Congrats on NAVLE, class of 2017!

[twelvetigers]

I feel like I usually post this thread, so I'd better keep up tradition.

Congrats to all that passed (and also, I told you so).

To anyone that didn't pass... chin up. It sucks to take it again, but you aren't the first and you won't be the last, and it doesn't make you any less of a vet. I didn't pass by a whole lot, and what do those few points mean in practice? Not much, I guarantee it.

Just a few more months to trudge through for fourth year, but it truly is a downhill slide from here - not in a bad way, just in a 'finally at the end of the damn tunnel' way.

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[Filly Bay]

This is the best kind of "I told you so"

 

[dyachei]

Congrats! Knew you guys could all do it.

 

[Frozenshades]

 

[dyachei]

'cept for you FS

 

[kaydubs]

Whale shark

 

[Frozenshades]

'cept for you FS

Supportive as always dy

Whale shark

 

[Abnerrs]

My dumb butt gets to post in this thread!

 

[calvin89]

Hey everyone! Thought I'd post here rather than start a new thread. So I'm entering third year now and wondering when is an appropriate time to start studying for the NAVLE? I'm totally not trying to be a gunner, but also don't want to realize too late that I should have already begun studying. I've been getting the Zuku and VetPrep daily questions since beginning vet school so I'd have a bunch of study questions banked up, but I've realized a bunch get repeated. I'm sure this is a matter of personal preference, but does anyone have any tips for studying? Did you just use the same strategies you used for all of vet school, for a much larger pool of information?

 

[Ashgirl]

Hey everyone! Thought I'd post here rather than start a new thread. So I'm entering third year now and wondering when is an appropriate time to start studying for the NAVLE? I'm totally not trying to be a gunner, but also don't want to realize too late that I should have already begun studying. I've been getting the Zuku and VetPrep daily questions since beginning vet school so I'd have a bunch of study questions banked up, but I've realized a bunch get repeated. I'm sure this is a matter of personal preference, but does anyone have any tips for studying? Did you just use the same strategies you used for all of vet school, for a much larger pool of information?

N=1, but the general trend I heard is to buy vet prep/zuku during the summer deal (the winter deal is too soon to start, in my opinion) and start actually studying around Augustish of 4th year. You can do it earlier, sure, but you run the risk of quickly forgetting whatever you learned in January for a November test.. That's what I'm doing, anyway. I'm also keeping a notebook of the concepts of the questions I get wrong, and I plan on making a mini-study guide closer of all the species power pages/concepts I know I struggle with (pigs, poultry, epidemiology, etc).

 

[orca2011]

Yeah, starting in the fall is probably the way to go. I want to say I really started around August or September with the bulk occurring in October/November. I didn't take the test until December though. I wouldn't necessarily worry too much about the small sections like epidemiology, etc. They make up such a small portion of the test.

And I definitely recommend doing the practice tests on the NVMBE site. I swear some of those exact questions were used on the test and the predictive scoring was pretty accurate for me.

 

[Coquette22]

I started in early August I think, cause I had a low key rotation with lots of down-time (radiology). Some rotations will allow for more study time than others, so if you're a little earlier or later, don't worry. Also remember that evey rotation is essentially studying in and of itself, so if you're run off your feet in August and September (ie medicine/surgery rotations) and don't start focused studying until a little later, you're probably still going to be fine

 

[HorsesRLife]

I started studying in may of 4th year and spent my time focusing on whatever species my rotation was about ( ie food animal I did cows and small ruminatants). And on slower rotations like radiology I'd fit in some epidemiology. Then about a month before I took the navle I did a practice exam and whatever I did the worst in I focused my efforts more in. Then a week before I focused more on power pages and such.

 

[genny]

Hey everyone! Thought I'd post here rather than start a new thread. So I'm entering third year now and wondering when is an appropriate time to start studying for the NAVLE? I'm totally not trying to be a gunner, but also don't want to realize too late that I should have already begun studying. I've been getting the Zuku and VetPrep daily questions since beginning vet school so I'd have a bunch of study questions banked up, but I've realized a bunch get repeated. I'm sure this is a matter of personal preference, but does anyone have any tips for studying? Did you just use the same strategies you used for all of vet school, for a much larger pool of information?

My exam was scheduled for December, and I didn't start seriously studying until August. I panicked and thought I had waited too long since I was only able to get through 70% of VetPrep. I was sure I was going to fail. I passed just fine.

Do whatever feels right for the way you learn. Don't compare yourself to your classmates because it just adds to the ridiculous amount of stress everyone feels about NAVLE.

 

[variegata]

Yeah, starting in the fall is probably the way to go. I want to say I really started around August or September with the bulk occurring in October/November. I didn't take the test until December though. I wouldn't necessarily worry too much about the small sections like epidemiology, etc. They make up such a small portion of the test.

And I definitely recommend doing the practice tests on the NVMBE site. I swear some of those exact questions were used on the test and the predictive scoring was pretty accurate for me.

I second doing at least one practice test from the NVMBE site. My school sponsored us so everyone got to take one of them, and it was not only more representative of the actual test than Zuku was, it was reassuring to me that I might have a shot at passing. I think I took the practice test in October/November or so, midway through my studying (I took the exam in December, probably started studying in late Aug/early Sep).

 

[twelvetigers]

Another vote for August. Most people don't finish VetPrep or Zuku 100%, it's not a big deal. Just go through a good amount and focus on your weak points.

 

[Coquette22]

Also another vote for the NBVME practice tests. I did one about 3 weeks before the NAVLE and it was spot on for score. Much needed validation and did a lot to reduce anxiety. Some people did them a few days before the NAVLE which I wouldn't recommend because I feel like if I failed the practice test and only had a few days it'd make me more anxious.

 

[JaynaAli]

Agreed. I started casually studying in very late july/early august of 4th year. Got more serious about it in September, and finished 100% of vetprep in early November. I didn't buy the extras like lectures and powerpages. I took two NBVME practice tests the week before and did about as predicted.

 

[Filly Bay]

I started seriously studying in mid-late august and was just fine. I actually completed 100% of vetprep in that time and didn't use any other study materials.

I'm gonna go against the grain with the NBVME practice test. I did one and thought it was a waste of money. The predicted range was pretty inaccurate with me and only gave me more anxiety b/c the range went below the passing grade. I ended up scoring far above the top end of the range they gave me. They also don't tell you the answers for the questions you missed.

 

[calvin89]

Thank you all so much for the super helpful replies! Glad to hear that I've still got some time but I feel much better now that I have a rough timeline and have heard what strategies worked for you!!

 

[LetItSnow]

I personally love the fact that in just a little more than 2.5 yrs I've already forgotten how I studied (beyond the fact that I used VetPrep), when I started studying, what my study approach was, what my NAVLE score was (like, I can't even remember the scale... I maybe got a 15 or 5000 or anything in between...). I remember being annoyed during the test because of loud construction work. And that I didn't finish one of the ... 6? ... sections.

That's it. Sorry I'm no help.

 

[hygebeorht]

Hey everyone! Thought I'd post here rather than start a new thread. So I'm entering third year now and wondering when is an appropriate time to start studying for the NAVLE? I'm totally not trying to be a gunner, but also don't want to realize too late that I should have already begun studying. I've been getting the Zuku and VetPrep daily questions since beginning vet school so I'd have a bunch of study questions banked up, but I've realized a bunch get repeated. I'm sure this is a matter of personal preference, but does anyone have any tips for studying? Did you just use the same strategies you used for all of vet school, for a much larger pool of information?

Polled my classmates and they felt the official practice tests were some of the most useful things. Almost everyone I know did Zuku/VetPrep, but I didn't, and I passed by a healthy margin. I used the Vet Board Game cards and game and it was fun to study with friends. I studied in fits and starts and didn't really start buckling down until October, but I test well (regardless of how well I really *know* the information).

If I had to take the NAVLE again for whatever reason, I would just study all my notes/lectures from 3rd year and I would be good to go. That would have been a very useful thing to do.

 

[DVMDream]

I personally love the fact that in just a little more than 2.5 yrs I've already forgotten how I studied (beyond the fact that I used VetPrep), when I started studying, what my study approach was, what my NAVLE score was (like, I can't even remember the scale... I maybe got a 15 or 5000 or anything in between...). I remember being annoyed during the test because of loud construction work. And that I didn't finish one of the ... 6? ... sections.

That's it. Sorry I'm no help.

I remember VetPrep, I didn't finish it. I purchased it in May because it was during the first rotation. I don't recall really studying a lot until September/October. I recall my car being encased in ice the morning of the exam and almost ripping the weather stripping off the driver side door of my car prying it open. I recall getting a migraine after the first section. I recall people saying that you'll realize you know some answers....I didn't know jack. I ran out of time for 3 of the 6 sections.


Oh and the most important part..... I ****ing passed.

 

[Filly Bay]

I will never forget the hours of police sirens going off and angry car horns in traffic just outside the building because someone decided to commit a murder next door and barricade himself in a hotel room. 2 major highways were shut down just down the street and swat team was called in and everything. Fun times...

 

[LetItSnow]

I remember VetPrep, I didn't finish it. I purchased it in May because it was during the first rotation. I don't recall really studying a lot until September/October. I recall my car being encased in ice the morning of the exam and almost ripping the weather stripping off the driver side door of my car prying it open. I recall getting a migraine after the first section. I recall people saying that you'll realize you know some answers....I didn't know jack. I ran out of time for 3 of the 6 sections.


Oh and the most important part..... I ****ing passed.

Amen.

I functionally ran out of time on more than 1. It's just that after I ran out of time on the first one and left a few unanswered that on the other ones I was a little more alert to at least put random guesses in before the clock ran out. So, right there with ya.

 

[Coquette22]

I flew through it do to my personal motto of "Either I know it or I don't and if I don't I'm going with my gut". I think in total I finished in like 5 hours or something.

 

[battie]

Amen.

I functionally ran out of time on more than 1. It's just that after I ran out of time on the first one and left a few unanswered that on the other ones I was a little more alert to at least put random guesses in before the clock ran out. So, right there with ya.

No penalty for guessing wrong?

 

[DVMDream]

No penalty for guessing wrong?

Nope. And you can go back to questions that you didn't know or weren't sure on. So when I realized I was struggling with timing, I started jumping ahead to all the small animal questions, then going back to the large animal/food animal/miscellaneous ones that I knew would be more of a guess anyway.

 

[orca2011]

I remember barely reading the questions in the last 2 sections and just picking answers and not switching anything because I could just not sit in that room any longer. And m

I flew through it do to my personal motto of "Either I know it or I don't and if I don't I'm going with my gut". I think in total I finished in like 5 hours or something.

Same. Especially the last two sections. I could not physically sit in that room any longer and just needed to get the eff out.

 

[Frozenshades]

I flew through it do to my personal motto of "Either I know it or I don't and if I don't I'm going with my gut". I think in total I finished in like 5 hours or something.

That's always been my method too. Staring at it isn't going to do anything but waste my time and patience. I took one break for like 20 or 30 minutes to eat and pee and just powered through the rest of the time. I never stopped when I took the GRE.

 

[Frozenshades]

No penalty for guessing wrong?

Just to highlight and reiterate what DVMD said, since no penalty, don't leave any questions blank! If you have 73 seconds left on a section and 14 questions left, literally click answers without reading them if you have to. Unanswered = wrong.

 

[battie]

Nope. And you can go back to questions that you didn't know or weren't sure on. So when I realized I was struggling with timing, I started jumping ahead to all the small animal questions, then going back to the large animal/food animal/miscellaneous ones that I knew would be more of a guess anyway.

Just to highlight and reiterate what DVMD said, since no penalty, don't leave any questions blank! If you have 73 seconds left on a section and 14 questions left, literally click answers without reading them if you have to. Unanswered = wrong.

That's good to know. When I was in AP classes in high school, most of the teachers modeled their tests after the AP test. So a right answer was +1; blank was a 0; and a wrong answer was -0.25. It took a while to get out of that mindset, and I now double check all standardized tests to make sure that guessing penalty doesn't exist.

 

[LetItSnow]

No penalty for guessing wrong?

Nope. Wrong is wrong, whether it's because you didn't answer or picked the wrong answer. So, no reason not to whip through and put random entries in for anything you don't have time to finish.

At least, that's how it was when I took it (end of 2014).

Most people were able to finish ok in the time allotted. I tend to be a slow-ish test-taker.

 

[LetItSnow]

I flew through it do to my personal motto of "Either I know it or I don't and if I don't I'm going with my gut". I think in total I finished in like 5 hours or something.

I think that's the smartest way to do it, and I bet statistically there's no difference between that approach and me agonizing over questions.

I just don't have the personality to do it like @Coquette22 did it.... but I think if you do, she's doing it right.

 

[Trilt]

I def just wanted it over. I think the very first section I almost ran out of time, but once I got in my groove I had significant amount of time to glance at ones I flagged, decide I really was just guessing, and moved on.

I didn't take any breaks either. Or maybe just one? Fuzzy. But I plowed through and got my ass done ASAP and got out of there to enjoy the day off.

 

[Coquette22]

I just don't have the personality to do it like @Coquette22 did it.... but I think if you do, she's doing it right.

I have long since learned something about myself: the more I look at a MC question, the more likely I am to talk myself out of the right answer. I'll do a second or even a third read through to make sure I haven't misread the question (like the stupid "Which is NOT correct" or "What wouldn't you expect on ___?") but that's about it.

 

[LetItSnow]

I have long since learned something about myself: the more I look at a MC question, the more likely I am to talk myself out of the right answer. I'll do a second or even a third read through to make sure I haven't misread the question (like the stupid "Which is NOT correct" or "What wouldn't you expect on ___?") but that's about it.

Ha. Yeah. Never change an answer unless you realize you totally misread the question.

I don't really change answers. I just ... dunno ... a little OCD, maybe? I have to read the WHOLE question, and then I have to read EVERY answer, and then I slowly rule out things to limit the choices, and ... etc. I'm just slow as hell at multiple choice.