NURSE PRACTITIONER CERTIFICATION
EXAM PREP
7TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)MARGARET FITZGERALD
TEST BANK
1
Reference: Ch. 1 — Prepping for Nurse Practitioner Boards —
Exam Blueprint Interpretation & Resource Prioritization
Stem: A nurse practitioner candidate has 8 weeks before the
ANCC exam. She has completed two content review books and
scored 60% on a full-length practice exam. She must prioritize
remaining study time to improve high-yield weak areas. Which
strategy most efficiently aligns study with the exam blueprint
and maximizes score gain?
A. Re-read both content books from start to finish, focusing on
weaker chapters.
B. Create a weekly schedule allocating 60% of time to practice
questions mapped to low-scoring blueprint areas and 40% to
,targeted content review.
C. Spend all time on board-style practice tests to improve test
stamina without reviewing content.
D. Review only topics tested on recent practice questions that
were missed, ignoring the official blueprint.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct: Allocating time based on blueprint-
weighted weak areas with continued practice integrates content
reinforcement and test application, matching Fitzgerald’s
emphasis on blueprint alignment and deliberate practice. This
balances focused remediation with exam-style decision-making.
Rationale — A: Re-reading is low-efficiency and passive; it often
yields smaller score gains than targeted practice.
Rationale — C: Only taking tests without review limits
conceptual correction; practice must be coupled with targeted
review.
Rationale — D: Focusing solely on recent misses risks
neglecting other blueprint topics; blueprint-guided prioritization
is superior.
Teaching Point: Map study time to blueprint weights and use
targeted practice questions.
Citation: Fitzgerald, M. (2025). Nurse Practitioner Certification
Exam Prep (7th ed.). Ch. 1.
2
,Reference: Ch. 1 — Prepping for Nurse Practitioner Boards —
Active Learning & Question Dissection
Stem: During a timed question block, an FNP candidate
repeatedly selects answers before fully reading labs included in
stems. Her scores reflect errors on those items. Which
metacognitive change should she implement to improve
accuracy?
A. Continue timing but skim labs to save time.
B. Develop a standardized three-step question-dissection
routine: read lead, identify what is asked, then interpret
labs/PE.
C. Ignore labs unless the correct answer depends explicitly on
numbers.
D. Memorize lab cutoffs so reading lab values becomes
unnecessary.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct: A structured dissection routine enforces
comprehension and reduces premature answering—consistent
with strategies in Chapter 1 promoting systematic reading and
clinical reasoning. It balances speed with accuracy.
Rationale — A: Skimming increases errors; speed without
comprehension undermines performance.
Rationale — C: Labs often change answer selection; ignoring
them is risky.
Rationale — D: Memorization alone is insufficient because
interpretation in context is required.
Teaching Point: Use a consistent question-dissection routine
, before answering.
Citation: Fitzgerald, M. (2025). Nurse Practitioner Certification
Exam Prep (7th ed.). Ch. 1.
3
Reference: Ch. 1 — Prepping for Nurse Practitioner Boards —
Practice Test Feedback Loops
Stem: A student completes practice exams but reviews only the
questions he missed, not the ones he guessed correctly. His
performance plateaus. Which adjustment will most likely
produce further improvement?
A. Stop taking full practice exams and instead read content
summaries.
B. Perform a thorough review of both incorrect and guessed-
correct items, categorizing errors by reasoning type and content
domain.
C. Focus review exclusively on items scored below 50% on
practice exams.
D. Increase daily practice test volume without review.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct: Systematic error analysis, including
guessed-correct items, identifies fragile knowledge and
reasoning errors; Chapter 1 emphasizes feedback loops and
error taxonomy to guide targeted remediation.
Rationale — A: Eliminating practice tests removes a key
assessment and application tool.
EXAM PREP
7TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)MARGARET FITZGERALD
TEST BANK
1
Reference: Ch. 1 — Prepping for Nurse Practitioner Boards —
Exam Blueprint Interpretation & Resource Prioritization
Stem: A nurse practitioner candidate has 8 weeks before the
ANCC exam. She has completed two content review books and
scored 60% on a full-length practice exam. She must prioritize
remaining study time to improve high-yield weak areas. Which
strategy most efficiently aligns study with the exam blueprint
and maximizes score gain?
A. Re-read both content books from start to finish, focusing on
weaker chapters.
B. Create a weekly schedule allocating 60% of time to practice
questions mapped to low-scoring blueprint areas and 40% to
,targeted content review.
C. Spend all time on board-style practice tests to improve test
stamina without reviewing content.
D. Review only topics tested on recent practice questions that
were missed, ignoring the official blueprint.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct: Allocating time based on blueprint-
weighted weak areas with continued practice integrates content
reinforcement and test application, matching Fitzgerald’s
emphasis on blueprint alignment and deliberate practice. This
balances focused remediation with exam-style decision-making.
Rationale — A: Re-reading is low-efficiency and passive; it often
yields smaller score gains than targeted practice.
Rationale — C: Only taking tests without review limits
conceptual correction; practice must be coupled with targeted
review.
Rationale — D: Focusing solely on recent misses risks
neglecting other blueprint topics; blueprint-guided prioritization
is superior.
Teaching Point: Map study time to blueprint weights and use
targeted practice questions.
Citation: Fitzgerald, M. (2025). Nurse Practitioner Certification
Exam Prep (7th ed.). Ch. 1.
2
,Reference: Ch. 1 — Prepping for Nurse Practitioner Boards —
Active Learning & Question Dissection
Stem: During a timed question block, an FNP candidate
repeatedly selects answers before fully reading labs included in
stems. Her scores reflect errors on those items. Which
metacognitive change should she implement to improve
accuracy?
A. Continue timing but skim labs to save time.
B. Develop a standardized three-step question-dissection
routine: read lead, identify what is asked, then interpret
labs/PE.
C. Ignore labs unless the correct answer depends explicitly on
numbers.
D. Memorize lab cutoffs so reading lab values becomes
unnecessary.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct: A structured dissection routine enforces
comprehension and reduces premature answering—consistent
with strategies in Chapter 1 promoting systematic reading and
clinical reasoning. It balances speed with accuracy.
Rationale — A: Skimming increases errors; speed without
comprehension undermines performance.
Rationale — C: Labs often change answer selection; ignoring
them is risky.
Rationale — D: Memorization alone is insufficient because
interpretation in context is required.
Teaching Point: Use a consistent question-dissection routine
, before answering.
Citation: Fitzgerald, M. (2025). Nurse Practitioner Certification
Exam Prep (7th ed.). Ch. 1.
3
Reference: Ch. 1 — Prepping for Nurse Practitioner Boards —
Practice Test Feedback Loops
Stem: A student completes practice exams but reviews only the
questions he missed, not the ones he guessed correctly. His
performance plateaus. Which adjustment will most likely
produce further improvement?
A. Stop taking full practice exams and instead read content
summaries.
B. Perform a thorough review of both incorrect and guessed-
correct items, categorizing errors by reasoning type and content
domain.
C. Focus review exclusively on items scored below 50% on
practice exams.
D. Increase daily practice test volume without review.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct: Systematic error analysis, including
guessed-correct items, identifies fragile knowledge and
reasoning errors; Chapter 1 emphasizes feedback loops and
error taxonomy to guide targeted remediation.
Rationale — A: Eliminating practice tests removes a key
assessment and application tool.
