Studying for professional exams

[Phoenix84]

I'm looking into taking the CHP (certified health physicist) exam next year (next July to be specific).  It's pretty rough, as I imagine most professional exams are.  Last I heard, the passing rate for part I was 33%.  So I'm not sure if I can even pass it even if I study.

I ordered some books but have not started studying yet.  I figure if I'm going to take it, I should study for the next 11 months or so.  The problem is, I never really developed good study habbits.  I never really studied much up until my last couple years of college.  I've always been a very good audial learner though.  I remember a lot of what I hear, so often I didn't need to study if I attended the lectures. 

Anyway, do you have any tips or strategies on how to effectively study long term for a professional exam?  In particular, how do you stay motivated and keep up with it?  I'd like to hear from everyone, but in particular people who have taken professional examns in the past, like the bar, the PE, the CPA, or the actuary exams.

[movingforward]

I plan to take a professional exam in May 2014.  I found a prep class/study group that starts in Sept.  A professional that has passed the exam leads the group.  It costs $375 for a 12 week session (meets for 2 hrs once a week).  I can then retake the class the spring if I want for only $150.  Is there anything like that for your certification? 

[Cookies Galore]

Are there online self-assessment or practice exams you can sign up for? Retired questions are used for these self tests and are also used in test prep books, so you can get an idea of what the exam will be like. What is the test structure of the CHP? I deal mainly with multiple choice examinations.
There are also online message boards that students use to discuss preparing for an exam. We keep our eye on these things to make sure no one is exposing live items.

[whoisjohngalt]

I have no tips for you, but wanted to say "good luck"

I am terrible at studying, but really good at taking exams.  I did CPA and GMAT

[HoneyBBQ]

Yes, I had similar exams. Make yourself as schedule/calendar and put WHAT you will be studying and WHEN. Collect all the info you'll need to study and then organize. If you're studying books, put down one book a month. Then break down the chapters by weeks. Then figure out what days of the week you're going to study. Same with online reports, study exams, etc. So it might look like:

Sept: Book 1 --Sept 1-7, Chapters 1-3; Sept 8-15, Chapters 4-6; ....
Oct : Book 2
Nov : Book 3
Dec: Online reports A, B, C
Jan:....

April: Practice Exams
May: Review items missed on practice exams/problems
June: Cram notes
July: Take exam.

[HoneyBBQ]

PS - for my professional exam I basically made a binder with subject tabs where I put my notes. So you might have tab that has "regulations' and then all your notes on state/federal regulations go in that tab. Another tab might be "equipment" - put those notes under there. You might also have basic radiation principles, personnel exposure limits, nuclear power regs, etc. (just guessing about what a health physicist needs).

Don't organize by what you learned in each book, but rather what you learned on each subject.

I still reference my "binder" all the time. It is the fastest way for me to find the information I need. 

[greeniis10]

Online practice tests are very helpful, IMHO.  I don't have study tips to give as I didn't have to study much in high school and then struggled to learn them after that as quickly as possible.  I'm sure others have better tips on that topic than I.  I passed my professional exams but it was a lot of work for me!

However, you are a fast learner: as I reached your last paragraph I was afraid you were making the dreaded "list" of who you wanted to hear from!  You didn't name names so as not to offend, so good job!  (And I'm just kidding: I wasn't offended by the list; just giving you a bad time about it.) 

[Cookies Galore]

Jul 30, 2013 14:45:12 GMT -5 greeniis10 said:

Online practice tests are very helpful, IMHO.  I don't have study tips to give as I didn't have to study much in high school and then struggled to learn them after that as quickly as possible.  I'm sure others have better tips on that topic than I.  I passed my professional exams but it was a lot of work for me!

However, you are a fast learner: as I reached your last paragraph I was afraid you were making the dreaded "list" of who you wanted to hear from!  You didn't name names so as not to offend, so good job!  (And I'm just kidding: I wasn't offended by the list; just giving you a bad time about it.) 

Wait a minute! He didn't name names, but he sure as hell didn't list my professional examination! :-P

Lol

[Deleted]

It's been eons since I took actuarial exams and what works for one person may not work for another- I had a boss who studied from about 4 AM till he left for work every day.  He liked that his studying was already done when he got home from work.  He had a great track record, though.  Another would study in the office evenings and weekends and his first marriage broke up.  Everyone is also different as far as how they spread out the study load; I preferred to start early and increase study time moderately as I got closer to the exam; waiting to cram a month before owuld have been far too stressful.

One thing that worked for me was index cards- tons of them.  Each would have the question on the front and the answer on the back (list perils covered by the HO-3 policy form, for example).  I dragged those darn cards with me everywhere so that I could review them in waiting lines, etc.  A high-tech version:  record you or a friend reciting the key stuff and listen to it while jogging, driving, etc.

I never highlighted books.  I hate that. 

There may also be on-line groups of people studying for the same exam- I know actuaries have the Actuarial Outpost and people ask very specific questions about exam material.

Can you talk to people who have taken and passed the exam?  They may be able to tell you whether to focus on memorizing lists, being able to compare and contrast various readings on a subject, etc.

I took notes as I read everything and also did the index cards- and never again reviewed the notes.  Weird, I know, but the act of distilling info into notes in itself kept me focused and let some of the material sink in.  

You do need to be very structured and plan everything else around study times.  Remind yourself that if you get the highest possible flunking score you'll have to do it all over again.  May as well do it right the first time.   

[spartan7886]

Jul 30, 2013 14:40:51 GMT -5 HoneyBBQ said:

Yes, I had similar exams. Make yourself as schedule/calendar and put WHAT you will be studying and WHEN. Collect all the info you'll need to study and then organize. If you're studying books, put down one book a month. Then break down the chapters by weeks. Then figure out what days of the week you're going to study. Same with online reports, study exams, etc. So it might look like:

Sept: Book 1 --Sept 1-7, Chapters 1-3; Sept 8-15, Chapters 4-6; ....
Oct : Book 2
Nov : Book 3
Dec: Online reports A, B, C
Jan:....

April: Practice Exams
May: Review items missed on practice exams/problems
June: Cram notes
July: Take exam.

DH did this when he took his PE. He also found a friend and set up regular weekly study breaks, so he had both a reason to study this week (so he wouldn't be behind his friend) and a reward (when they played tennis afterward). He wound up making like a 92.

My employer will pay for a 40 hr class, so I'll do less studying on my own before I take it. The pass rate for the petroleum engineering PE first time is like 70% though, so not quite as bad.

[cael]

I have a professional license but I imagine it isn't anything as rigorous as what you guys are talking about... although two coworkers of mine did fail it 3 times each before passing. I'm a procrastinator extraordinaire, so I took a prep course that was very helpful 10 months before I took the exam. I then crammed for about 2 weeks before the exam (reading/highlighting in the book from the course), and I passed, although with like a 72 when a 68 is required to pass. That was better than my coworkers did though... the book I got with the prep course is what helped me most, I studied from that. There are some huge awful looking text books I could've used too but I didn't bother. (it's an environmental health license)

[souldoubt]

For my CPA exams and for the other professional exam I took I used the study program and/or books to go chapter by chapter and take my own notes in spiral bound notebooks.  At the end of each chapter I did all the practice questions.  After getting through all the chapters I went back to my notes and went through those chapter by chapter while doing the questions at the end of each chapter again.  The last few weeks before the exam I just did practice questions using questions online.  For both my exams I got access to question banks with a thousand plus questions to go over.  At that point I focused on the areas I was weaker on, re-read my notes on those chapters again and focused on questions from those chapters.

I stayed motivated because I wanted to get it over with so I could move on to the next section or in the case of the final one with my life.  I spent a few hours each night during the week and study sessions on the weekends for months preparing. 

[Phoenix84]

Colorado State University offers a CHP prep class.  I don't know the details, but it was pretty expensive, but supposedly pretty good.  It was like $2000.00 or something like that.  I think it was offered next spring, before the exam in July.  There are other prep books and online questions.  I don't mind spending some money, but I'd like to spend money on good resources.

[Phoenix84]

There are two parts to the CHP exam.  In theory you could take both parts in one year, but that's crazy.  Assuming I pass part I, I'd take part II the following July in 2015.  The first part is multiple choice.  The second part is more practical applications, and requires you to solve math problems.

The former chairmen of the American Board of Health Physics sits on our reactor safety committee.  I bought the book he reccomended and planned to start by reading through it and and making note cards.  Maybe I'll e-mail him and see if he has any other suggestions.

[Phoenix84]

Jul 30, 2013 14:42:45 GMT -5 HoneyBBQ said:

PS - for my professional exam I basically made a binder with subject tabs where I put my notes. So you might have tab that has "regulations' and then all your notes on state/federal regulations go in that tab. Another tab might be "equipment" - put those notes under there. You might also have basic radiation principles, personnel exposure limits, nuclear power regs, etc. (just guessing about what a health physicist needs).

Don't organize by what you learned in each book, but rather what you learned on each subject.

I still reference my "binder" all the time. It is the fastest way for me to find the information I need. 

That's good advice, and you covered quite a few of the topics.  They'll have some health problems, and from what I hear, quite a number of radioactive material shipping questions.

[Phoenix84]

Megahn is right, I did make a list.  I made a list of certifications/exams that was not all inclusive.  For example I did not include the CIH or CSP certifications, as well as I'm sure many more.

[Cookies Galore]

Jul 30, 2013 15:51:13 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

Megahn is right, I did make a list.  I made a list of certifications/exams that was not all inclusive.  For example I did not include the CIH or CSP certifications, as well as I'm sure many more.

I was just ribbing you! :-)

[973beachbum]

Jul 30, 2013 15:46:31 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

Jul 30, 2013 14:42:45 GMT -5 HoneyBBQ said:

PS - for my professional exam I basically made a binder with subject tabs where I put my notes. So you might have tab that has "regulations' and then all your notes on state/federal regulations go in that tab. Another tab might be "equipment" - put those notes under there. You might also have basic radiation principles, personnel exposure limits, nuclear power regs, etc. (just guessing about what a health physicist needs).

Don't organize by what you learned in each book, but rather what you learned on each subject.

I still reference my "binder" all the time. It is the fastest way for me to find the information I need. 

That's good advice, and you covered quite a few of the topics.  They'll have some health problems, and from what I hear, quite a number of radioactive material shipping questions.

I didn't take a professional exam like you are talking about but I lived through DH taking the PE twice.  does that count for anything?  I didn't kill him even though I wanted to a few times.

He got the best results after taking a practice test first. It allwed him to know what he needed to relearn or even totally the first time from scratch in a few cases.  then after taking the practice test he set up his study around what he had not done well on it.   They he just went methodically through the study book until he could do the questions in the time allowed.  He ended up spending about twelve hours a week studing in the four months before the exam.

The PE it is an open book exam. For the record he carried his books in on a hand truck.

[raeoflyte]

My Dh is studying for boards this September to add more initials after his name. He has everything on "the cloud" and reads or listens to podcasts constantly. Hopefully he'll pass because I can't take another year of this.

Good luck phoenix!

[Deleted]

I hold a rather exclusive certification that only 128 others in the world do. It included 19 days straight of training, a 4hr written exam, and a 6 hour lab exam.

To prepare, I read EVERYTHING.  Industry books, blogs, vendor documents, etc.  I also built labs and tried to guess at what they might throw at me.

They key is to dedicate the time to study.  It has to be your #1 mission outside of staying employed for the duration.

[cronewitch]

I did the CPA exam and am not a studier either but passed. I took a review class that gave ideas and practice exams. Much of it was mulitiple choice and they recycle the test questions. So you do all the old test and memorize the questions and answers.

I would read the questions and answers without guessing a few times then guess the answers. Those I knew I stopped studying and keep trying with the harder questions.  Not wasting a lot of time just memorizing hundreds of questions and answers. 

Other things to memorize were written on 3X5 cards with the answers on the back. These can be read when you have even a minute like waiting for something.

Half the test was essay questions. Two tips on essay questions were to first use the correct words even if you don't know the correct answer. The second tip is to read the essay question but not answer until you finish the multiple choice questions. So for the test it was read essay questions, answer multiple choice that you know for sure, start essays, go over multiple choice to finish those you skipped, finish essays.

It worked really well for me. The time after you read the essay questions gives your mind time to compose the answer and reminds you of words you might want to use. Later multiple choice questions might give you answers to earlier questions so going over them twice makes the hard ones easy.

I took 3 weeks off for the exam so the two weeks before I went over all the info a few more times so it was fresh. The mornings of the exam I took my 3X5 cards and sat in my car outside the test site to get last minute refresh and to be very early for the test since it is timed and you can't be late arriving 2-3 hours early gives you time to study on site.

I also took several dozen sharp pencils so I didn't have to worry about broken lead. I also took a drink or snack I don't remember. The test took days and was pretty stressful but it wasn't really that bad.

The pass rate was about 5% but the people who prepared seemed to do much better, some took it just to see how hard it was or try to pass only a few parts at a time. I didn't want to do it twice so gave it a good shot and got high scores on all the parts.

[msventoux]

My review materials are PDF and I have them on Evernote.  I read the materials and take handwritten notes, then scan my notes and upload to Evernote.  It takes forever, but I can often remember things better from writing them out than from just reading them.  If I'm having trouble with an area I watch some lectures on that area and make notes, which get uploaded with my other notes.  I like Evernote because I can have the app on my phone too and read my notes wherever I'm at when I have a few minutes.  You can also search through all of the notes, even the handwritten ones...if your writing isn't too messy.   You can also tag different subjects, and since my exam has several parts there's some overlap in the materials so it's nice to be able to quickly find related subjects.

Once I've written out all of my notes from the review materials I've been hammering away at multiple choice questions.  For any questions I get wrong I write down some sort of statement or explanation that clarifies the concept.  As I'm going through the subjects I take short quizzes on the material I've moved past to make sure I'm not forgetting the details of the concepts I've already covered.  Then a week or two before the exam I start taking practice exams and really focusing in on the areas that I'm weakest on.  It's been working well so far!

I'm also an awesome procrastinator and really enjoy making schedules and plans and spreadsheets...and not following through with any of them.  I finally came to the point that I decided to just get it over with.  I'm not on a set study schedule, but I'll schedule my exams and know what material I have to get through before the exam.  Some weeks I'm really good and study every day and other weeks I barely do anything other than some quick review questions.  Of course, it was easier to slack off before I had passed any sections.  After passing some it lights a bit of a fire under you since if you don't pass the rest of the sections you'll eventually lose credit for the sections that were passed. 

[Angel!]

I took the PE and the absolute most helpful thing was the review course I took. It gave me an idea of the type of questions to expect and what material I needed to know.

As someone else mentioned the PE is open book. So this advice may not apply if yours is not, but I actually created my own book of equations, tables, and other information that would be helpful. This helped in a few ways. First, I remember things very well when I write them down, so writing my own book helped me learn material. Second, I not only condensed the material for easier reference, but I was also extremely familiar with the layout I put together so I knew exactly where to find the information I needed.So despite having an entire suitcase of reference books, I was able to answer around 80% of the questions out of my 50 or so pages of notes that I put together, which was a huge time saver during the test also.

[tskeeter]

When I sat for the CPA exam, I was realistic enough to know that I'd have motivation and self discipline problems if I did the self study approach.  So I paid for a review course.  The structure of regularly scheduled classes provided the discipline I would have lacked.  The content of the course moved you through the material so that you covered all of the appropriate topics at an appropriate level of detail.  And the professionally prepared course content provided a focus on current industry hot buttons that were likely to appear in the exam that inexperienced candidates probably wouldn't identify on their own.

The structure of the review course allowed me to pass all parts of the exam on the first attempt.  So, it was well worth the cost of the review course to not have to go through the exam prep and exam process more than once. 

[Regis]

When I took the PE (way back last century), I tried to study an hour every other night.  Lots of review of former questions from the exam.  The big thing for me was knowing what book I could open to help me once I read a particular question.  I've heard of lots of people taking piles and piles of books but not knowing which one would help them with the question they've just encountered on the exam.  I probably only had maybe a dozen or less books with me for the exam.