Board Prep · 5 min read · March 27, 2026
Stop cramming. Your brain needs consolidation time. New information learned in the last 48 hours is unlikely to help you — and the stress of cramming can hurt your performance.
Do a light review only. Flip through your high-yield cheat sheets. Review your weakest areas briefly. Don't try to learn anything new.
Confirm your logistics. Check your testing center location, parking, and arrival time. Know exactly where you're going and how long it will take.
Prepare your ID. You'll need a government-issued photo ID that matches the name on your registration. Check that it's not expired.
Get your sleep. Aim for 7–8 hours both nights before the exam. Sleep is when memory consolidation happens. Staying up late to study is counterproductive.
Lay out everything you need. ID, confirmation email, snacks, water, comfortable clothes. Don't leave anything to the morning.
Eat a real dinner. Not too heavy, not too light. Your brain runs on glucose.
Limit alcohol and caffeine. Both disrupt sleep quality. One glass of wine is fine. A bottle is not.
Do something relaxing. Watch a show, take a walk, call a friend. You've done the work. Let your brain rest.
Set two alarms. You don't need the stress of oversleeping.
Eat breakfast. Protein and complex carbohydrates. Eggs, oatmeal, yogurt. Avoid heavy, greasy food that can cause GI discomfort.
Limit caffeine. Your usual amount is fine. Don't double up — caffeine anxiety is real and it will hurt your performance.
Arrive early. Aim to arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled start time. Give yourself buffer for traffic, parking, and check-in.
Bring snacks and water. Most testing centers allow snacks during breaks. Bring something with protein and complex carbs — nuts, a granola bar, fruit.
Read every question twice. Especially the last sentence (the actual question).
Trust your first instinct. Change answers only if you realize you misread the question.
Use all your time. Don't rush through. If you finish early, go back and review flagged questions.
Take your breaks. The testing center will offer breaks. Take them. Stand up, stretch, eat your snack, reset your focus.
Don't catastrophize mid-exam. If you hit a stretch of hard questions, don't panic. The exam includes unscored pilot questions. A difficult section doesn't mean you're failing.
Results are typically available within 1–2 business days for AANP and 2–4 weeks for ANCC. In the meantime: rest. You've earned it.