Certification Exam

So, I'm so excited to be posting that a major component of my Sunday afternoon was spent researching which certifying exam I should take. Yes, we are finally at that point! I informed my advisor that I am pregnant and need to take the exam in early July and she told me that I should start the application process now.

So ANCC vs AANP....no one can really tell me clear difference. Including my advisor. Yesterday, I set out on a knowledge quest to discern which one I should take and it's coming down to a few factors:

• The AANP exam is 150 questions vs the ANCC with 175
• AANP exam is about $50 cheaper (if memory serves)
• AANP has a posted passing rate, couldn't find one with ANCC
• AANP does not test on theory, ANCC does
• AANP will grant you a 120 day testing window, ANCC gives you 90 days
• Both certify you for 5 years
• Both accept CME as continuing ed credits and required 1000 hours of practice in 5 years with 75 credits
• AANP credentials are NP-C, ANCC credentials are FNP-BC (my advisor said there is no preference for one over the other)
• AANP application is 2 pages, AANC is 4 with parts that the school needs to fill out

Anecdotally, I have heard that the AANP is easier in some ways...so it seems to me that it's a no brainer to take this exam. My next goal is to find out why some of my classmates are opting to go the other route, what do they know that I don't?