ANCC AGPCNP-BC study guide
ANCC AGPCNP-BC · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Board Certification (AGPCNP-BC) is a specialty credential offered through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), one of the credentialing arms of the American Nurses Enterprise. ANCC describes certification as a way to "validate that you have the skills needed to succeed in this ever-changing profession," and lists AGPCNP-BC among its advanced practice certification options alongside AGACNP-BC and Family NP. The ANCC AGPCNP-BC study guide has 5 sections and about 1,622 words.
01Assessment
Assessment items test whether you can build a complete, purposeful database before naming a problem. Know the components: chief complaint in the patient's own words; history of present illness using OLDCARTS (onset, location, duration, character, aggravating and associated factors, relieving factors, timing, severity); past medical and surgical history; a full medication list including OTC products, herbals, and supplements; allergies with the type of reaction; family and social history (tobacco, alcohol, substance use, occupation, home safety, caregiver availability); and a targeted review of systems.
354 words, about 2 min02Diagnosis
Diagnosis questions reward structured clinical reasoning. Build a prioritized differential from the history and exam, then test hypotheses.
325 words, about 2 min03Planning
Planning translates diagnosis into an individualized, evidence-based, mutually agreed course of action. A complete plan includes a problem list, measurable goals, guideline-concordant therapy, shared decision making, patient education and self-management support, attention to health literacy and social determinants (cost, transportation, food access, caregiver capacity), preventive care, referrals, and a documented follow-up interval.
318 words, about 2 min04Implementation
Implementation is executing the plan: prescribing, counseling, coordinating, and documenting. For older adults, start low and go slow, estimate creatinine clearance with Cockcroft-Gault before using renally cleared drugs, and screen for interactions including OTC products and herbals.
310 words, about 2 min05Evaluation
Evaluation closes the loop: did the plan work, is it safe, and does it need revision? Assess goal attainment with objective data, adherence, adverse effects, patient experience, and quality metrics.
315 words, about 2 min