Top 10 High-Yield Topics Every NP Candidate Should Master Before the Boards
Real Talk from a Certified Nurse Practitioner
By Wes Clayton, MSN, FNP-BC
Founder of Next-NP: The Affordable, All-in-One NP Board Review
When you’re preparing for the AANP or ANCC exam, the sheer volume of material can feel overwhelming. The truth? Not every single guideline or rare disorder carries the same weight on the boards. Some topics show up over and over again—and if you master them, you’ll walk into exam day with a major confidence boost.
Here are the 10 high-yield areas every NP candidate should prioritize in their study plan:
1. Hypertension Management
Know first-line treatments (thiazides, ACE inhibitors, ARBs, CCBs) and how comorbidities like diabetes or CKD influence drug choice.
✅ Pro Tip: Make flashcards with first-line meds by comorbidity (e.g., ACE inhibitors for CKD, thiazides for African American patients) and quiz yourself until it’s second nature.
2. Diabetes Diagnosis and Treatment
Review diagnostic criteria (A1C, fasting glucose, oral glucose tolerance) and management differences between Type 1 and Type 2.
✅ Pro Tip: Practice converting lab values into real-life scenarios—for example, “A patient has an A1C of 7.2%. What’s the next best step?”
3. Lipid Disorders
Expect questions about statin initiation, ASCVD risk scoring, and treatment guidelines for different age groups.
✅ Pro Tip: Memorize the “statin ladder” by age and risk factors, then jot it down during your exam brain dump.
4. Thyroid Disorders
Hypo vs. hyperthyroidism labs, treatment, and common complications—especially in special populations like pregnancy.
✅ Pro Tip: Associate lab results with a “thermostat”—TSH up, thyroid down (hypo); TSH down, thyroid up (hyper). This visual trick saves time on test day.
5. Pulmonary Conditions
Asthma vs. COPD—recognizing differences in presentation, diagnosis, and treatment. Also, know when to escalate therapy.
✅ Pro Tip: Remember “ABC”—Asthma responds to Beta-agonists and Corticosteroids; COPD requires more step-up therapy including anticholinergics.
6. Infectious Diseases
UTIs, strep throat, pneumonia, and STI management are staples. Make sure you’re comfortable with antibiotic choices and guidelines.
✅ Pro Tip: Create an “antibiotic cheat sheet” with first-line choices for common conditions—UTI, pneumonia, cellulitis—and review it weekly.
7. Cardiac Red Flags
Chest pain differentials, murmurs, and management of heart failure. Anything that could be life-threatening is fair game.
✅ Pro Tip: Learn which murmurs get louder with maneuvers (like Valsalva) vs. which get softer—these classic board questions are easy points if you’ve reviewed them.
8. Musculoskeletal Complaints
Low back pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis. Recognize when imaging or referral is needed versus conservative management.
✅ Pro Tip: Memorize red flag symptoms (“TUNA FISH”—Trauma, Unexplained weight loss, Neurological symptoms, Age >50, Fever, IV drug use, Steroid use, History of cancer) to know when imaging is required.
9. Dermatology
Rashes, cellulitis, shingles, and skin cancer screenings pop up often. The boards love asking you to differentiate look-alike conditions.
✅ Pro Tip: Compare rashes side by side in your notes—if you can describe two key differences between each, you’ll be able to pick the right answer under pressure.
10. Health Promotion & Screening Guidelines
Don’t overlook prevention—cancer screenings, immunization schedules, and lifestyle counseling are tested heavily.
✅ Pro Tip: Tie screening ages to memorable life events (e.g., colonoscopy at 45 = “midlife milestone”). Memory hooks make guidelines stick.
Bottom Line: Focus Where It Matters Most
There’s no way to memorize everything, and the good news is—you don’t have to. By prioritizing high-yield areas, you’ll not only improve your exam score but also strengthen the core knowledge you’ll use daily as a Nurse Practitioner.
If you want all these topics (and more) laid out in a structured, stress-free format, check out Next-NP: The Affordable, All-in-One NP Board Review. It’s designed to cover the highest-yield exam content while keeping you on track and burnout-free.
Written by Wes Clayton, MSN, FNP-BC
Certified Family Nurse Practitioner | Founder of Next-NP