If you are deciding between the ANCC and AANP nurse practitioner certification exams, looking at past national pass rates for each exam is a natural way to compare the two. This can help you predict your own likelihood for passing the test and help you make a decision when it comes to signing up for a certification exam.
A higher pass rate on the national nurse practitioner certification exam doesn’t necessarily mean that one exam is more difficult than the other. It can mean that one exam has more clearly written questions, or that questions are skewed toward different subject matter on one exam over another. Regardless of the reason, electing to take the certification exam with the higher success rate gives you a statistically better chance of passing yourself.
The following tables compare pass rates on both the ANCC and AANP nurse practitioner certification exams for the past few years.
Overall, pass rates on both exams are very similar for Family Nurse Practitioner graduates. Pass rates on the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner exam, however do differ. Adult NP graduates have much better success, on average, with the ANCC certification exam. If you are planning to become a certified Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner, consider certifying with the ANCC as your chances of passing the exam are higher.
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