My initial impression of taking the NAPLEX was that I would be all done with the work of Pharm School. I thought maybe I could do some reviewing and I would be done! This did not stand the test of time.
The Real Exam Format is a format that was a surprise to me.
When I began the preparation for naplex questions I found out that this exam has a whole new way of thinking to any test I have taken in school. It wasn't the kind of recall that was required for information to be found in a book. It involved using clinical judgement, frequently under time constraints, and patient scenarios with multiple possible answers. It took me a bit longer to get that way of thinking.
The first two weeks I reviewed the content the wrong way. Read through notes and passively re-learning topics rather than testing myself. I was not very confident and my retention was even worse. After being able to work on a naplex practice question every day, things began to come together. The exposure to exam style reasoning enabled me to see beyond the literal meaning of the question to what it was really asking.
My initial weaknesses were in pharmacokinetics and drug calculations. I didn't want to see them at first, but it wasn't a wise decision. After spending dedicated time on those topics, and practicing naplex exam questions regularly around those topics, I stopped being afraid of that portion of the naplex. I gained my skill and comfort level through repetition.
The Change of Perspective that Changed Everything
Approximately halfway through the preparation, I no longer wanted to memorize every single part of the syllabus, but I wanted to think like a pharmacist who has to make decisions. That seems easy, but really did help me with every question. I started to find the clinical condition in each scenario not only to look for a fact that matched in my memory but to look for the clinical priority.
I also began to record the questions that I always failed on. That was a habit that showed me some patterns that I wouldn't have known if I hadn't done that. There were some things I did wrong that weren't due to lack of knowledge. They were for misunderstanding the question stem or not taking the patient context into account.
At this time, I stumbled upon Pass4Success online, searching for more questions on naplex to add to my own materials. I used it as one of many practice resources to not repeat use of the same question sets to the detriment of my questions. The diversity made it easier for me to keep my mind fresh on various topics.
I Wish Someone Had Told Me Earlier Lessons
The ability to manage time developed into a skill that I had to work on. There were some naplex pdf questions that were very lengthy and complicated and I had to get in the habit of moving on instead of getting stuck on a question.
In retrospect, the best that I have done is not to be intense, but consistent. Results of short and intensive daily sessions were much better than the few long days of occasional cramming.
It's a true humbling experience to start preparing for the NAPLEX but once you know what it's testing, it's doable. As I walked in, I underestimated the level of reasoning over recalling during the exam. I had developed an entirely new set of skills for looking at a clinical problem and thinking about and studying it. When I needed variety and volume, I was able to maintain a steady pace in my naplex questions preparation with the help of resources such as Pass4Success. And more than perhaps anything else, it was the consistency and the mindset shift.
