AANPCB A-GNP study guide
AANPCB A-GNP · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGNP) credential is a national certification issued by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board, which now operates as the Nurse Practitioner Certification Board (NPCB). The AGNP examination is an entry-level, competency-based exam that tests clinical knowledge of the adolescent to older adult population - the span a primary care AGNP actually manages. It is intended for NPs who have completed an accredited adult-gerontology primary care program and want a credential recognized by state boards of nursing across the United States, by nurse regulators in Canada and Puerto Rico, and by Medicare, Medicaid, the VA, and private insurers. NPCB describes its certification examinations as 100% clinical and competency-based, so preparation should emphasize applied decision-making across health promotion and disease prevention, assessment and diagnosis, acute and episodic complaints, chronic and stable conditions, and geriatric syndromes rather than isolated fact recall. The AANPCB A-GNP study guide has 5 sections and about 1,512 words.
01Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Health promotion questions ask you to match a patient's age, sex, risk factors, and preferences to a screening or counseling service, then decide whether it is indicated, optional, or discouraged. Know the USPSTF framework: grade A/B services are recommended; C requires shared decision-making; D is discouraged; I means evidence is insufficient.
333 words, about 2 min02Assessment and Diagnosis
Assessment questions test clinical reasoning more than recall. You must generate a prioritized differential, identify red flags, choose the test that most changes management, and interpret results in the context of pretest probability.
334 words, about 2 min03Acute and Episodic Conditions
Acute and episodic questions ask: is this self-limited, bacterial, or an emergency? Your job is to recognize dangerous mimics, use severity tools, and avoid antibiotics when they do not help.
298 words, about 1 min04Chronic and Stable Conditions
Chronic care questions reward individualized targets, safe titration, and monitoring. Know major guidelines but expect to adjust for age, frailty, kidney function, and cost.
270 words, about 1 min05Geriatric Syndromes and Care of the Older Adult
Geriatric questions test recognition of syndromes that cross organ systems: falls, delirium, dementia, incontinence, polypharmacy, frailty, and elder mistreatment. Older adults often present atypically-delirium, falls, or poor intake instead of fever or pain.
277 words, about 1 min