NURSE PRACTITIONER CERTIFICATION
EXAM PREP
7TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)MARGARET FITZGERALD
TEST BANK
1
Reference: Ch. 1 — Prepping for Nurse Practitioner Boards —
Exam Blueprint & Cognitive Targets
Stem: A new NP student practices exam items that ask, “Which
is MOST likely?” rather than “Which is TRUE?” The student asks
you whether those stems indicate recall or higher-order testing.
Which interpretation best reflects board-style cognitive intent?
A. “Most likely” stems primarily test isolated factual knowledge.
B. “Most likely” stems require integration of clinical
probabilities and differential weighting.
C. “Most likely” and “true” stems are equivalent in cognitive
demand.
,D. “Most likely” stems simply test vocabulary familiarity.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct (B): Board-style “most likely” stems ask
the examinee to weigh clinical probabilities and integrate
presentation, risk factors, and prevalence — an
analysis/synthesis task rather than mere recall. This aligns with
Fitzgerald’s emphasis on clinical reasoning and probabilistic
thinking.
Rationales — Incorrect:
A. Incorrect — these stems require more than isolated facts;
they require interpretation across domains.
C. Incorrect — “true” stems often allow simple factual
verification; “most likely” requires comparative judgment.
D. Incorrect — vocabulary alone is insufficient; clinical
application is required.
Teaching Point: “Most likely” = integrate probability +
presentation; not simple recall.
Citation: Fitzgerald, M. (2025). Nurse Practitioner Certification
Exam Prep (7th ed.). Ch. 1.
2
Reference: Ch. 1 — Prepping for Nurse Practitioner Boards —
Question Categorization & Test Strategy
Stem: During timed practice, an examinee spends 8 minutes on
a single long vignette and then rushes others. According to
evidence-based test strategy in Ch. 1, what is the best
,immediate change to their approach?
A. Continue spending 8+ minutes per vignette to ensure depth.
B. Skip any lengthy vignette on first pass and mark for review.
C. Randomly guess and move on from long vignettes without
review.
D. Eliminate two answer choices before returning to the
vignette later.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct (B): Fitzgerald advises first-pass triage:
answer faster, skip time-consuming items, and return for
review. Skipping long vignettes preserves time for higher yield
items and reduces time-pressure errors.
Rationales — Incorrect:
A. Incorrect — excessive time on one item risks not answering
many others; poor test strategy.
C. Incorrect — random guessing without marking wastes the
opportunity to revisit informedly.
D. Incorrect — while elimination is useful, spending time to
eliminate then still delaying other items defeats first-pass triage.
Teaching Point: Use first-pass triage: answer quick items, mark
long items, return later.
Citation: Fitzgerald, M. (2025). Nurse Practitioner Certification
Exam Prep (7th ed.). Ch. 1.
3
, Reference: Ch. 1 — Prepping for Nurse Practitioner Boards —
“Sick vs Not Sick” Framework
Stem: A 68-year-old man with COPD presents in an exam
vignette with 48 hours of increased dyspnea but stable vitals (T
37.4°C, HR 92, RR 22, SpO₂ 92% on baseline O₂). He can speak in
full sentences and denies chest pain. On the boards, what is the
primary analytic task?
A. Label the patient as emergent because dyspnea always
indicates instability.
B. Determine whether outpatient optimization or urgent
evaluation is appropriate by integrating baseline, severity, and
red flags.
C. Choose immediate hospital admission due to age and COPD
alone.
D. Select an antibiotic because increased dyspnea implies
infection.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct (B): Ch. 1 emphasizes “sick vs not sick.”
The examinee must synthesize baseline status, objective vitals,
and red flags to recommend outpatient management versus
escalation. Here, subtle hypoxia and RR elevation require
nuance, not reflex admission.
Rationales — Incorrect:
A. Incorrect — dyspnea is context-dependent; not always
emergent if vitals/stability are preserved.
C. Incorrect — age and COPD alone don’t mandate admission
without red flags.
EXAM PREP
7TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)MARGARET FITZGERALD
TEST BANK
1
Reference: Ch. 1 — Prepping for Nurse Practitioner Boards —
Exam Blueprint & Cognitive Targets
Stem: A new NP student practices exam items that ask, “Which
is MOST likely?” rather than “Which is TRUE?” The student asks
you whether those stems indicate recall or higher-order testing.
Which interpretation best reflects board-style cognitive intent?
A. “Most likely” stems primarily test isolated factual knowledge.
B. “Most likely” stems require integration of clinical
probabilities and differential weighting.
C. “Most likely” and “true” stems are equivalent in cognitive
demand.
,D. “Most likely” stems simply test vocabulary familiarity.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct (B): Board-style “most likely” stems ask
the examinee to weigh clinical probabilities and integrate
presentation, risk factors, and prevalence — an
analysis/synthesis task rather than mere recall. This aligns with
Fitzgerald’s emphasis on clinical reasoning and probabilistic
thinking.
Rationales — Incorrect:
A. Incorrect — these stems require more than isolated facts;
they require interpretation across domains.
C. Incorrect — “true” stems often allow simple factual
verification; “most likely” requires comparative judgment.
D. Incorrect — vocabulary alone is insufficient; clinical
application is required.
Teaching Point: “Most likely” = integrate probability +
presentation; not simple recall.
Citation: Fitzgerald, M. (2025). Nurse Practitioner Certification
Exam Prep (7th ed.). Ch. 1.
2
Reference: Ch. 1 — Prepping for Nurse Practitioner Boards —
Question Categorization & Test Strategy
Stem: During timed practice, an examinee spends 8 minutes on
a single long vignette and then rushes others. According to
evidence-based test strategy in Ch. 1, what is the best
,immediate change to their approach?
A. Continue spending 8+ minutes per vignette to ensure depth.
B. Skip any lengthy vignette on first pass and mark for review.
C. Randomly guess and move on from long vignettes without
review.
D. Eliminate two answer choices before returning to the
vignette later.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct (B): Fitzgerald advises first-pass triage:
answer faster, skip time-consuming items, and return for
review. Skipping long vignettes preserves time for higher yield
items and reduces time-pressure errors.
Rationales — Incorrect:
A. Incorrect — excessive time on one item risks not answering
many others; poor test strategy.
C. Incorrect — random guessing without marking wastes the
opportunity to revisit informedly.
D. Incorrect — while elimination is useful, spending time to
eliminate then still delaying other items defeats first-pass triage.
Teaching Point: Use first-pass triage: answer quick items, mark
long items, return later.
Citation: Fitzgerald, M. (2025). Nurse Practitioner Certification
Exam Prep (7th ed.). Ch. 1.
3
, Reference: Ch. 1 — Prepping for Nurse Practitioner Boards —
“Sick vs Not Sick” Framework
Stem: A 68-year-old man with COPD presents in an exam
vignette with 48 hours of increased dyspnea but stable vitals (T
37.4°C, HR 92, RR 22, SpO₂ 92% on baseline O₂). He can speak in
full sentences and denies chest pain. On the boards, what is the
primary analytic task?
A. Label the patient as emergent because dyspnea always
indicates instability.
B. Determine whether outpatient optimization or urgent
evaluation is appropriate by integrating baseline, severity, and
red flags.
C. Choose immediate hospital admission due to age and COPD
alone.
D. Select an antibiotic because increased dyspnea implies
infection.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct (B): Ch. 1 emphasizes “sick vs not sick.”
The examinee must synthesize baseline status, objective vitals,
and red flags to recommend outpatient management versus
escalation. Here, subtle hypoxia and RR elevation require
nuance, not reflex admission.
Rationales — Incorrect:
A. Incorrect — dyspnea is context-dependent; not always
emergent if vitals/stability are preserved.
C. Incorrect — age and COPD alone don’t mandate admission
without red flags.
