You’re about to graduate from Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) school and probably feeling a sense of achievement knowing you’re almost done, but then reality sets in. You still have to pass the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) PMHNP board exam.

Personally, the last semester of my PMHNP program was extremely busy. I felt I had no time to study the way I wanted and prepare for the boards.

At that time, I was juggling full-time work and school, 24+ hours of clinicals a week, while still balancing my personal life with my family and caring for a newborn son. I had to come up with a strategic study plan to maximize my time.

The following includes the review materials and tools I used to pass my board exam, along with some additional tips for success. So, if you’re looking for a PMHNP review course or book, read on.

What review materials/tools were effective for me?

For the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner ANCC Board exam, there were several review options to choose from. I knew I needed to figure out a study strategy before deciding on the tools to use.

After much research, I found that the best way to study for any board examination is to review the content, take as many practice questions as possible, and read the rationales for each question. Knowing this, I narrowed my options to three must-have tools that helped me successfully pass.

Nursing Pocket Prep

The Nursing Pocket Prep app offers a specialized section focused specifically on the ANCC PMHNP-BC. With the ability to take a lot of practice questions and see answer explanations for every question, the app covers a lot of ground.

Content

What I found special about this app was that it focused its content and questions on the five domains used by the ANCC board. These domains include scientific foundation, advanced practice skills, diagnosis and treatment, psychotherapy and related theories, and ethical and legal principles.

Download the PMHNP-BC Test Content Outline (effective April 28, 2023).

Each question had detailed explanations and rationales, which helped me learn the material more effectively and better understand why the other options were incorrect.

Questions

This app does an amazing job of giving its users a large number of questions to take to help prepare for the exam. As I stated earlier, taking as many questions as possible was key to my success because a variety of questions gives you the best chance of passing. This app is great because it gives you 1,500 practice questions and three full-length PMHNP-BC mock exams.

Another great thing about this app is that it allows you to create custom PMHNP exams or quizzes where you may be weaker.

At that time, my weak area was psychotherapy and related theories, so I was able to focus my attention there. If you don’t know what your weaknesses are, this app helps you identify them by analyzing your past scores and showing which areas need more focus.

Overall, this app was a game-changer in the way I studied because it offered me both great content and questions with rationales. I was able to use the app wherever I was and take shorter quizzes depending on how much time I had. I would highly recommend getting this app.

Textbook Resources for ANCC PMHNP-BC Prep

The Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Review and Resource Manual, 4th Edition (ISBN 978-1935213796) is the book of all books for studying this exam. This book offers a comprehensive range of content across all areas covered in PMHNP school, breaking it down into digestible material. It goes over important topics related to scope of practice, medication management, psychotherapy, theory, etc.

What I loved most about this book is how it offers tips for taking the exam and includes case studies to further explain the material. I personally read this book about four times but placed special emphasis on chapters 2–7. You need this book in your arsenal when prepping for this exam.

Fitzgerald PMHNP Certification Review Audio MP3

When it comes to learning, I love to read but also find listening to the material helpful. Listening was key because I could hear someone else’s voice explaining the material in layman’s terms. At that time, I was driving about an hour a day to and from work, and I needed to use my time effectively. I obviously couldn’t take questions while driving, so listening to the material made sense.

Fitzgerald is a great PMHNP review course for content because it covers the domains on the exam. This is a great tool for people with an auditory learning style and those who drive a lot.

Additional Tips to Help You Pass the ANCC PMHNP Exam

  • Try the Quick 10 quiz feature and Question of the Day on the Pocket Prep PMHNP-BC app.
  • Place special emphasis on weaker subject areas by using the Pocket Prep app to track your PMHNP study progress.
  • Take one of Pocket Prep’s three Mock Exams to simulate exam day and test your readiness.
  • Have a study partner who will help you and not distract you.
  • Decrease stress as much as possible.
  • Maintain a proper sleep schedule to maximize efficiency throughout the day.
  • While studying, don’t forget to take breaks.
  • If your exam is in a testing center rather than online, try to arrive at least an hour early so you won’t be rushed.
  • Be confident!

For more tips, check out my video: