ANM exam preparation needs a clear plan because state ANM papers mix core nursing (community health, midwifery, child health and first aid) with general knowledge, and in Uttar Pradesh you first need a valid PET score. This guide gives a phase-wise plan, daily timetables, the best books and a last 30 days strategy for ANM exam preparation for UPSSSC (UP), Rajasthan, Bihar and other state recruitments.
In this guide:
- Who should read this
- ANM exam overview
- ANM exam preparation plan (5 months)
- Daily timetables
- Best books
- Mock tests, PYQs and revision
- Last 30 days and exam day
- Frequently asked questions
Who should read this guide
This plan is for women who have completed (or are in the final year of) the ANM training course and want a government Female Health Worker / ANM post. It works for fresh ANM pass-outs, contractual ANMs already working under NHM, and candidates who are preparing alongside a job or family responsibilities.
Before you start, confirm the state rules: UPSSSC requires the UP PET scorecard of the year named in the advertisement, while states like Rajasthan and Bihar have run direct recruitment with registration in the state nursing council. Our ANM notification 2026 hub lists the latest verified cycles.
ANM exam overview in brief
Most state ANM papers are objective multiple choice tests. The professional part follows the Indian Nursing Council ANM syllabus: community health nursing, health promotion (nutrition, hygiene, environment), primary health care nursing (first aid, communicable diseases, common conditions), child health nursing, midwifery and health centre management. Some boards add general knowledge, state GK, Hindi or computers.
For example, the UPSSSC Female Health Worker (ANM) main exam of January 2026 was reported as a 100-question, 100-mark paper of 2 hours with one-fourth negative marking. For complete state-wise details, read the ANM exam pattern and syllabus guide.
ANM exam preparation plan (5 months)
| Phase | Duration | Focus | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1: Core subjects | Month 1 to 2 | Community health nursing, midwifery (antenatal, labour, postnatal care), child health and immunisation | Short notes plus 30 to 40 MCQs a day |
| Phase 2: Remaining syllabus | Month 3 | Health promotion and nutrition, first aid, communicable diseases, family planning, health centre management, basic anatomy | Topic-wise tests each weekend |
| Phase 3: Programmes and GK | Month 4 | National health programmes, NHM schemes, state GK, current affairs, previous year papers | One full mock a week, error notebook |
| Phase 4: Revision and mocks | Month 5 | Two full revisions, daily mocks, PYQs | Stable score and accuracy |
Subject priority for ANM exams
- Midwifery: signs of pregnancy, antenatal visits and investigations, danger signs, stages of labour, partograph basics, postnatal care, breastfeeding.
- Child health: newborn care, immunisation schedule, growth and development, diarrhoea and ORS, pneumonia signs, malnutrition.
- Community health nursing: health care delivery system, sub-centre functions, home visits, role of ANM, ASHA and Anganwadi worker, records and registers.
- Family planning: temporary and permanent methods, eligible couple register, counselling.
- Communicable diseases and first aid: TB, malaria, dengue, leprosy, hepatitis, wound care, burns, fractures, poisoning, CPR basics.
- Nutrition and environmental sanitation: nutrients, deficiency diseases, safe water, waste disposal.
- National health programmes and schemes.
- General section where applicable.
Our obstetrics and midwifery notes, pediatric nursing notes and community health nursing notes are written to cover these priorities.
Daily timetable for ANM aspirants
Full-time aspirant (7 to 8 hours)
| Time | Task |
|---|---|
| 6:30 to 8:30 am | New topic (midwifery or child health) |
| 9:00 to 10:30 am | Second topic from the priority list |
| 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | 40 to 50 MCQs with analysis |
| 2:00 to 3:30 pm | Revision of the previous days |
| 4:00 to 5:00 pm | GK, current affairs or state GK |
| 6:00 to 7:00 pm | Class or recorded lecture |
| 8:30 to 9:00 pm | Revise tables and the error notebook |
Working ANM or home-maker (2 to 3 hours)
| Slot | Task |
|---|---|
| Morning (1 hour) | One topic from notes |
| Break or travel (20 to 30 minutes) | Flash revision: immunisation schedule, normal values, programme facts |
| Evening (1 hour) | 30 MCQs and error notebook |
| Weekly off | One full mock test and revision of the week |
If you already work at a sub-centre, connect every chapter to your daily work: registers, home visits, immunisation sessions and referrals. Many questions test exactly this practical knowledge.
Preparing for UP PET alongside the ANM syllabus
If you are targeting UPSSSC, treat the PET as a separate small project. It is a general paper, so nursing knowledge does not help here. Give it 45 to 60 minutes a day for six to eight weeks before the PET date:
- Practise general Hindi, basic English and reasoning daily with short timed sets.
- Revise UP general knowledge, Indian history, geography, polity and current affairs from one standard book.
- Solve previous PET papers to understand the level and speed required.
- After the PET, switch fully back to the ANM syllabus, because the main exam decides your merit.
High-yield topics checklist
Before your first full mock, make sure you can answer questions on each of these without notes:
- Universal Immunisation Programme schedule, including birth doses and vaccines at 6, 10 and 14 weeks
- Minimum antenatal visits, investigations and iron-folic acid and calcium supplementation in pregnancy
- Stages of labour, signs of placental separation and immediate newborn care
- Danger signs in pregnancy, labour, the postnatal period and the newborn
- Exclusive breastfeeding for six months and the start of complementary feeding
- ORS preparation, zinc in diarrhoea and signs of dehydration
- Family planning methods, their mechanism and common counselling points
- Incubation periods and modes of spread of common communicable diseases
- Deficiency diseases of vitamins and minerals
- First aid for burns, fractures, bleeding, snake bite and poisoning
- Registers and records maintained at the sub-centre
Best books for ANM exam preparation
- Your ANM course textbooks based on the Indian Nursing Council syllabus (community health nursing, health promotion, primary health care nursing, child health nursing, midwifery, health centre management). These are the base of the paper.
- Textbook of Obstetrics by D.C. Dutta: for a clearer understanding of pregnancy, labour and puerperium (read selected chapters).
- Park’s Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine by K. Park: for communicable diseases, nutrition and programmes, as a reference rather than cover to cover.
- Community Health Nursing by K.K. Gulani: simple language for community topics.
- A standard general knowledge book and a state GK book for the general section.
- Previous year papers of UPSSSC, RSSB and other state ANM exams.
How to use mock tests and previous year papers
- Start topic-wise tests from month two and full-length mocks from month four.
- Analyse every mock: note why each wrong answer was wrong and write the correct fact in an error notebook.
- Practise negative marking discipline. Blind guesses make your score unpredictable, but once you can eliminate one or two options, an attempt usually pays off.
- Solve previous papers in exam timing to train speed.
The Concept RNA ANM test series is built for UPSSSC and Rajasthan ANM aspirants. You can also check your level first with our free test series.
Revision method
Keep one-page tables for: immunisation schedule, antenatal visit schedule, stages of labour, family planning methods, diseases with incubation periods, vitamins and deficiencies, normal values and first aid steps. Revise these every week, and revise each topic after one day, one week and one month.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Ignoring the PET in UP: without a valid PET scorecard of the required year, you cannot apply for the UPSSSC ANM main exam.
- Studying only GNM or B.Sc level material and missing the ANM-level practical questions.
- Leaving GK and current affairs to the last week.
- Guessing heavily in papers with negative marking.
- Not checking the state notice for eligibility and registration requirements.
Habits of successful ANM candidates
- A fixed daily MCQ target, even on busy days.
- Own handwritten tables instead of long notes.
- Weekly full mock with honest analysis.
- Regular reading of health schemes and news.
- Calm, steady routine rather than long irregular study days.
Last 30 days plan and exam-day tips
| Days | Plan |
|---|---|
| Day 30 to 21 | Full revision of midwifery, child health and community health, mock every alternate day |
| Day 20 to 11 | Revision of remaining subjects and GK, previous year papers, daily mock |
| Day 10 to 4 | Only tables, short notes and error notebook, one mock a day in exam timing |
| Day 3 to 1 | Light revision, check admit card, centre route and documents, sleep well |
Exam-day tips
- Carry the admit card and the original photo ID it specifies; reach early.
- Attempt sure questions first, then return to doubtful ones.
- Read words like “not”, “except” and “first action” carefully.
- Fill the OMR sheet as you go in offline exams.
Frequently asked questions
How long does ANM exam preparation take?
Four to five months of steady study is enough for most ANM pass-outs. If your basics are strong, three months of focused practice and mocks can work.
Do I need PET for the UP ANM exam?
Yes. The UPSSSC Female Health Worker advertisement 11-Exam/2024 allowed only PET-2023 participants with a valid score to apply. Future advertisements will name the PET year they accept.
Which subject is most important for ANM exams?
Midwifery, child health and community health nursing usually carry the most questions, followed by family planning, communicable diseases and first aid.
Can I prepare for Rajasthan and UP ANM together?
Yes. The professional syllabus is common. Add UP or Rajasthan GK depending on the paper. See our UP ANM course and Rajasthan ANM course.
Are mock tests necessary for the ANM exam?
Yes. Mocks build speed and help you control negative marking. Take at least one full mock a week in the last two months.
Prepare with Concept RNA
Turn this plan into results with ANM batches for UP and Rajasthan from Concept RNA, Jaipur, which has trained 25,000+ students since 2011.