Study method

Reaching the point in your medical training when you are ready to take your licensing exams or so-called “boards,” is the culmination of a long but fulfilling journey. These tests are intended to be thorough assessments of new physicians to make sure they are ready to independently care for patients. Preparing for your licensing exam read more…

There are so many tactics you can use when preparing to take a standardized exam such as an In-Training Exam (ITE) or Certification Exam. But there is one I found to be the most useful.

This article covers two easy strategies to help increase your likelihood of passing the Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology (CREOG) Exam and the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) Qualifying Exam. These two techniques are useful, easy to implement, and only require a little of your time. The first strategy is read more…

This article covers two easy strategies to help increase your score and likelihood of passing the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Certification Exam. These two techniques are useful, easy to implement, and only require a little of your time. The first strategy is to identify what you don‘t know. read more…

This article covers two easy strategies to help increase your ANCC Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) Certification Exam score. These two techniques are useful, easy to implement, and only require a little of your time. The first strategy is to identify what you don‘t know. Sounds easy, right? The key is to go through a read more…

This article covers two easy strategies to help increase your American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) or American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) certification exam score. These two techniques are useful, easy to implement, and only require a little of your time. The first strategy is to identify what you read more…

This article covers two easy strategies to help increase your score for the Psychiatry Resident-In-Training Examination® (PRITE®) and increase your likelihood of passing the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) Psychiatry Board Exam. These two techniques are useful, easy to implement, and only require a little of your time. The first strategy is to read more…

This article is going to show two very easy ways to help increase your ABFM Certification score by 100 points. We already know that pass rates for the ABFM exam hover around 90% for all test-takers. And we know that superior test-taking skills alone are not sufficient to pass the exam. While there is no magic pill or wand to achieve this, these two techniques are the most useful, easy to implement and only requires a little of your time. This means anyone can take advantage of them. The first tactic is to use a system over a couple of months to identify what you don’t know. Sounds easy, right? The key is to go through a curriculum and identify what you don’t know – not what you are weak at – but what you don’t know. The second strategy is to take advantage of human error. Tests are written by humans, of course, and humans make errors. This article will show you 5 very easy techniques to narrow down an answer choice to either the correct answer or to a 50/50 probability – even without knowing anything about the topic. By combining these two strategies, you’ll be able to increase your ABFM certification score by 100 points – which could be the difference between passing or failing. Let’s get started.

This article is going to show two very easy ways to help increase your PANCE or PANRE score by 100 points. I’ve written about this topic before but there is new information that I want to share. While there is no magic pill or wand to achieve this, these two techniques are the most useful and not difficult to implement and only require a little of your time. This means anyone can take advantage of them. The first tactic is to use a system over a couple of months to identify what you don;t know. Sounds easy, right? The key is going to be to go through a curriculum and identify what you don’t know – not what you are weak at – but what you don’t know. The second strategy is to take advantage of human error. Tests are written by humans, of course, and humans make errors. This article will show you 5 very easy techniques to narrow down an answer choice to either the correct answer or to a 50/50 probability – even without knowing anything about the topic. By combining these two strategies, you’ll be able to increase your PANCE or PANRE score by 10 points – which could be the difference between passing or failing. Let’s get started.

I am hosting a free 1-hour live video discussion on study strategies for your PANCE. The event is limited to the first 25 PA students who sign up. The goal is to leave the event with tactical and actionable material to prepare for your PANCE.

Q. Do you have a specific pretest breakfast? No. Q. Do you have any night-before-the-exam routines? Quit studying at least a few hours before I plan to sleep. Q. What do you bring for lunch during your exam? Peanut butter sandwich, Mountain Dew Q. Do you have any strategies that you employ during the exam (e.g. Answer particular read more…

I think it’s exceedingly important to learn your personal test-taking style. There isn’t one right way to do this. One person’s methods may not work for you. I think the trick is to be honest with yourself about what works and what doesn’t, to not feel pressured to use a specific method that doesn’t feel comfortable, and to constantly reassess what is working and what isn’t. You can’t be afraid to change directions and consider something different. A major exam is a marathon, not a sprint.

“Everything about preparing for a test and doing it is all about volume. The more times you see material the more you will remember it. No matter who you are. The more you familiarize yourself with the test environment the more natural it will be and the less you will be affected by test day jitters. No matter who you are. These are things anybody can do.”

There are so many tactics you can use when preparing to take a standardized exam such as an In-Training Exam (ITE) or Certification Exam. But there is one I found to be the most useful.