New Test Format Pros, Cons, and Strategies
This morning (1/25/21) I took the new test format (for PDD) in-person at Prometric. I am still disappointed about the lack of pen and paper and the computer glitches (I had two CefSharp Browser process errors that required me to change computers and took me out of the zone), but it was not all bad.
PROS
- Less questions
- More time (per question)
- Text tool and Add Page option in the Whiteboard
- Prompt when leaving the regular questions and entering the Case Studies to take a break or continue
- Introduction of multiple choice questions with only three choices, one is correct (helps balance out the dreaded "check all that apply" type questions)
CONS
- No cut score (I aimed to flag a max of 32 for PDD based off the old 57-68%)
- No pen and paper (math became harder to visualize and complete)
- Encouraged to not take a break due to the locking of viewed questions
- Zooming on PDFs caused the exam to glitch
STRATEGIES
- Before the exam identify the cut score and calculate how many questions can be missed
- Plan on leaving 1 hour for Case Studies (PcM, PjM, CE) or 1.5 hours (PA, PPD, PDD)
- Use the flag to mark all the questions that are difficult (be honest with yourself)
- At the start of the exam, open the Whiteboard and do a brain dump of all the information, mnemonic devices, etc on Page 1
- Create a new Page 2 (it would be nice to rename the tabs but you cannot). Keep a running list of all the question #'s that are difficult and/or have helpful diagrams that may assist on later questions
- Create additional pages for math problems as the come up (this avoids having to scroll on the Whiteboard), always note the problem # for reference
- "Use the test to take the test" where possible, and if able to avoid the break, the Case Study resources can often times help solve previous questions that are difficult
- At the end of the exam, count how many questions are flagged (ideally less than the allowable cut score), and trust your gut!!
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This is a great list and I will absolutely use some of these strategies for my next exam. Can you shed some light on how you are calculating cut scores?
It would be great if NCARB would reinstate the pen and scratch paper. I feel like this really changes the test taking experience in a negative way.
NCARB! Please listen to all of us saying this.
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I am glad these strategies are helpful, Christopher Kipp!
Use the previous cut scores for ARE 5.0 (since the new cut scores are not available tentatively until February 2021) which state passing for any exam was in the range of 57-68%. I try to prepare for the most stringent case which is 68% to pass. So on an exam with 100 questions you can ideally miss 32 and still pass. This is a great baseline, and remember there are questions you have no idea on that you may still get right and there are questions you might be confident on and still get wrong. So when you count the flags at the end of the exam you will want to have less than 32.
This has served me well for 4 exams and hopefully PDD which I took yesterday. Let me know if you have other questions!
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I don't have much to add, other than stressing that con point about taking a break. I didn't realize this on my last exam (CE) and regretted not taking the time to back and check my answers. I've felt on the fence about whether I passed because after my break I realized I got a few previous questions wrong, so I've been on the fence about if I passed.
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