4 Best Live NP Certification Review Courses
Studying for your nurse practitioner certification exam can be pretty stressful. You have learned a lot in one or two short years and the amount of content covered by the exam is extensive. Fortunately, there are a few excellent resources when it comes to helping with your exam preparation.
Review books and live courses are the best way to help direct your certification studies. Study materials narrow down content to the most commonly covered areas on the NP certification exam making you study more efficiently. For some students, using review books alone will be sufficient. But, for others the accountability and attention required by attending a live review course is a must. Which live nurse practitioner certification exam review courses are best?
1. Fitzgerald Health Education Associates
Fitzgerald Health Education Associates offers review courses for Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioners (Primary and Acute Care), Family Nurse Practitioners, and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners. The company conducts seminars across the country, typically in major cities. For students living in other areas, or who cannot attend seminars in person, live internet-streamed versions of courses are also available.
Depending on the specialty, review courses range from about 20 to 30 hours in length and are held over a three day period. Fitzgerald’s live review courses cost anywhere from about $400 to $550 depending on date, location and specialty.
As an added bonus, Fitzgerald will be hosting a free, live online “Getting Ready for the NP Certification Exam” seminar on July 8th, 2014.
2. Barkley and Associates
Barkley and Associates offers excellent review materials for nurse practitioner certification as evidenced by a first-time pass rate of over 99 percent on the nurse practitioner certification exam by live review course attendees. Barkley’s review courses are hosted across the country in major cities and last two to three days depending on specialty.
These review courses cost anywhere from $429 to $599 depending on conference date and specialty. The company does give a significant discount for signing up early, so be sure not to delay your enrollment. Courses include a 100 question Diagnostic Readiness Test to help you assess your preparedness for the certification exam. Barkley and Associates offers review courses for Family Nurse Practitioners, Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioners (Primary and Acute Care), Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioners, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioners and Certified Nurse Midwives.
3. Advanced Practice Education Associates
Advanced Practice Education Associates (APEA) offers live NP certification review courses for Family Nurse Practitioners, Adult Nurse Practitioners, and Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioners. Courses last two to three days depending on specialty and are held 15 cities across the country. Included in the course are two, 100 question practice exams. Course content and practice exams do the trick when it comes to preparing NPs for the certification exam, the APEA boasts a 99 percent first-time pass rate for live course attendees. Students who do not pass the exam may take the review course again, free of charge. The cost for courses hosted by the APEA ranges from $400 to $475 depending on specialty.
4. American Nurses Credentialing Center
The American Nurses Credentialing Center offers a few live review seminars for the nurse practitioner certification exam. Courses are available for Family Nurse Practitioners, Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioners (Acute and Primary Care), and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners. Some review courses are live in the traditional sense and take place in major cities across the country while others are delivered in a convenient webinar format. In-person review courses are between two and four days long depending on specialty. Webinars are hosted as 90 minute weekly lectures taking place over a ten week period.
If you don’t want to complete an entire ANCC review course, supplemental materials may be purchased to help your study efforts. Two, 100 question practice tests can be purchased for $115. An online Test Taking Techniques course may also be purchased for $30.