BCPS Spring 2020 Exam

[pharmdtobe1989]

Has anyone started studying? if so what material are you using?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Pharmacypro2017]

I passed BCPS with a score of 541 from first try. I’ve been following this thread from the very start. I wanted to give big thanks to each one of you and finally decided to become a member to share my experience.

I have been studying for BCPS on and off for almost 7 months while being a full time mom and having a full time job. I practiced for 3 years including 1 year of PGY1.

Here’s what I did:
1. I did all the chapter questions in the AACP 2019 book about 3 times. I read the explanations and memorized as much from it. Didn’t really read through the chapters bc some of them missed necessary topics and others had just so much information.
2. Took the ASHP practice test. Barely got 60 on it.
3. Took the AACP mock exam two days before the test and barely got 50%. To be exact 49.8%. Made me feel depressed but I thought I would take my chance. This mock exam is HIGHLY recommended bc the questions asked on it are very very very similar to the actual test. Can’t emphasize that enough.
4. Purchased MedEd101 six months course. Highly recommend to get it for the biostat, regulatory packets, and two practice test. The biostat packet was life saving for me. I honestly felt I passed coming out of the test just because I felt comfortable about biostat portion of it. All because of this packet and how it explains biostat in a simple way. Also I would recommend reading the biostat chapter in the AACP book.

My advice:
1. Make sure to remember and understand biostat like your name. The same way you had to know calc to pass Naplex. Most of the test questions involve biostat one way or another.
2. Do questions, questions, and more questions. And if there is explanation, read it and know why the wrong answer is wrong.
3. Review the chapters for the topics you feel uncomfortable with. If you can’t focus and feel you’re bored, at least look at tables and try to study those.
4. Look for quizlet flash card and read through it. There are many of them out there.

Final thoughts:
You will never feel prepared going into this test. No matter how much you study. It’s just the way it is. This is why the second you think you did all what you can do, go for the test without any hesitations.
Good luck to everyone take the test this fall and let me know if you have any questions. I am more than happy to help.

 

[2021SPRING]

Appreciate

 

[smartypants20]

hey i wrote some study tips here: Passed BCPS: what I did

I’ll contribute to that post but wanted to leave on this post as well:

I have a managed care background (did a managed care residency, worked at a health plan, worked at a PBM), so this exam was a personal challenge/goal of mine.

I used High Yield Med Review and ACCP.....I bought the ACCP 2019 materials and tried to start studying in July 2019, but the material was so in depth, and I was so busy that I kept putting it off and never picked up the study materials again until January of this year. Halfway through studying the Cardiology lectures, I realized I needed a better study method or resource because I was always referencing other text to understand foundational information that ACCP would skip.

I'm a "why person" I need to know why foundational things function the way they are, and then it is easier for me to understand. I pivoted and started using HYMR as my main source of studying. I heard great reviews from people who used it, and they also have a money back guarantee as long as you complete the learning lectures and test questions (read the rules). I DID NOT want to pay for an additional resource, but I'm glad that I used HYMR because things just made more sense! Once I finished lecture topics I would cross reference and read the ACCP lectures and they made much more sense. This may be a lot for some people, but where one lacked the other picked up the slack in terms of information. HYMR was definitely better than ACCP for statistics. I felt very confident after the exam about the stats questions, and I had high scores on practice exams for the stats section.

I started to panic for the regulatory section right before the exam, but I think ACCP & HYMR did a great job of covering these sections. I bought the med101 regulatory guide the morning of the exam actually, haha.... but it was succinct and a good refresher. I believe the future exams will have less regulatory questions...not sure.

I felt AWFUL after the exam, but I surprisingly passed on my first time taking it. Kudos to those on this forum who shared their experience of not passing the first time but kept going. Reading your stories definitely motivated me! Like everyone said, you will not feel like you aced the exam leaving out! The first two days I did nothing but think about the exam and the questions I was unsure about. I was like there is no way I will be able to wait two months for the results, but eventually (days later) I stopped thinking about it. I felt confident about some questions but then had doubts about other questions. BPS also gives the opportunity for you to give feedback on questions. I remember thinking that one of their questions had two answers but one of the answers was misleading, so I left a comment on the particular question. I wish I would have used that feature of the exam more often actually!

The exam should provide a calculator for calculations as well as some sort of space for writing notes (mini whiteboard, scratch paper, etc.). Lab values were not provided on my exam, so I would know common labs. I wasn't going to post because I have been an onlooker on this site throughout my time studying, but it was helpful to see others' testimonies and I wanted to pay it forward. Best of luck to anyone thinking about taking the exam! You can do it if you're serious about it (or insanely knowledgeable).

 

[meerx]

Anyone taking BCOP in the Fall?

 

[pharmdtobe1989]

Anyone taking BCOP in the Fall?

You’re already signed up for BCOP? Fast turnaround

 

[btas]

Hi,
Congratulations on passing the exam!

Could you please share which references you used to prepare for your BCACP? Did you try any mock tests? How much time did you invest in studying each day. I want to take the exam in the Fall 2020.
Thanks.

Sorry for the late reply, I only purchased the BCACP Bullets but thought it was not of much help. Since the exam aligned more with my current practice, I started studying about 3-4 weeks before the exam date, beginning with about 1-2 hours/day and then increasing to 3-4 hours/day the week before the exam.

I focused mostly on the big disease states that are common in AmbCare: HTN, Endocrine (DM, thyroid dx, etc.), HLD, CHF, Anticoag, COPD/asthma. Then I focused on stats/study designs (I was surprised the number of questions I had on the test was less than the BCPS), and finally on the billing codes/regulations.

Overall I felt MUCH better walking out of the BCACP than the BCPS last year (I thought I had failed it then, but luckily did not ). BCPS was definitely broader for me since I didn't complete a traditional pgy1 residency. But they're changing the BCACP content outline for Fall 2020, so I'm not sure how that would be!

 

[BCPS1020]

I have 2018 ACCP materials, and planning to retake in October. Does the new edition of 2020 has a huge difference. Any advice will be appreciated.

 

[nutenasni]

I'm planning on taking it in Spring 2021. Can someone tell me which ACCP course I'm supposed to buy for pharmacotherapy? There're so many options, I'm confused. If I don't need any CPE credit, do I just buy the one that says "workbook only" which is like $265 versus the other packages which are $600-$800. Also, is it wise to buy it now or would there be an updated version of the course that comes out later? Thanks in advance!

 

[Dhrx90]

I’ll contribute to that post but wanted to leave on this post as well:

I have a managed care background (did a managed care residency, worked at a health plan, worked at a PBM), so this exam was a personal challenge/goal of mine.

I used High Yield Med Review and ACCP.....I bought the ACCP 2019 materials and tried to start studying in July 2019, but the material was so in depth, and I was so busy that I kept putting it off and never picked up the study materials again until January of this year. Halfway through studying the Cardiology lectures, I realized I needed a better study method or resource because I was always referencing other text to understand foundational information that ACCP would skip.

I'm a "why person" I need to know why foundational things function the way they are, and then it is easier for me to understand. I pivoted and started using HYMR as my main source of studying. I heard great reviews from people who used it, and they also have a money back guarantee as long as you complete the learning lectures and test questions (read the rules). I DID NOT want to pay for an additional resource, but I'm glad that I used HYMR because things just made more sense! Once I finished lecture topics I would cross reference and read the ACCP lectures and they made much more sense. This may be a lot for some people, but where one lacked the other picked up the slack in terms of information. HYMR was definitely better than ACCP for statistics. I felt very confident after the exam about the stats questions, and I had high scores on practice exams for the stats section.

I started to panic for the regulatory section right before the exam, but I think ACCP & HYMR did a great job of covering these sections. I bought the med101 regulatory guide the morning of the exam actually, haha.... but it was succinct and a good refresher. I believe the future exams will have less regulatory questions...not sure.

I felt AWFUL after the exam, but I surprisingly passed on my first time taking it. Kudos to those on this forum who shared their experience of not passing the first time but kept going. Reading your stories definitely motivated me! Like everyone said, you will not feel like you aced the exam leaving out! The first two days I did nothing but think about the exam and the questions I was unsure about. I was like there is no way I will be able to wait two months for the results, but eventually (days later) I stopped thinking about it. I felt confident about some questions but then had doubts about other questions. BPS also gives the opportunity for you to give feedback on questions. I remember thinking that one of their questions had two answers but one of the answers was misleading, so I left a comment on the particular question. I wish I would have used that feature of the exam more often actually!

The exam should provide a calculator for calculations as well as some sort of space for writing notes (mini whiteboard, scratch paper, etc.). Lab values were not provided on my exam, so I would know common labs. I wasn't going to post because I have been an onlooker on this site throughout my time studying, but it was helpful to see others' testimonies and I wanted to pay it forward. Best of luck to anyone thinking about taking the exam! You can do it if you're serious about it (or insanely knowledgeable).

Hey thanks for your input...I have the exam coming up 10/2020 and I’m getting extremely nervous and feeling unprepared...I’ll be honest I have purchased HYMR and listened to a few lectures... but felt like I should start with QBank to see how I do...so far I’ve been getting most questions wrong...at this point I feel like I should reschedule my exam!! Any tips for studying in such a short period of time would be great (I also work fulll time )

 

[drgilly]

hey guys how is it looking? I failed in fall 2019 but totally stocked to take the exam since I have a better idea what was expected. I have spent jan 2020 focusing on biostats, oncology, HIV. I have these down for the most part. The rest should be just review.... im gonna pass y'all. I got 450 the first time with out touching these three areas, I think I will pass this time around.

How was the exam? I took it last fall but didn't study enough. I started studying 4 weeks prior and received 451. I got mostly questions on Policy and Regulatory which I didn't study, not that many clinical questions.. it was a mess. I am retaking it in 3 weeks. Any advice?

 

[drgilly]

Hey thanks for your input...I have the exam coming up 10/2020 and I’m getting extremely nervous and feeling unprepared...I’ll be honest I have purchased HYMR and listened to a few lectures... but felt like I should start with QBank to see how I do...so far I’ve been getting most questions wrong...at this point I feel like I should reschedule my exam!! Any tips for studying in such a short period of time would be great (I also work fulll time )

Do not reschedule..just do it.... and if you fail just do it again. A lot of people get the questions wrong just practice practice practice. I have my exam in 2 weeks and I am nervous. I am going to purchase the ACCP mock exam now and just practice the questions a week before. This exam is no joke I said I wouldn't take it again but here I am one year later.. Hopefully they aren't as many regulatory questions like last year, I thought the exam had at least 40% regulatory questions. Good luck

 

[drgilly]

I have 2018 ACCP materials, and planning to retake in October. Does the new edition of 2020 has a huge difference. Any advice will be appreciated.

I think I have both and I haven't seen much of a difference.

 

[UTfarmer]

How was the exam? I took it last fall but didn't study enough. I started studying 4 weeks prior and received 451. I got mostly questions on Policy and Regulatory which I didn't study, not that many clinical questions.. it was a mess. I am retaking it in 3 weeks. Any advice?

Thank you for sharing your experience. May I ask what you did differently this time around in preparing for the exam?
Did you take the first exam without much preparation, or do you feel that you didn't use the right materials to prepare?
I'm also taking the exam this week. Thank you for sharing!

 

[bellavida]

I have 2018 ACCP materials, and planning to retake in October. Does the new edition of 2020 has a huge difference. Any advice will be appreciated.

2018 doesn't have the anticoag module. I PM'ed you!

 

[BCPSREVIEW2020]

Sooooo, I take the exam tomorrow and I am kind of excited. I am done studying and this journey has been great. I am okay if having to do it again but I am proud of myself and the commitment I have made thus far. Since residency has been cray cary for me in life. I look forward to the weekend and cleaning by desk off hehe. Best of luck to everyone!

 

[2021SPRING]

Sooooo, I take the exam tomorrow and I am kind of excited. I am done studying and this journey has been great. I am okay if having to do it again but I am proud of myself and the commitment I have made thus far. Since residency has been cray cary for me in life. I look forward to the weekend and cleaning by desk off hehe. Best of luck to everyone!

Good luck
Wish you best
Plz let us know how was it

 

[hope&positivity]

I'm planning on taking it in Spring 2021. Can someone tell me which ACCP course I'm supposed to buy for pharmacotherapy? There're so many options, I'm confused. If I don't need any CPE credit, do I just buy the one that says "workbook only" which is like $265 versus the other packages which are $600-$800. Also, is it wise to buy it now or would there be an updated version of the course that comes out later? Thanks in advance!

Did you buy the materials to study yet? I am planning to take in spring 2021, but couldn't find the package that cost 600-800$. Can you please share the link with me where you find the materials? Would love to form a study group too if you are interested.

 

[daptoman]

Preparing for Spring 2021

 

[Dumditi]

Taking Spring 2021 as well. I have ACCP 2018 material ; going to browse the new guidelines if any.. hopefully new 2020 material is not much different.
Anyone interested in a study group?