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United States · Certification exam

The difference between AANP and ANCC exams

Both boards certify family nurse practitioners (FNPs), but their exams aren’t built the same. People say AANP for the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB), though AANP is the membership group. The other board is the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). The main difference between AANP and ANCC exams is what gets scored: a different number of questions, grouped in different ways. The licenses each accepts differ a little too, and ANCC sets a deadline after graduation that AANPCB’s handbook doesn’t.

  • 150 and 175Questions on AANPCB’s and ANCC’s exams
  • 3 and 3.5 hoursExam time at AANPCB and ANCC
  • FNP-C and FNP-BCFNP credential from each board
Where to study

Updated November 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

What is the difference between AANP and ANCC exams?

Beyond length, the scored part and the way content is grouped differ:

AANPCBANCC
Scored questions135150
Unscored pretest questions1525
FNP content grouped byAssess, diagnose, plan, evaluateThose tasks plus implementation
Second groupingPatient age, newborn to older adultBody systems, drug classes, age groups
AANPCB’s exams, fees and results →ANCC’s exams, fees and results →

Who can apply to each board

For the FNP exam, the two boards ask for:

AANPCBANCC
Registered nurse licenseActive, in the US or a US territoryActive in the US, or the recognized equivalent abroad
Supervised clinical hours500 or more500 or more
Earliest you can apply6 months before finishing, or 12 for a Doctor of Nursing PracticeNot listed

Both boards want three separate graduate courses: advanced pathophysiology (physiology and pathophysiology at ANCC), advanced physical or health assessment, and advanced pharmacology.

AANPCB accepts an FNP program accredited by a body that the US Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation recognizes. ANCC names three accreditors: the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, and the National League for Nursing’s Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation.

ANCC’s 5-year limit to apply

From January 1, 2026, ANCC requires you to apply within five years of your degree or post-graduate certificate being conferred. It counts to the day you submit the application, not the day you test, and it covers first attempts and retests. It doesn’t affect renewal. AANPCB’s handbook sets no such limit.

Pass rates in 2025

Each board published 2025 figures for the exams both give:

ExamAANPCBANCC
Family81%82%
Adult-gerontology primary care85%85%
Psychiatric-mental health82%82%

AANPCB’s figures are first-time pass rates from its 2025 statistics, a year in which it gave 15,395 initial FNP exams. ANCC shows a 2025 pass rate on each exam’s page without saying whether it counts retests, so the two may not be measured the same way.

The FNP-C credential →Acute care nurse practitioner exams →
Sources: AANPCB · ANCC and 6 more. Checked November 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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Everything else, in one place

OverviewStudy optionsFNP-CAcute care (ACNP)Practice questions

The two boards

AANPCB examsANCC examsAANPCB vs ANCC

After you pass

RenewalVerification