NURSE PRACTITIONER CERTIFICATION
EXAM PREP
7TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)MARGARET FITZGERALD
TEST BANK
1
Reference: Ch. 1 — Prepping for Nurse Practitioner Boards —
Study Planning & Prioritization
Stem: A 34-year-old family nurse practitioner (FNP) student has
10 weeks until the AANP exam and reports inconsistent study
hours and poor recall of cardiopulmonary disease content. She
wants the highest-yield plan to improve diagnostic reasoning for
board-style questions while balancing clinical shifts. Which
study plan is the best next step?
Options:
A. Continue ad hoc study sessions and re-read the
cardiopulmonary chapter until recall improves.
,B. Create a weekly study schedule with dedicated active
retrieval sessions, mixed practice questions, and spaced
repetition for weak topics.
C. Focus exclusively on completing a single full-length practice
test each weekend without targeted review.
D. Memorize facts from review flashcards and skip practice
questions to conserve time.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct: Active retrieval, spaced repetition, and
mixed practice questions are evidence-based strategies to
improve long-term retention and clinical reasoning. Structuring
weekly schedules balances work and study and targets weak
areas through deliberate practice, aligning with high-yield exam
preparation. Fitzgerald emphasizes planned, active study over
passive re-reading.
Rationale — Incorrect:
A. Passive re-reading yields poor retention and does not train
exam-style clinical reasoning.
C. Full-length tests are useful but insufficient alone; without
targeted review, test performance won't translate to content
mastery.
D. Flashcards alone promote recall but miss applied clinical
reasoning and are insufficient for board-style synthesis.
Teaching Point: Use active retrieval, spaced practice, and
targeted mixed-question review.
Citation: Fitzgerald, M. (2025). Nurse Practitioner Certification
Exam Prep (7th ed.). Ch. 1.
,2
Reference: Ch. 1 — Prepping for Nurse Practitioner Boards —
Practice Test Use
Stem: During a timed practice exam, a student consistently
finishes sections with 20 minutes remaining but scores poorly
on application questions. She wants to optimize practice test
use to improve reasoning under time pressure. What is the
most effective modification?
Options:
A. Stop taking timed practice tests and instead study content
outlines.
B. Continue timed tests but immediately perform a thorough
item-level review focusing on reasoning steps and error
patterns.
C. Reduce test frequency and memorize rationales for correct
answers only.
D. Increase pace to finish earlier and avoid reviewing errors to
focus on more tests.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct: Timed tests simulate exam conditions, but
maximal learning occurs during systematic review of missed
items to identify reasoning errors and knowledge gaps.
Fitzgerald recommends error analysis and targeted remediation
to convert practice tests into learning tools.
Rationale — Incorrect:
, A. Avoiding timed tests removes realistic simulation of exam
conditions and doesn't address reasoning under pressure.
C. Memorizing only correct rationales neglects understanding
error causes and patterns.
D. Increasing volume without reflection perpetuates mistakes;
review is essential for improvement.
Teaching Point: Use practice tests plus structured error analysis
to improve clinical reasoning.
Citation: Fitzgerald, M. (2025). Nurse Practitioner Certification
Exam Prep (7th ed.). Ch. 1.
3
Reference: Ch. 1 — Prepping for Nurse Practitioner Boards —
Item Dissection Skills
Stem: You encounter a board-style vignette that lists multiple
comorbidities and ambiguous exam findings. The prompt asks
for the most appropriate next step in management. What is the
best first approach to dissect this item?
Options:
A. Read answer choices first so the stem will fit an option more
quickly.
B. Identify the primary problem, timeframe, red flags, and what
the question specifically asks before reviewing options.
C. Eliminate the least familiar answer immediately to narrow
choices.
D. Assume the patient is stable unless the stem explicitly states
EXAM PREP
7TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)MARGARET FITZGERALD
TEST BANK
1
Reference: Ch. 1 — Prepping for Nurse Practitioner Boards —
Study Planning & Prioritization
Stem: A 34-year-old family nurse practitioner (FNP) student has
10 weeks until the AANP exam and reports inconsistent study
hours and poor recall of cardiopulmonary disease content. She
wants the highest-yield plan to improve diagnostic reasoning for
board-style questions while balancing clinical shifts. Which
study plan is the best next step?
Options:
A. Continue ad hoc study sessions and re-read the
cardiopulmonary chapter until recall improves.
,B. Create a weekly study schedule with dedicated active
retrieval sessions, mixed practice questions, and spaced
repetition for weak topics.
C. Focus exclusively on completing a single full-length practice
test each weekend without targeted review.
D. Memorize facts from review flashcards and skip practice
questions to conserve time.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct: Active retrieval, spaced repetition, and
mixed practice questions are evidence-based strategies to
improve long-term retention and clinical reasoning. Structuring
weekly schedules balances work and study and targets weak
areas through deliberate practice, aligning with high-yield exam
preparation. Fitzgerald emphasizes planned, active study over
passive re-reading.
Rationale — Incorrect:
A. Passive re-reading yields poor retention and does not train
exam-style clinical reasoning.
C. Full-length tests are useful but insufficient alone; without
targeted review, test performance won't translate to content
mastery.
D. Flashcards alone promote recall but miss applied clinical
reasoning and are insufficient for board-style synthesis.
Teaching Point: Use active retrieval, spaced practice, and
targeted mixed-question review.
Citation: Fitzgerald, M. (2025). Nurse Practitioner Certification
Exam Prep (7th ed.). Ch. 1.
,2
Reference: Ch. 1 — Prepping for Nurse Practitioner Boards —
Practice Test Use
Stem: During a timed practice exam, a student consistently
finishes sections with 20 minutes remaining but scores poorly
on application questions. She wants to optimize practice test
use to improve reasoning under time pressure. What is the
most effective modification?
Options:
A. Stop taking timed practice tests and instead study content
outlines.
B. Continue timed tests but immediately perform a thorough
item-level review focusing on reasoning steps and error
patterns.
C. Reduce test frequency and memorize rationales for correct
answers only.
D. Increase pace to finish earlier and avoid reviewing errors to
focus on more tests.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct: Timed tests simulate exam conditions, but
maximal learning occurs during systematic review of missed
items to identify reasoning errors and knowledge gaps.
Fitzgerald recommends error analysis and targeted remediation
to convert practice tests into learning tools.
Rationale — Incorrect:
, A. Avoiding timed tests removes realistic simulation of exam
conditions and doesn't address reasoning under pressure.
C. Memorizing only correct rationales neglects understanding
error causes and patterns.
D. Increasing volume without reflection perpetuates mistakes;
review is essential for improvement.
Teaching Point: Use practice tests plus structured error analysis
to improve clinical reasoning.
Citation: Fitzgerald, M. (2025). Nurse Practitioner Certification
Exam Prep (7th ed.). Ch. 1.
3
Reference: Ch. 1 — Prepping for Nurse Practitioner Boards —
Item Dissection Skills
Stem: You encounter a board-style vignette that lists multiple
comorbidities and ambiguous exam findings. The prompt asks
for the most appropriate next step in management. What is the
best first approach to dissect this item?
Options:
A. Read answer choices first so the stem will fit an option more
quickly.
B. Identify the primary problem, timeframe, red flags, and what
the question specifically asks before reviewing options.
C. Eliminate the least familiar answer immediately to narrow
choices.
D. Assume the patient is stable unless the stem explicitly states
