2017 Psych Board exam

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
D

Doc1401

Full Member
5+ Year Member
Joined
May 28, 2017
Messages
102
Reaction score
61
For those who took the exam- how did you all feel coming out of it? I thought it was more difficult than expected
Members don't see this ad.
 
Last edited:
I took the adult exam 4 years ago, but I took the CAPS exam yesterday. I didn't think the exam was difficult per se, as there really weren't any second or third-order type questions. However, there was a lot of totally random nonsense questions about rats and experimental design.
 
HooahDOc said:
I took the adult exam 4 years ago, but I took the CAPS exam yesterday. I didn't think the exam was difficult per se, as there really weren't any second or third-order type questions. However, there was a lot of totally random nonsense questions about rats and experimental design.
Click to expand...

What did you use to study for cap exam
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Just took adult boards, I thought it was difficult. I was expecting vignettes to be difficult but did not expect stand alone questions to be that difficult..how was one supposed to study for that
 
That is what I thinking. I was told by everyone that it will be a "piece of cake" but even if I was given a lot more time to study, I would still not be able to answer many of those questions.
 
Supposedly it used to be straightforward. I switched residencies my 3rd year from a new program to an established one and went to register mid-March and missed the deadline. I sure wish I could have taken it then. No one at my program said hey make sure you register by such and such date and being the exam was in Sept I was sure I was plenty ahead. The other residents just knew from prior residents
 
Every test has always felt like a roll of the dice for me. It's done. Score reports will be out in 10-12 weeks and either I don't take it again, or I do.
 
I felt fine about it but o think that's a function of a couple things:

1) When doing questions from a Q-bank I get immediate feedback telling me I was wrong and rolling through 480 questions without being told I'm an idiot helps me roll with false confidence.

2) Either I knew the questions quite confidently or I didn't know at all. I think if I get multiple questions where I know it a bit but not enough, it causes more anxiety and thus greater perception of not doing well. On questions I'm clueless about I can make a quick guess and move on without a lot of mental stress. So if there were a ton of those, plus other questions I got right, I may have done more poorly than anticipated.

We'll see in "no later than 10-12 weeks" + postal delivery delay.
 
It looks like this years board exam was harder than prior years
 
This was the first year they had DSM-5, no? So that probably means several new questions added to the question pool.
 
HooahDOc said:
I took the adult exam 4 years ago, but I took the CAPS exam yesterday. I didn't think the exam was difficult per se, as there really weren't any second or third-order type questions. However, there was a lot of totally random nonsense questions about rats and experimental design.
Click to expand...

Frustrating given what we pay for the exam. About 3x the USMLE and much poorer quality.
 
If this is to be trusted it's somewhat interesting: https://www.abpn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/ABPN-Pass-Rates-5-Year-Summary.pdf

The pass rate on the adult boards for 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 have been 87%, 87%, 90%, 88%, and 90%. For CAP the same years have been 97%, 97%, 92%, 86%, and 84%. Not that anyone can influence their score anymore, but you can decide if you want these stats to worry you or not.
 
Btw, I took the CAP boards today. I found these stats 2 days ago to decide if I should be studying harder or not. Not quite the trend I was hoping for...
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I did adult psych last year and thought it was hard (as did everyone else I knew), but thankfully we all passed.

I took CAP yesterday. Although I beefed up my studying this year and felt prepared walking in, I still encountered many difficult questions. The good news is that I think I did better on the vignette portion, but several of the standalone questions took me by surprise.

I really don't understand the purpose of these exams. Are they designed to test our ability to competently practice psychiatry? I don't think they are. Very few questions relate to diagnosis and management. Instead, it seems that the question writers love to test our knowledge on useless trivia.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I was thinking the same thing, some of the questions were test of useless trivia things
 
Ψ-117 said:
I did adult psych last year and thought it was hard (as did everyone else I knew), but thankfully we all passed.

I took CAP yesterday. Although I beefed up my studying this year and felt prepared walking in, I still encountered many difficult questions. The good news is that I think I did better on the vignette portion, but several of the standalone questions took me by surprise.

I really don't understand the purpose of these exams. Are they designed to test our ability to competently practice psychiatry? I don't think they are. Very few questions relate to diagnosis and management. Instead, it seems that the question writers love to test our knowledge on useless trivia.
Click to expand...

You must be referring to the multiple questions involving rats and experimental design?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
What score / percentage is needed to pass the psychiatry board?
 
Doc1401 said:
What score / percentage is needed to pass the psychiatry board?
Click to expand...

Last year passing was 71%. The year before passing was 69%. Who knows what it will be this year.
 
Do they remove questions/experimental questions or is it a "raw count"?
 
I knew some questions right away, some guessed and 5 silly mistakes in stand alone questions

Vignettes, don't know if I picked what they wanted. 2 questions from vignettes I know I got wrong because next question gave it away

I guess will see...
 
HooahDOc said:
I took the adult exam 4 years ago, but I took the CAPS exam yesterday. I didn't think the exam was difficult per se, as there really weren't any second or third-order type questions. However, there was a lot of totally random nonsense questions about rats and experimental design.
Click to expand...

Same. I didn't feel all that great walking out of it. Hope I passed.
 
PistolPete said:
Same. I didn't feel all that great walking out of it. Hope I passed.
Click to expand...
Even if you didn't, who cares. The only ones that will care if you needed to retake it are snobs. The only person you have to please is yourself.

We'll break you of your institutionalization.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
Shikima said:
Even if you didn't, who cares. The only ones that will care if you needed to retake it are snobs. The only person you have to please is yourself.

We'll break you of your institutionalization.
Click to expand...

Wisdom. If the test actually tested us on clinical knowledge and skills, then maybe there would be a reason to feel bad for not passing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
HooahDOc said:
Wisdom. If the test actually tested us on clinical knowledge and skills, then maybe there would be a reason to feel bad for not passing.
Click to expand...
Careful what you wish for. The ABPN will bring back live patient exams or worse, standardized actors. Actually, this would cost way too much.
 
That is pronounced "Paperage Fams Rememers" Boy are we dating ourselves. Remember those Quisp and Quake commercials?
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I missed the exam due to illness and went to the doctors. They said to send the doctors note in and I may be able to just pay a $400 fee to test next year so I thought why not? I scanned the letter and thanked the ABPN and said I was quite upset that I couldn't take the exam. They had me pay a $200 fee and I am taking it Oct 19. I have gone through all of Clive and Spiegel and Beat the Boards. I know the questions so well I can read the first few words and answer them. I'm not expecting to pass, I have an impossible time with the vignettes and can't get all of them right and no matter how much I study neuro, the strokes and where what happens I will never know in the brain. From the comments here, I can only hope the curve it bigtime.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
HooahDOc said:
I took the adult exam 4 years ago, but I took the CAPS exam yesterday. I didn't think the exam was difficult per se, as there really weren't any second or third-order type questions. However, there was a lot of totally random nonsense questions about rats and experimental design.
Click to expand...

How much biostats do they expect you to know for these tests?
 
Wilf said:
Why is that?
Click to expand...
I did my first two years at a brand new residency and my second two years at a different program. Neither program had any interest in having a non-neuro resident. Last year I used Klive and Spiegel this year I am using BTB and the same book with a tad of neurology for psychiatrists and thinking back to the questions on the exam last year they just didn't cover it. I didn't really get neuro in med school either, that and cardio. I go over the different conduction deficits and just cant tell the differences. Neuro and the vignettes kill me. I am way burned out from studying. I let it take over my summer, I worked very little and did nothing else but study. I should have passed on taking it in October.
 
ryerica22 said:
How much biostats do they expect you to know for these tests?
Click to expand...
UGH another subject I don't get. I honored it in undergrad, but when we had lectures in residency the attending said it was somehow different and I had to unlearn what I learned in undergrad. I know the basic terms but don't bother with anova t square.
 
Hey everyone! I took my psych boards this week, of course feel like **** lol and looking for reassurance that those of you who were worried ended up passing? Thanks!
 
SamanthaRae667 said:
Hey everyone! I took my psych boards this week, of course feel like **** lol and looking for reassurance that those of you who were worried ended up passing? Thanks!
Click to expand...
It’s ok to feel bad. I hear a lot of people complain about these video vignettes
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

N
Board exam
2
Replies
82
Views
4K
yoloswagpoop42069
yoloswagpoop42069
P
child psych boards qbank recommendation
Replies
3
Views
378
drdss2017
D
B
Didnt Match Psych
Replies
12
Views
2K
HbondsR_FON
HbondsR_FON
clement
ER Psych Fishing
Replies
44
Views
1K
Merovinge
Merovinge
M
Psych board study partner
Replies
2
Views
555
kiranth
kiranth
Top