AANP vs ANCC: Nurse Practitioner Certification
When nurse practitioners graduate, they must take a national exam that certifies them to practice in their specialty. The catch: there are two certifying bodies to choose from — the AANP and the ANCC. So what's the difference, and how do you choose?
American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
The ANCC is an independent credentialing branch of the American Nurses Association (ANA). It's the largest nurse credentialing organization in the U.S. and isn't limited to NPs — it also certifies nurses in informatics, professional development, case management, and various nursing specialties.
ANCC Exams
For NP certification, the ANCC offers the following specialties:
ANCC exam questions are mostly clinical assessment, diagnosis, and management, but include about 25% or more non-clinical questions — research, ethics, professional responsibility, leadership, scope of practice, regulatory guidelines, and so on. You're allotted roughly 4 hours (including check-in, instructions, and a practice session). If you fail, you can retake in 60 days, but no more than 3 times in 12 months.
The exam costs $395 for non-members of the ANA and $295 for members. 2018 pass rates were:
American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
The AANP certification board is newer (formed in 2013) and offers NP exams similar to the ANCC — but with significant differences.
AANP Exams
The AANP currently offers only three NP certification exams:
A major plus, in my opinion: the AANP exams are 100% clinical, focused on assessment, diagnosis, plan, and evaluation of patient cases. The only exception is the ENP exam, which has a small percentage of professional, legal, and ethical practice questions. All three exams have 150 questions, 135 of which count toward your grade.
The exam costs $315 for non-members and $240 for members. 2018 pass rates were:
AANP vs ANCC: Key Differences
Both exams are taken on a computer at a testing center. Unlike the NCLEX-RN, they do not shut off based on your score — you must complete the entire test. Here's where they diverge.
AANP vs ANCC: Factors to Consider
Which exam you choose depends on your specific professional goals.
This often decides it for you. To certify, you must graduate from an accredited program in that specialty. Acute care, psych, or peds → ANCC. Emergency NP → AANP. The real choice arises only for FNP or AGPCNP graduates.
Hate research, ethics, and leadership questions? Lean AANP (that's why I chose it). Strong at non-clinical content and comfortable with alternate question formats? The ANCC may suit you.
Most facilities treat AANP and ANCC NPs the same — both are nationally recognized and reimbursed by Medicare/Medicaid. Rarely, a facility prefers ANCC because it's older and not 100% clinical. Magnet hospitals do NOT require ANCC over AANP.
Planning post-masters certs? You can mix bodies, but staying with one simplifies the process. FNP wanting ENP later → AANP. Wanting ACNP or PMHNP later → ANCC. Some academic roles may prefer ANCC (though teaching at the NP level requires a doctorate anyway).
What Did I Choose?
I chose the AANP exam. It came down to the fact that I love clinical questions and really didn't enjoy research, ethics, and the like — plus I dislike alternative question formats, so a straight multiple-choice exam was perfect for me. I didn't foresee any problems, and I haven't experienced any drawbacks. There's one local hospital system that prefers ANCC and says so on its applications — but who wants to work there anyway.
If you're in NP school and about to graduate, check out my NP certification steps, where I walk through getting licensed, certified, and credentialed. Heads up — it can take longer than you think.
Key Takeaways
Related Guides
References
- ANCC Certifications. American Nurses Credentialing Center.
- AANP Certification (FNP). AANPCB.
- AANP ENP Certification. AANPCB.
- ANCC Certification Data. ANCC.
- AANPCB 2018 Pass Rate Report. AANPCB.
great content! also another thing to consider is the recertification process/fees which what also brought me back here. I took both tests before and now I think I’m going to only renewing my AANP one.
That’s a great point! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Hello William,
I love this information! Thanks so much…. I’m subscribing