Top 9 Questions About PMHNP Qbanks & the Certification Exam

Exploring your options for PMHNP certification exam prep can feel overwhelming—especially when juggling patient care, a personal life, and of course, studying for the exam itself.

Instead of taking on the time-consuming search for exam prep on your own, you can find answers to common questions here. We’ll explore what a Qbank is, why you might want to use it for your exam prep, and also share important info about the PMHNP certification exam itself. Let’s dive in!

1. What is PMHNP certification?

Before January 2024, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) was the only certifying body for Psychiatric-Mental Health NPs. Now, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) also offers the exam, so you can take your choice of AANP vs ANCC exams. 

If you pass the PMHNP certification exam, your credentials will be PMHNP-C.

2. What is a PMHNP exam review Qbank?

A PMHNP 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 the topics included on the exam. 

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 Sarah Michelle NP 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, questions in the Sarah Michelle PMHNP Qbank also include a One Step Further question: a short, fact-based question and answer related to the main topic. So every question in your Qbank is actually two questions to help further cement your understanding.

3. How do I study for the PMHNP 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 PMHNP Certification Exam Qbank:

– Over 1,350 board-style questions with explanations
– Covers material for the ANCC and AANP 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 PMHNP exam?

The ANCC exam has 175 questions, which you have 3.5 hours to complete. 

The AANP exam has 150 questions, which you have 3 hours to complete.

Check the test content outline for content breakdowns for ANCC and AANP.

6. How is the PMHNP exam scored?

For ANCC, of the 175 questions, 150 are scored and 25 are not (called “pretest” questions). 

For AANP, of the 150 questions, there are 135 scored and 15 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.

Your total raw score (the number of scored questions you answered correctly) is then converted to a scaled score using statistics.

7. What is a passing score on the PMHNP exam?

For ANCC, the highest scaled score is 500, and 350 is the passing score.

For AANP, the highest scaled score is 800, and 500 is the passing score.

8. When does my PMHNP certification expire?

Every 5 years. Read more about PMHNP-BC renewal.

9. What if I fail my PMHNP 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 PMHNP 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.