CPJE for Latest Batch (Late August-September 2018)

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

almostthere18

New Member
2+ Year Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2018
Messages
2
Reaction score
1
Hey everyone,

Thought I'd start this new and much-needed post!

I was wondering if those of you who have taken the CPJE for this new batch could share your experience as you go. Did you feel rushed on time? I have heard that the July exam was a difficult one and wanted to know what you thought about this exam in terms of difficulty as well. Would you say that covering all the main chapters including ID, Pain, Osteo, HIV, HTN, DM, HLD, BPH, Sterile compounding, HD and more importantly, the brand and generics is sufficient for the clinical portion?

Lastly any recommendations on the best way to study for brand/generic? Perhaps simply going through every bolded drug name in the RxPrep book or finding a reliable quizlet deck online?

Thank you! And good luck to you all.
Members don't see this ad.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Sort by date Sort by votes
i took mines in july and thought it was very hard. i didn't feel rushed at all. i finished with 20 minutes left to spare. However, some of thequestions were confusing to me. for quite a bit of the questions i eliminated down to 2 answer choices. I took mines july 16 and heard that people who took it before me in july had an easier time. I'm not sure what to tell you besides study everything. The topics are random. You won't need biostats though. I would focus mostly on ID, HIV. I heard every cpje exam has those topics. Also know which meds to refrigerate and which to not. Yes, know brand and generic. In addition to the main subjects you listed I would advise knowing some common drug doses and any drugs that needs renal adjustment and know which meds are safe in pregnancy/breast feeding. Again, it seems like cpje can ask random subjects so try and study everything you can. Good luck!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0 Downvote
I took mine early Aug. I also finished with about 20 minutes left. To me some of the questions are simply just GUESS (well, educated guess I hope), so theres really no point to stay in those questions for too long. And the fact that you cannot go back to previous questions also help with the timing. So overall I would say you shouldn't worry too much about time.
Content wise.....BRAND NAMES, BRAND NAMES, BRAND NAMES!!! If this has not been emphasized enough. When you know the brand names some questions are just no-brainers. I made myself a quizlet with almost 400 brand/generic names and I think I got asked on 2 -3 brands from the list I made, BUT got another 3-5 Brands that I had NO IDEA. So, create as much brand/generic flashcards as you can to increase your odds of recognizing them on the exam.
As far as topic goes....I am sorry to say this but I think you just got to cover everything. From signs/symptoms of disease states to drug levels/labs to monitor. Your list of topics is a good start.
I hope this helps a bit.

GOOD LUCK!!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Upvote 0 Downvote
Members don't see this ad :)
Hello, I just took the NAPLEX today (and not feeling so great about it :( )

I'm taking my CPJE in a week, thinking of delaying it to 2 weeks... I didn't feel that what I studied from RxPrep was as helpful. I have the RxPrep CPJE, Weissman, RxPrep.

I did find a CPJE quizlet with over 1200 drugs, I think it's quite a lot but probably safe for CPJE.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0 Downvote
I am planning to take the CPJE soon. Currently, I am living at Los Angeles. My goal is to find a studying partner, prefer to meet in person but Skype is possible as well. Therefore, I am looking forward to studying and passing the CPJE together. Thanks in advance.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Upvote 0 Downvote
3155_Rose said:
I am planning to take the CPJE soon. Currently, I am living at Los Angeles. My goal is to find a studying partner, prefer to meet in person but Skype is possible as well. Therefore, I am looking forward to studying and passing the CPJE together. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Hi pm me so we can study together.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
3155_Rose said:
I am planning to take the CPJE soon. Currently, I am living at Los Angeles. My goal is to find a studying partner, prefer to meet in person but Skype is possible as well. Therefore, I am looking forward to studying and passing the CPJE together. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

I'm in SD and planning to take exam in October. PM me if you want to study together.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Upvote 0 Downvote
3155_Rose said:
I am planning to take the CPJE soon. Currently, I am living at Los Angeles. My goal is to find a studying partner, prefer to meet in person but Skype is possible as well. Therefore, I am looking forward to studying and passing the CPJE together. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Hi, i am also located in LA and am looking for a study partner for cpje! Please message or reply to my post if you’re interested!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Good luck with all! I just received result in mail and passed with 85!
I have already given some comments above but if you have any other questions I'd be happy to share my experience!
I know this process is hectic but I think I have gotten some great advice from SDN so I want to help as much as I can : ))
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Upvote 0 Downvote
SupaPharmD said:
Good luck with all! I just received result in mail and passed with 85!
I have already given some comments above but if you have any other questions I'd be happy to share my experience!
I know this process is hectic but I think I have gotten some great advice from SDN so I want to help as much as I can : ))
Click to expand...

Hey Congrats on passing! That must be a relief :) I am currently studying for NAPLEX to take in October. I have been searching for the best way to study for CPJE since I did not go to school in Cali. I don't know if I should wait after Naplex to take CPJE or just to start studying specifically for CPJE now first. Any information about how your experience was and what you studied was would be really helpful and much appreciated.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Upvote 0 Downvote
Phrmstud said:
Hey Congrats on passing! That must be a relief :) I am currently studying for NAPLEX to take in October. I have been searching for the best way to study for CPJE since I did not go to school in Cali. I don't know if I should wait after Naplex to take CPJE or just to start studying specifically for CPJE now first. Any information about how your experience was and what you studied was would be really helpful and much appreciated.
Click to expand...

hello!
I am not sure if I'm the best person to answer your question because I am not a new graduate. However, I'd suppose that you study for NAPLEX since the CPJE will have the clinical portion which is pretty much what you studied NAPLEX for. Most people recommend taking CPJE soon after NAPLEX so the clinical knowledge is still fresh. After NAPLEX you can focus on the law portion of CPJE.
Can someone who took NAPLEX and CPJE back to back provide some input?
I hope this helps : ) Good luck studying!!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Members don't see this ad :)
Hi Pharmd1004. How are you? How was exam? Can you give us any advice on what to focus on. In terms of clinical and law. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Upvote 0 Downvote
3155_Rose said:
I am planning to take the CPJE soon. Currently, I am living at Los Angeles. My goal is to find a studying partner, prefer to meet in person but Skype is possible as well. Therefore, I am looking forward to studying and passing the CPJE together. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
I will love to have a study partner for the CPJE
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0 Downvote
I am planning to sit for the test within the next 3-4 days, any help, advice will be really appreciated. thanks in advance for the help
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
MSRG1347 said:
Hi Pharmd1004. How are you? How was exam? Can you give us any advice on what to focus on. In terms of clinical and law. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Hello, sorry for the delay in answer, but WARNING!! I will make it super detailed!!
  • Experience: I took mine in early September and studied for roughly around 3 months total for NAPLEX and CPJE. I felt that CPJE was more much doable than NAPLEX, esp because it the questions were simpler (only one right choice whereas NAPLEX is select whichever ones are correct). Also, it's easy to cross out 2 of the answer choices, so it's a 50-50 guess for a lot of questions (i guessed about 10-15 questions).
    • I was exhausted without any food for NAPLEX since it took me 5H to finish, starting at 8AM, so CPJE being a shorter exam, with flexible scheduling (took mine at 11AM) helped a ton.
  • Resources:
    • RxPrep (went through all chapters 3-4 times, solved all the questions online for each chapter once, book questions twice)
    • RxPrep CPJE online course (watched video one, read book twice, did all questions once). I got a 90% on the 75-Q practice exam from RxPrep (the actual exam was a bit more difficult than this practice exam).
    • Weissman questions (didn't read Weissman book, just did questions and read through answers), read Weissman law outlines,
    • CPJE secrets study guide from 2017 - read once, helpful for quick review and breakdown of key info; tried.. to recognize the brand names - too many random brands and you don't really need to know them - esp all those old onco brands.. omg
    • As many CPJE/NAPLEX practice tests/questions I could find - do ALLLL the questions! I felt that doing actual questions helped me burn the info into my brain more easily and actively quizzing myself rather than just repeating info
    • Also, TLDR Pharmacy was a LIFESAVER, HIGHLY RECOMMEND, AND IT'S FREE!! Studying for months on end looking at the same source of material makes studying monotonous and ur mind starts to wander. TLDR pharmacy made reviewing key information super simple and fun (bc of the use of memes or unique analogies like LOTR or Home Alone or sth). Reading their oncology guide, Ultimate HIV guide, Anticoag guide (omg seriously the best), warfarin AE, antibiotics simplified guide, to name a few - I honestly enjoyed it and it helped me retain the info better for my exams
    • TLDR pharmacy also has a guide on how to prepare for CPJE
    • And no I'm not advertising for them, it was just really helpful !!!
  • Studying method: I took NAPLEX first and I started math and Biostats 3 weeks before my exam date to make sure it was fresh in my head, while reviewing each chapter. I spent about 2 weeks after NAPLEX to review topics I was weak on based on how I felt after taking NAPLEX (I thought it was super difficult). I deleted math and biostats from my brain and didn't touch at all during the 2 wk studying for CPJE n it felt great.
  • Exam topics:
    • I had about 2-3 random old/obscure drug questions and 2 onc, 1 HIV, and ~2 ID, rest widespread thru community (skin conditions, BC, diabetes, vaccinations, HTN, GERD, med safety, renal dosing for common meds) and hospital (critical care, pain, arrhythmia, anticoag, etc) topics. No calculations or Biostats.
    • I had about 10-12 law questions (which is the most out of anyone I had ever seen based on what ppl said online), most of which were pretty easy and 2-3 were a little tricky.. If studying for law, I would try to imagine if there ever would be an exception to a law or what you should do in a weird situation.
    • The prescription verification qs were tricky because I didn't focus too deeply on dosing so I guessed on 3-4 of those.
    • Therapeutic interchange by mg dosage and frequency for common dz states (anti htn - ACEI/ARB, diuretics; statins, steroids, antibiotics - like cephalosporin generations, or picking drug with similar coverage - like gram neg + anaerobe ), alternatives for medications for pt who is having certain side effects or new diseases to switch therapies (combo drugs important - DM, dyslipidemia, HTN - ACEI/ARB even the old random ones, NSAID+PPI, OTC combos like cough syrups, allergy meds, etc) ****
    • Key details to focus are the things you're legally required to counsel as a pharmacist - how to take a drug (in the evening, twice a day, exactly Q12H, etc), how to store a drug (do not vs refrigerate), and main side effects, along with BBW.
    • When given a law question, it's important to pay attention to all the little details and know what the medication is (if it's some random obscure control drug, there will be controlled substance laws associated with it, and if it's OTC you won't need to counsel, etc).
    • I would say I knew about 95% generics from RxPrep and 90% brand names. I memorized all brands from my top 300 card deck along with top weird AE, side effects, renal dosing, and key dosing differences between some meds (like propecia dosing for BPH vs hair loss, or bupropion dosing for SAD vs tobacco cessation, etc), or any weird/different formulations of a drug (Zmax, Oracea, Yosprala), etc..
  • How I felt: I didn't feel terrible about my exam and I finished 50 minutes early. I thought the exam was fair, and if you studied, it was fair. I think if you thoroughly review every chapter and you are able to recall key points and recognize key drugs/brand names, it would be very helpful. You are bound to get a couple wrong because of how random some of the questions get sometimes, so it's important to make sure you are well rounded. Constantly reviewing brand names daily (spending at least 1-2H) for a month really helped me get them down solid. Recognizing the drug and knowing its general class is super helpful.
    • Honestly I did a lot of research on the topics to prepare for CPJE and saw that it was super spread apart. I tried to focus on a lot of my time on doing damage control for the last couple days, making sure I knew all my brands.

I hope I passed though >__< Don't want to feel false confidence. I passed NAPLEX with 104 and I prepared way more for CPJE and felt a lot better about it.... so hopefully I did okay.. I will keep you guys updated.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4 users
Upvote 0 Downvote
PharmacyGirlClass2018 said:
Thats good but how could you know for sure? i heard people said we should watch for the predate shows up. Its usually 2 weeks from the predate. Have you seen anything on yours? Thnx
Click to expand...
oh i just assumed that the predate is either 25th or 26th, so we should get the result two week from 25th or 26th, but now we still dont have a confirmed predate yet. CA BOP is way too slow to process stuffs
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
pakho123 said:
oh i just assumed that the predate is either 25th or 26th, so we should get the result two week from 25th or 26th, but now we still dont have a confirmed predate yet. CA BOP is way too slow to process stuffs
Click to expand...
oh okay. i heard people predicting that it should come out yesterday or today too but none of us has seen the predate show up yet. So frustrated
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0 Downvote
My understanding is that once 400 applicants test, the batch closes. It’s not necessarily ca bop processing things slowly (though their speed can definitely be improved), but just means it’s been a slow batch:( hopefully predate today or tomorrow? At this rate, we should start a thread to bet on the predate

And based on last batch, the predate showed up the day before it closed,so refresh refresh refresh!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
If i'm taking the test tomorrow (9/29) will I be included in the predate or do I have to wait for the next one? Does anyone know? Haha... that would really suck if I am 1 day out of the predate...
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Is that true that if you status has predate does that mean you fail? Cuz last time I didn’t pass and i did have the predate. As for this time, I also have predate....
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Jennifermln said:
Is that true that if you status has predate does that mean you fail? Cuz last time I didn’t pass and i did have the predate. As for this time, I also have predate....
Click to expand...
No. Probably not true. You got a predate did not mean you failed. I heard many people who also got predate the same time as everyone else of the same patch ended up passing. And according to previous posts of people who took CPJE before this patch, it seems like predate just tells you that the result will come within 2 weeks more or less
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

H
CPJE
Replies
1
Views
1K
hemprph
H
C
Failed CPJE 4 times
Replies
1
Views
1K
hemprph
H
T
CPJE RIGHT WAY TO STUDY QUESTION
Replies
0
Views
1K
Teddybear123456
T
B
CPJE preparation
Replies
3
Views
2K
Keither
K
N
CPJE June 2022
Replies
1
Views
2K
Pharmerish
P
Top