Questions about Exam

[Guest guest]

Hi Jeanetta,

I plan on taking my exam next month and I have been studying the materials for

quite some time now. I just would like to know how difficult the test is. I

have looked at several sites and have mainly studied out of the book " Manual for

Pharmacy Techinicans " by Y. Fred. I feel I know that material pretty well,

but I want to be sure I am ready and prepared.

Thank you!

[Guest guest]

Daer ,

What is difficult for one is easy for another. So I do not think we can say it

is difficult across the board or easy across the board or in-between for all

either.

For many years when the test was on paper and everyone got the SAME exam for one

quarter of the year, and the only thing that was different was the 'trial'

questions some would say it was so difficult and claim that they would not pass

but sat by others who would claim that it was easy as pie. This led to

speculation that the test questions were different. But PTCB said this was not

true.

As a teacher I know and from running and owning this site I know that some

people just love math and even create ways to solve other than what is taught as

standard in tech books. They find this part of the test a piece of cake. Others

struggle just to spell the word math.

Some find the Trade/generics and classifications and pharmacology very

difficult. Still others find the law and responding to the pharmacists need for

assistance difficult. etc etc.

So it is all about one's own

1. background (life experiences, education, previous jobs)

2. interests (math law etc)

3. study habits

4. sources of information to study

5. how long one has studied and becomes prepared

6. number of quizzes and pre-tests one takes to practice after studying

7. attitude toward study, becoming a tech, testing

8. past experiences with test anxiety and how one has overcome it or not.

9. abilities ( think out of the box, take standardized exams, perform math

calculations, speed in reading and coming to a conclusive answer etc)

10. so much more

So I can not answer this for you.

What I can say is this:

Post your personal background, your math abilities and interests you etc and ask

if anyone out there would care to share how hard the test was and their results

ALONG with their background, abilities, interests etc

In this way you can compare apples to apples not apples to oranges.

This is my apple:

I had a BS in Chemistry and found MATH to be very easy.

I did NOT study at all for the exam.

I had gone through a ocmmunity college program with an externship.

I had been teching for 5.5 years in a hospital, had done IV's, chemo, cassette

fill and some retail and teaching for one year WHEN I took the exam.

I thought I blew about 10 questions. But felt I had passed.

I challenged two questions - they never tell you if you were right or not

I was exhausted after the exam I went to lunch with some people after the exam

to celebrate taking it.

It took weeks/months to get my results at the time, I got 856 out of 900 scaled

points.

I did not have the luxury of a study guide as it was 1996 and only one study

book was on the market and I didn't even know about it. I relied solely on my

memory of my college classes and my current and past experience as a tech on the

job.

If your background is the same or similar to mine that would be an apple to

apple comparison. But I have not discussed how fast I read (slowly) how many

times I do and redo a problem (lots) how long it took me to test (was one of the

last to leave).

So............... may I suggest that you post what you want others to compare to

see their background and how they felt about the exam and their score.

I invite anyone to do this regardless if you match ilbustad460 or not.

This will help others to see if they are ready and what to expect.

Todays test is online, 2 hours not 3. 90 questions not 125.

the test bank randomly selects a specific number of questions from each section

of the exam and mixes them up so that NO ONE gets the SAME exact test,BUT

everyone gets the same number of questions that count the same (scaled points)

adn on smae or simialr topics to be considered an equal exam and to prevent

cheating and to retain integrity or the exam.

Over time more and more test questions are added to the test bank and some are

removed.

There are some (I have been told ten) " trial questions " that will not count but

the scaled score is still 900 max and 650 minimum.

So content has changed in that technology and drugs have changed. Federal laws

may have changed.

But the essence of the exam is the same!

Hope this helps!

Respectfully,

Jeanetta Mastron CPhT BS

Founder/Owner

>

> Hi Jeanetta,

>

> I plan on taking my exam next month and I have been studying the materials for

quite some time now. I just would like to know how difficult the test is. I

have looked at several sites and have mainly studied out of the book " Manual for

Pharmacy Techinicans " by Y. Fred. I feel I know that material pretty well,

but I want to be sure I am ready and prepared.

>

> Thank you!

>

>

>