A few days ago, I got an email from Julie asking which question bank I recommend using.
My general feeling on test banks is that you should 100% sign up for one. Practicing full-length test questions before your exam is a must. Not using one would be like practicing ping-pong without a table, and then going into a championship ping-pong death match. It makes no sense. Get a question bank. Which one to choose is a bit tougher. I don’t have a strong recommendation for a specific bank.I know lots of people who’ve created them and, from what I’ve seen, they’re all pretty good. I used the questions from my favorite book for my last PANRE and I thought they were good.
Last time around, I used Exam Master and I thought those were good, but I found them to be a little too hard. Part of the issue is that you need to be able to tell if the questions are too hard.If they ask for things that are more in depth than the PANCE is going to ask, I know that’s hard. The depth issue is a tough one, but sometimes it’s obvious. Doing the Exam Master questions, I came across lots of questions that asked about very specific lab values. There will be lab values on your exam, but not difficult ones.They should be mostly things you have in your head already. I reached out to Exam Master and they told me that the questions are little too hard on purpose.I don’t mind that, but it does make you a little uncomfortable when you’re scoring 65% on exam after exam. That being said, I blew the PANRE out of the water using that question bank.
In the end, I don’t think you should spend a lot of time on this question. This is one of the times that searching for the exact right study tool is a socially acceptable way of procrastination. You can pretend like you’re doing work when really, you’re hiding. Pick one and move on.
However, there is a way to use a question bank and a way to boost your understanding of test questions dramatically that I am teaching in the December issue of the Physician Assistant Exam Scholars Newsletter. It’s the first thing I teach people who’ve failed the exam.It takes work, but it’ll improve your test taking skills like nothing else.
The Deadline this month is extended by one day since the 1st of December is a Sunday. But signups for PAES will close down on Sunday night, so go ahead and get in before you lose track of time.It is Thanksgiving this week and all.
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Physician Assistant Exam Scholar’s Newsletter
Brian Wallace