Re: Re: I'm sure this is one of the most popular questions posted...

[Guest guest]

Thank you Keri CPhT for your candid review of the exam.

There appears to be a big difference in the quantity of math that you and

recall.

Allow me to say this: We here at this site have seen this when one person is

very strong in math (such as ) and one claims to be not so strong

(you/Keri). We believe it is a perspective on background and not the actual

amount of test questions on the exam. Why is that? Because we know from history

that the SAME exact exam was given to ALL of the applicants on the same day and

they all had different reports. But when you break it down by background and

hardest subject before taking the exam the feed back appear to correspond to

back ground. Notice the difference in your background to what he found

difficult and easy vs what you found difficult and easy.

So allow me to ask you to post yoru background (again) so that we can better

analyze the responses:

1. worked as a tech before?

2. schooling or training as a tech before?

3. no experience or schooling/training before the exam?

4. college science or math courses before

5. find math easy, middle or the road, or difficult before studying for this

exam or taking it?

Thanks again for your valuable feedback. I am sure that others who have

similar background as yours will also value your input.

Please KNOW that response to the exam is as varied as the test takers are

themselves. Most likely the SAME exam is given either during the same open

window or on the same test day through out the country. Since it went electronic

we have no way of knowing for sure. PTCB is not mentioning this on their site as

they once did when it was on paper. On paper it was the SAME exact test for the

same test day across the USA (that is what they once reported).

Okay, hope to hear from you again. I see that you were able to post before I

read it the answer to my question to : that you can go back and check your

questions. Nice to know you can skip adn go back. I am assuming you meant you

can go back and change an answer too. Also if you miss answering one/skipped it,

but you think you are done, does the test tell you that you did not answer a

question and which one or ones so that you can try before you do a final submt?

Thanks again for your input,

Respectfully,

Jeanetta Mastron CPhT BS

Founder/Owner

PS willing to post your score?

Kerri CPhT <kerri6484@...> wrote:

To answer the original question, I also took the exam on Dec 18th. I

got my online pass/fail on the 27th. I have yet to receive my actual

score or certificate by mail yet.

I just got around to writing my feedback from my test.

1. City, State and date you took the exam.

I took my exam in Boston, Ma on 12/18/07.

2. The testing location, climate and environment.

I took it at the downtown location. The people were very nice,

center was clean and as comfortable as could be expected. They

provided a locker for your coat and all other personal belongings.

They also provided me with a calculator and a wipe off sheet (dry

erase) to use as scrap paper for the calculations.

4. Did you like the electronic format of the PTCB exam? Why or why not?

I liked the test format. I really liked that you could go back and

review your answers or skip ones you weren't sure of right away.

5. Long much time did they give you, how much time did you take?

Enough or needed more time?

Is it sad that I can't remember the exact time? I think it was around

two hours. I thought it was plenty of time. I finished with time

left so I had plenty of time to go over my answers and spend more

time on questions I wasn't sure of the first time around.

6. About how much of math? Law? other type questions? percentage?

(example: such as 30% math 30% law 40 % other )

I'd say around 50-65% of my exam was math. The rest was divided

between law (a lot of questions about dispensing of controls), special

handling and misc. other topics.

7. Difficulty? Easy? Middle of the road?

I thought the questions, especially the law ones, were worded such

that it would be very easy to pick the wrong answer. I would

definitely not call it easy. It was probably just slightly harder

than I expected it to be. Not so much the actual material, but the

wording of the questions.

8. What do you wish you had studied more of? (topics not specific

questions).

Definitely special handling. It is so hard to find a good source of

information to study all of that at once. I don't know how to explain

better without giving questions away, but it seems you were expected

to know a lot about what handling was required of what drugs, all the

way down the line from filling rules to packaging, storage, etc.

9. Did the study group help? If so in what way? if not why not?

I do think the group helped me. It gave me direction on what to do

study so that I was not out there on my own. It was also nice to know

that I could ask questions, look at the files, and interact with the

other members.

10. What do you think the study group (I) should add or do more?

I will have to think about that one. Since the only thing that stood

out in my mind that I didn't know enough about on the test was special

handling, I guess I would say that?

11. Did the books you used to study help? If so why? If not why not?

What/which books, videos, sites, CD-Roms did you use?

As my text book, I used The Pharmacy Technician by Perspective Press.

This was provided to me by work. I liked it, it was pretty

informative without being super long. It definitely could have used

more in the law section, specifically federal laws about dispensing

controls. But overall I think it was a pretty good text book.

For math I used APhA's Complete Math Review for the Pharmacy

Technician by A. Hopkins. Again, this was given to me by

work. I really really liked this book, love the author's writing

style. I thought it was very easy to understand and really helped me

learn the math. I would highly recommend this book to anyone like me

who is not the best at math!

For general review I used Joe Medina's review book. It was very

helpful, a great book. It crunched all the info down and presented it

in an easily understandable way. I love how Joe has the top 200 drugs

set up in his book- it was the only table I could study from. I would

recommend this book as well.

I hope this helps someone else! Jeanetta, if you are looking for any

other feedback, please let me know.

-Kerri

[Guest guest]

Thank you Keri for your candid and honest reply.

You may be very correct about different random tests per facility per day, NOW

since the tests are electronic.

A. I have no knowledge of this either yeah or nay

B. the PTCB site does not state what it is currently doing

However the theory about the SAME exam is because WHEN PTCB did have the same

exam and stated on the site that they did, we would inevitably have different

responses. Many test takers swore that the difference in color jackets of the

exam was proof that they were different exams. But PTCB said that these were

different versions of the same exam with the test questions in a different order

so that people sitting near each other could not look over one's shoulder with

confidence of copying someone else.

I do agree that if they have the ability and technology to give different

version at random that they should.. But PTCB maintained (when it was aper

pencil) that it would be discriminatory to change the test, stating that this

was the reason that each person got the same test..

I do not know if PTCB changed its views and now allows different tests on the

same day.

However If we had 12 people listen to the SAME person tell the SAME Story over

and over again, we would have 12 different opinions. This is what we call a

jury. WE have jury selection so that we can weed out background that is

undesirable and in some cases desirable so that we can predict the outcome.

or verdict.

Likerwise if we give the same test to 12 people of varying backgrounds we ARE

going to get 12 varying opinions of the exam. IF we change the exam to varying

versions we will DEFINITELY get differing reports.

I am inclined to believe that we have varying alternative tests and we also have

varying opinions. This is why I want the scores the background and the

location/city/state of the exams so that I can see any trends.

I will be sending you a private email on a separate subject.

Thank you for offering your score when it becomes available.

Jeanetta Mastron CPhT BS

Founder/Owner

Kerri CPhT <kerri6484@...> wrote: No problem

Jeanetta. I'm happy to share whatever I can that might help

other group members.

In response to your feedback, I am sure that there is some difference

in perception as to the answer about percentages of math/law etc. I

am sure you know more about this than I ever could, but I have heard

that the exam is pretty random and that everyone's exam is slightly

different. I know on another site I have seen other reviews with

people giving a general breakdown of the exam and they do really seem

to have had a different test than I or anyone else might have had.

For example, I don't recall having too much pharmacology. A few

questions, yes, but nothing I found to be too much or too difficult

like did. I believe we must have had different exams, at least

slightly so. I actually felt pretty good about the math on the

exam, since I knew it was not my strongest point I spent a lot of time

studying it. The math questions were some of the easiest for me to

answer.

As far as background...

- yes, I have been a tech since May 07'.

- only on the job training

- no college experience

- when I began studying I found the math to be hard, but as I studied

more I think I got a good grasp on it. Actually most of the examples

I worked with in the Math Review book I mentioned were harder than

those on the exam.

I wish there was a way for and I to compare our exams without

divulging questions to see if your theory about the exams being the

same is correct. I personally doubt it, I don't see why they would

give the exact same exam on the same day if they had the ability to

randomize it. Of course they do not have an endless supply of

questions, so you might be right. But I do believe from reading other

tester's feedbacks that the exam does vary from person to person.

To elaborate on the testing software, yes, you can go back and review

or change any answer. They have an excellent feature that allows you

to select a question " for review " so that you know to go back to it

again when you are finished. I did this with all the questions I was

not sure about the first time around. I was able to recheck almost

all of the math and I actually caught one mistake. On the Pearson Vue

site they have a preview of the testing software so you can see how it

works. http://www.pearsonvue.com/sponsors/tutorial/

The test does prompt you first thing after you finish to look at any

questions you left incomplete. At the end of the exam you had the

option first the review incompletes, then the ones you marked for

review, or all of the questions. You could also select any individual

question again, even those you had not marked for review. I believe

before submitting the exam, it prompted you again to make sure you had

answered every question.

I haven't received my score by mail yet, all I got so far was that I

passed via the online site. I will let you know when I do receive it.

I have a few things to do around the house this morning, but I will

check out your reorganization later and let you know what I think.

Thanks again, please let me know if you had any other questions.

-Kerri

Jeanetta Mastron <rxjm2002@...> wrote:

>

> Thank you Keri CPhT for your candid review of the exam.

>

> There appears to be a big difference in the quantity of math that

you and recall.

> Allow me to say this: We here at this site have seen this when one

person is very strong in math (such as ) and one claims to be not

so strong (you/Keri). We believe it is a perspective on background and

not the actual amount of test questions on the exam. Why is that?

Because we know from history that the SAME exact exam was given to ALL

of the applicants on the same day and they all had different reports.

But when you break it down by background and hardest subject before

taking the exam the feed back appear to correspond to back ground.

Notice the difference in your background to what he found

difficult and easy vs what you found difficult and easy.

>

> So allow me to ask you to post yoru background (again) so that we

can better analyze the responses:

> 1. worked as a tech before?

> 2. schooling or training as a tech before?

> 3. no experience or schooling/training before the exam?

> 4. college science or math courses before

> 5. find math easy, middle or the road, or difficult before

studying for this exam or taking it?

>

> Thanks again for your valuable feedback. I am sure that others who

have similar background as yours will also value your input.

>

> Please KNOW that response to the exam is as varied as the test

takers are themselves. Most likely the SAME exam is given either

during the same open window or on the same test day through out the

country. Since it went electronic we have no way of knowing for sure.

PTCB is not mentioning this on their site as they once did when it was

on paper. On paper it was the SAME exact test for the same test day

across the USA (that is what they once reported).

>

> Okay, hope to hear from you again. I see that you were able to

post before I read it the answer to my question to : that you can

go back and check your questions. Nice to know you can skip adn go

back. I am assuming you meant you can go back and change an answer

too. Also if you miss answering one/skipped it, but you think you are

done, does the test tell you that you did not answer a question and

which one or ones so that you can try before you do a final submt?

>

> Thanks again for your input,

>

> Respectfully,

>

> Jeanetta Mastron CPhT BS

> Founder/Owner

>

> PS willing to post your score?