Tips For Surviving The New Zealand Intern Pharmacist Written Exam

It is that time of the year again when intern pharmacists across New Zealand are busy focusing on clearing a great hurdle to continue their career. I know how intense and stressful this period can be; I have been there not so long ago, pouring over references and practice questions every night. At the time I welcomed any piece of information I could gleam to make myself feel more prepared for the written examination. While I am bound by the confidentiality agreement I signed, I can however give you some general advice based on my experience. Here is my little gift to you and may it lessen your ordeal by getting you into the right mind frame.

Sometimes it’s not about studying hard, it’s about studying smart.

1. Know the format of the exam

This may seem like stating the obvious but this is the crucial thing you do not want to get wrong. Remember it is a multiple choice exam and it will be done on a computer. There are simulators provided by the program, please be wise and use it to familiarise yourself with the format.

2. Know where the venue is at

If you are new to the area/city, go scope out the place. Make sure you know where you are going and how to get to the exam room. Head out early to ensure you have plenty of time to get there. You do not need the extra stress of running late at this point.

3. Pick the right resources to take into the exam and make them your best friends

The obvious choices are the Australian Medicines Handbook, the law book and the Pharmacy Practice Handbook. Whichever ones you decide to take in make them your own. Mark the pages, tag them, highlight them, write notes if you have to. The key is to make it so you can look up the information you need quickly. Needless to say, knowing the contents will be a huge bonus.

4. Do not get psyched out by others

Now that you have sorted out your resources, trust in them and trust in yourself. On the day you may see there are other people that brought along a lot more resources than you did or other variants. It is okay. Focus on yourself. Remember this is the system you have worked out that works for you. Stick to what you know and you will be fine.

5. Make sure you have fueled your brain

No matter whether your exam is early or late in the day, ensure you have had a decent meal beforehand. Your brain cannot function without the proper nutrients and there is nothing worse sitting in an exam with a growling stomach distracting you every time you answer a question.

6. Practice. Practice. Practice.

There are practice papers and example questions for you to get an idea on what the exam will be like. Time yourself and see how you go under the same pressures. Keep practicing flipping through those references. Practice makes perfect and this is no exception.

7. Expect the questions to be hard

The only way to not be surprised is to expect the unexpected, so expect the questions to be hard. Do not expect this to be a cakewalk. Prepare for the exam accordingly, you will need to put in the effort if you wish to receive the letter of good news.

8. Read the questions carefully

Before you jump to answering the questions make sure you have read and understood the questions properly! I cannot stress this enough. What is the question asking for exactly? What unit is the answer meant to be in? Filter out the unnecessary information and focus on what is important. Identify the keywords in the questions.

9. Time management

By now you should have worked out the average time you can spend on each question in order to answer all the questions. Do not dwell on each question too long. Remember there are other questions that requires answers and chances are there are easy marks for you further down the track. Keep yourself in check so you can answer as many questions as possible. You can always mark the answers to come back to at the end.

10. Trust your instinct

In order to move through the questions in a timely fashion, you will have to rely on your instincts. More often than not your first choice will be the correct choice. Do not second guess yourself. Trust your knowledge.

11. Score 100% on the calculation and law questions

You have to pass these to pass the whole exam, there is no room for mistakes. These require your utmost careful attention. If any questions deserved extra time, it would be these.

12. Do not leave an answer blank

Even if you do not know the answer make an educated guess and move on. Do not leave an answer blank thinking you can come back to it. There is no penalty for wrong answers but there is the chance your guess could be right.

13. Plan for when you run out of time

What is your strategy when you are running out of time? The answer is picking an option and sticking with it through the remaining questions. Sticking to the same option will give you the highest chance of getting something right. Make your own judgement as to when you need to initiate this strategy.

14. Do not panic, breathe and focus on yourself

When we come across an unfamiliar or hard question it is easy to go into panic mode. Take a deep breathe, calm down and start again. Keeping a cool head is the only way you are going to get through this. Do not get distracted by what other people around you are doing too. They are going at a pace that works for them. Stay in the zone and tune everything else out.

15. Mark the questions you want to come back to wisely

If you do happen to make it through the exam with time to spare you want to make sure you are using the rest of your time wisely. Do not go marking every question you are unsure about. Your strategy is to focus on the questions that will maximise the marks you can achieve. Judge for yourself what those questions are. Remember to trust your instinct too.

16. Keep calm and carry on

To make sure you operate at the optimum level on exam day, ensure you have had plenty of rest the night before. Give yourself a treat and do what you need to de-stress. There is no point in panicking and stressing yourself out further so close to the exam by doing last minute studies. You have done all you can to prepare for it so trust it is enough. The rest is about staying calm and doing your best on the day.

Thus concludes my list of tips for exam day. This is by no means the definitive way. Everyone has a different method of approach so take what you will and make it your own. If you found my tips helpful then don’t forget to pass this along to your mates. Everyone deserves a little help in their time of stress. Also don’t forget to subscribe to my blog and Facebook page for more tips and advice!

Stay calm and good luck!

Live. Love. Laugh. Liberate

– Avis Knows