucial not to feel rushed. Your mental preparation is just as important as your NP knowledge.

If you didn’t use SMNP Reviews the first time, check out our review courses and supplementary materials. We even have a passing guarantee! We will not only help you hone your NP knowledge for the board exam, but we will help you manage any testing anxiety. SMNP Reviews has developed a truly supportive community and we want to see you out there making a positive difference for your patients as a nurse practitioner.

You will pass!