White Board Question

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According to DIT, we are allowed to make some notations on our white board before the beginning of the exam. Has anyone any experience with this? Is it true? Also when we take our exam, do we have to submit our white board during the breaks? Can we add to the white board? Can you study during your break?

Thanks.

I have not taken the exam yet but from what I understand from friends that have taken the exam here's how it works. You are given a marker and 2 white boards right before you enter the testing room. You are allowed to write on the boards (mnemonics, etc) during the tutorial time before you start your exam. (One of my friends actually practiced what she would write on her white board for a few days before the test and as soon as she sat down at her testing computer she did a memory dump onto the white board and skipped her tutorial). As long as you don't take an excessively long time jotting down some notes before your exam begins, you won't raise any flags.

The white boards stay at your desk throughout the entire exam, they are not taken away during breaks. You are allowed to add to the white board throughout your exam and you do have the opportunity to go into your locker and glance at your FA or notes during breaks.

Hope this helps!

Oh man, I thought this was a question for all the white people on the message board...anyways, what berry15 said echos what I have heard as well. Personally, I figure if I know it well enough to put it on the white board, then I know it well enough to remember it when it comes up during the exam, so I have never been one to use scratch paper for jotting down stuff at the beginning of the exam. Though I'd love to hear what stuff people are putting on their whiteboards at the beginning of their exam, because maybe I should change this habit...

Originally Posted by berry15

I have not taken the exam yet but from what I understand from friends that have taken the exam here's how it works. You are given a marker and 2 white boards right before you enter the testing room. You are allowed to write on the boards (mnemonics, etc) during the tutorial time before you start your exam. (One of my friends actually practiced what she would write on her white board for a few days before the test and as soon as she sat down at her testing computer she did a memory dump onto the white board and skipped her tutorial). As long as you don't take an excessively long time jotting down some notes before your exam begins, you won't raise any flags.

The white boards stay at your desk throughout the entire exam, they are not taken away during breaks. You are allowed to add to the white board throughout your exam and you do have the opportunity to go into your locker and glance at your FA or notes during breaks.

Hope this helps!

I was never watched or timed as far as my white board(or blue board in my case)...you can write as much as you want...it was very useful actually

Is this an actual whiteboard and the thick whiteboard marker where you have to write in inch tall letters? Or is it more like the overhead projector markers that are like thick pens.

Originally Posted by berry15

you do have the opportunity to go into your locker and glance at your FA or notes during breaks.

Hope this helps!

This is permitted???

From what my friends tell me, this "white board" is actually a laminated 8.5x11 paper (x2) that is not erasable and you have to replace the 2 if you run out of space and want to write some more

Yes, it's basically a couple of pieces of blue laminated paper and a couple of black markers. They are erasable with moisture (saliva), but no one cares what you write down on them, long as they stay in the room and you turn them in after the test.

Originally Posted by berry15

You are allowed to write on the boards (mnemonics, etc) during the tutorial time before you start your exam. (One of my friends actually practiced what she would write on her white board for a few days before the test and as soon as she sat down at her testing computer she did a memory dump onto the white board and skipped her tutorial).

Personally, I think this is a brilliant strategy, and that's exactly what I did. It's not so much that you risk forgetting stuff during the test; rather, it's to have vital formulas all laid out for you, tables drawn to plug numbers in, etcetera, for the sake of speed and efficiency once the clock starts ticking. I found this very helpful while doing multi-step renal phys questions.

I also wrote down all the questions I guessed on into a column. Though I forgot half of what was in the column by the time I got to the car, and my guess rate was absolutely horrible (something like 1/10), I was able to learn from the mistakes and had a better idea of how I scored.

Thanks for clarifying Andy. I also agree writing some things down is a smart strategy. You might not use it all, but what you do use will save you time when every second is precious.

Originally Posted by iheartmints

This is permitted???

From what my friends tell me, this "white board" is actually a laminated 8.5x11 paper (x2) that is not erasable and you have to replace the 2 if you run out of space and want to write some more

Yeah, are you sure you are allowed to look at notes during a break?

Originally Posted by berry15

I have not taken the exam yet but from what I understand from friends that have taken the exam here's how it works. You are given a marker and 2 white boards right before you enter the testing room. You are allowed to write on the boards (mnemonics, etc) during the tutorial time before you start your exam. (One of my friends actually practiced what she would write on her white board for a few days before the test and as soon as she sat down at her testing computer she did a memory dump onto the white board and skipped her tutorial). As long as you don't take an excessively long time jotting down some notes before your exam begins, you won't raise any flags.

The white boards stay at your desk throughout the entire exam, they are not taken away during breaks. You are allowed to add to the white board throughout your exam and you do have the opportunity to go into your locker and glance at your FA or notes during breaks.

Hope this helps!

Guys this seems sort of silly to me. Memorizing/practicing what you're gonna write on your whiteboard...just means you know that information anyway.

Originally Posted by PAGuyana

According to DIT, we are allowed to make some notations on our white board before the beginning of the exam. Has anyone any experience with this? Is it true? Also when we take our exam, do we have to submit our white board during the breaks? Can we add to the white board? Can you study during your break?

Thanks.

Yeah, you can study during your break, but honestly, why the hell would you want to

What's annoying is that you aren't allowed to take you earbuds out of the room, so you have to take them out everytime you take a break

Originally Posted by mdeast

Guys this seems sort of silly to me. Memorizing/practicing what you're gonna write on your whiteboard...just means you know that information anyway.

It's not about information, it's about shortcuts that save you time on the test. For instance, if you've drawn a blank 2x2 square, you'll save yourself a few seconds. Or if you've written out the "qiss qiq siq sqs" mnemonic along with the associated receptors, then you can just cross-reference quickly instead of going through it in your head every time. Etc etc etc.

Originally Posted by shan564

It's not about information, it's about shortcuts that save you time on the test. For instance, if you've drawn a blank 2x2 square, you'll save yourself a few seconds. Or if you've written out the "qiss qiq siq sqs" mnemonic along with the associated receptors, then you can just cross-reference quickly instead of going through it in your head every time. Etc etc etc.

A few seconds? Really? Unless you scored a 5 on the verbal section of the MCAT, you should have ample time to complete all 46 questions and review marked questions.

Originally Posted by Brachyury

A few seconds? Really? Unless you scored a 5 on the verbal section of the MCAT, you should have ample time to complete all 46 questions and review marked questions.

Some people blank out during the exam. If it makes you feel more comfortable then just do it

For the few practice NBMEs I've taken, I agree with you on the timing. I finish with a lot of time to spare even after reviewing my marked questions

For those that did use it, what did you write down, biostat/pharm formulas?