Top 9 Questions About AGACNP Qbanks & Certification Exams

Researching AGACNP certification exam details and the best exam review methods can be overwhelming—especially when you’re balancing patient care, your personal life, and now preparing for your NP certification. 

Rather than doing the time-intensive search yourself, you’ll find the answers to common questions here. This post will help clarify what types of exam review options exist, which one(s) are right for you, and what you need to know to prepare for the ANCC or AACN certification exam. Is there a question you’d like to see here? Let us know and we’ll get the answer for you.

1. What is ANCC and AACN certification?

There are two AGACNP certification options: the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). If you pass the ANCC exam, your credentials will be AGACNP-BC, and if you pass the AACN exam, your credentials will be ACNPC-AG.

2. What is an AGACNP exam review Qbank?

An AGACNP question bank (Qbank for short) is a database of multiple-choice questions that helps you prepare for your certification exam. These questions are in the same format as the ones you’ll see on the actual exam and cover highly-tested topics.

The point of a Qbank is to help you simultaneously practice for the exam and learn about each topic (so you can figure out your weak points). To help with this, the SMNP Reviews Qbank includes detailed explanations with every question, including why the correct answer is correct—and just as importantly—why the incorrect answers are incorrect. 

These explanations also include related teaching images that distill the important information. And as a bonus, AGACNP Qbank questions include a One Step Further question: a short, fact-based question and answer related to the main topic. So every question in the SMNP Reviews Qbank is actually two questions to help further cement your understanding.

3. How do I study for the ANCC or AACN exam with a Qbank?

This detailed article “Top Test-Taking Secrets for Your NP Board Exam” includes our favorite study tips. Spoiler alert: you should target your “unknown unknowns.” Here’s how you do that:

1. Answer a question from a Qbank
2. If you answer incorrectly, read the explanation
3. Take notes about why the correct answer is correct, and make sure to take notes on anything in the explanation that you didn’t already know

If you do this for every question you answer incorrectly, and if you regularly review your notes and add information to topics as you do more questions, you’ll eventually determine your unknown unknowns. In return, you’ll uncover most of your blind spots that questions on the exam can ask about. 

The article also includes day-of tips like which terms to keep an eye out for to help you narrow down answer choices. Our goal is to help you succeed, so read as many of these tips as you can before exam day.

4. What makes the SMNP Reviews Qbank special?

Formerly by Rosh Review, our partner brand, the evolved specialty Qbanks from SMNP Reviews have detailed explanations, illustrations, personal analytics, and more to identify any areas of weakness and ensure you ace the exam the first time.

Here’s what you’ll find in your AGACNP Certification Exam Qbank:

– Over 1,100 board-style questions with explanations
– Covers material for the AACN and ANCC exams
– Personal analytics dashboard
– Expert Support
– Rapid Review
– One Step Further
– Pass Guarantee
– 100 AMA PRA Cat 1 CME credit(s)™

5. How many questions are on the ANCC and AACN AGACNP exams?

Both the ANCC and AACN exams have 175 questions, which you have 3.5 hours to complete.

Check the ANCC exam blueprint and the AACN exam blueprint for content breakdowns.

6. How are the ANCC and AACN exams scored?

Of the 175 questions on the ANCC and AACN exams, 150 are scored and 25 are not (called “pretest” questions).

Pretest questions look just like the regular scored questions and are being vetted for their use as scored questions on future exams. You won’t be able to tell the difference between the pretest and scored questions, so just know that not all of the questions will affect your score.

7. What is a passing score on the ANCC and AACN exams?

The highest scaled score on the ANCC exam is 500, and 350 is a passing score. The passing score varies each year on the AACN exam and is determined by a panel that reviews the difficulty of each question.

8. When does my AGACNP certification expire?

Every 5 years. Read more about ACNPC-AG renewal and AGACNP-BC renewal.

9. What if I fail my AGACNP certification exam?

Life happens. Between clinical practice, studying for the exam, and dealing with test anxiety, there is always the possibility that you might not pass the exam. We believe in you, which is why your subscription comes with a pass guarantee: if you completed your Qbank, your subscription will be extended for free in the case that you do not pass.

Looking for FREE practice questions? Get started with a free trial for the AGACNP Qbank—no billing information required! The free trial includes 50 practice questions with comprehensive answer explanations, beautiful teaching images, and powerful analytics to track your progress.