Passed BCPS: what I did

[pharmacist912016]

Hey SDN: I passed BCPS. I wanted to share what I did to prepare. This is not a post about what I saw on the actual exam but what I did to prepare.

about me: graduated pharmacy school in 2016. no residency. Hospital inpatient pharmacy 2016-2020. Mix of staffing/ clinical stuff.

I bought the ACCP study material (ACCP). I highly recommend it. i did not buy the video lectures just the pdf. I read every word of almost every chapter. I skipped oncology and skimmed pediatrics (neither of which I have experience with).

I learned biostats like my life depended on it.

I memorized everything with major disease states: HTN, HF, DM, common infections, depression, etc. For obscure diseases or third/fourth line agents I either skipped or just went over once.

Then I bought the ACCP mock test. I put all my notes away and took the test. I HIGHLY reccomend this. the questions on the mock exam and the study material are very difficult but it will prepare you for the real exam.

Learning the regulations was tough. there are so many i just learned as much of the major/ important rules as I could.


Finally I bought some flash cards for my phone on an app. These questions are SUPER difficult, no way the real test is this difficult. But again...the super hard questions will prepare you for the actual exam.

hope this helps.

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[Pharmacypro2017]

Here are my thoughts:
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.

 

[rxkrafted]

On top of these advices, I want to say that Anki or other quiz/flashcard apps on my phone helped a lot. Especially since many of us are working, it helps to memorize things through repetition during breaks or slow times while working.

 

[smartypants20]

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).

 

[RxPermenante]

I work in an ambulatory care clinic. Passed the BCPS and BCACP. Here's what I did.

1. High Yield: I ALWAYS recommend the quiz bank. It is valuable. The questions are awesome. If anything get the quiz bank. The lectures are somewhat information overload. If you struggle with stats get the stats set. The stats lectures are AMAZING. I was VERY VERY confident in my stats because of high yield stats and the quizbank for stats. Prob got 1-2 questions wrong on stats if that. I do have a referral code and a discount so if you need it message me!

2. ACCP book. The book is good. A LOT of information though. I started studying for my exams 6 months prior. I read through the book once and but because it is soo much information you really just need to make notes or quizlet cards with the key points. Dz states, first, second, third line therapy. Monitoring for key meds, CI etc.

3. Quizlet. There's actually a wealth of flashcards on there already that you can use to quiz yourself for both BCPS and BCACP. Just do a quick search.

4. VA lectures. If you work in the VA. the lectures are fantastic. Listen to them!!

 

[UTfarmer]

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).

Thank you for sharing your experience. I'm taking it this weekend and I'm just a bag of nerves. I also used HYMR and ACCP booklet and the Mock Exam. I too think the lectures on HYMR is a bit "too much." As a FT mom and a FT pharmacist, I don't really have time for a 60 minute lecture on Aspirin. Anyways, congratulations on passing your exam! I wish I will pass too

 

[PharmDBro2017]

Anyone know details of when the spring 2020 BCPS testing window opens? Was literally about to sign up this week and it says today is the last day.... I need another couple days to get HR to sign documents for me.

Open

Fall 2020

Ends 9/16/2020

Sep 8, 2020 - Oct 12, 2020

 

[rxkrafted]

Anyone know details of when the spring 2020 BCPS testing window opens? Was literally about to sign up this week and it says today is the last day.... I need another couple days to get HR to sign documents for me.

Open

Fall 2020

Ends 9/16/2020

Sep 8, 2020 - Oct 12, 2020

You said spring 2020 but referenced fall 2020. Did you want to take the exam this year or spring 2021?
Registration for fall 2020 is closed but the testing window will be open between September 8, 2020 through October 12, 2020.

btw what documents does HR have to sign in order for you to sign up for the exam?

 

[PharmDBro2017]

You said spring 2020 but referenced fall 2020. Did you want to take the exam this year or spring 2021?
Registration for fall 2020 is closed but the testing window will be open between September 8, 2020 through October 12, 2020.

btw what documents does HR have to sign in order for you to sign up for the exam?

I meant Spring 2021, sorry.

You need someone to attest (HR/DOP/etc) that you have worked X number of years doing X% of work related to X subject matter you want your board cert in. Must be done on letterhead from your employer.

 

[rxkrafted]

I meant Spring 2021, sorry.

You need someone to attest (HR/DOP/etc) that you have worked X number of years doing X% of work related to X subject matter you want your board cert in. Must be done on letterhead from your employer.

Oh gotcha.

As far as the attestation letter goes, you should ask your director first if you haven't done that already before going to HR. I got mine from my director and he had a template already made for other employees he made letters for so it was like an hour turnaround time.

 

[samven582]

I work in an ambulatory care clinic. Passed the BCPS and BCACP. Here's what I did.

1. High Yield: I ALWAYS recommend the quiz bank. It is valuable. The questions are awesome. If anything get the quiz bank. The lectures are somewhat information overload. If you struggle with stats get the stats set. The stats lectures are AMAZING. I was VERY VERY confident in my stats because of high yield stats and the quizbank for stats. Prob got 1-2 questions wrong on stats if that. I do have a referral code and a discount so if you need it message me!

2. ACCP book. The book is good. A LOT of information though. I started studying for my exams 6 months prior. I read through the book once and but because it is soo much information you really just need to make notes or quizlet cards with the key points. Dz states, first, second, third line therapy. Monitoring for key meds, CI etc.

3. Quizlet. There's actually a wealth of flashcards on there already that you can use to quiz yourself for both BCPS and BCACP. Just do a quick search.

4. VA lectures. If you work in the VA. the lectures are fantastic. Listen to them!!

Are the high yield questions reflective of the questions on the BCPS?

 

[RxPermenante]

Are the high yield questions reflective of the questions on the BCPS?

Yup the content is great! It makes sure you know the important points and hammers it in!

 

[PharmDBro2017]

Yup the content is great! It makes sure you know the important points and hammers it in!

How much does high yield cost?

 

[Pharmacy@2020]

Hey SDN: I passed BCPS. I wanted to share what I did to prepare. This is not a post about what I saw on the actual exam but what I did to prepare.

about me: graduated pharmacy school in 2016. no residency. Hospital inpatient pharmacy 2016-2020. Mix of staffing/ clinical stuff.

I bought the ACCP study material (ACCP). I highly recommend it. i did not buy the video lectures just the pdf. I read every word of almost every chapter. I skipped oncology and skimmed pediatrics (neither of which I have experience with).

I learned biostats like my life depended on it.

I memorized everything with major disease states: HTN, HF, DM, common infections, depression, etc. For obscure diseases or third/fourth line agents I either skipped or just went over once.

Then I bought the ACCP mock test. I put all my notes away and took the test. I HIGHLY reccomend this. the questions on the mock exam and the study material are very difficult but it will prepare you for the real exam.

Learning the regulations was tough. there are so many i just learned as much of the major/ important rules as I could.


Finally I bought some flash cards for my phone on an app. These questions are SUPER difficult, no way the real test is this difficult. But again...the super hard questions will prepare you for the actual exam.

hope this helps.

Congrats on your board certification! And thanks for sharing your experience!
how long in advance you recommend to take the mock test?
What source you used for bio-stats?

 

[rxkrafted]

Congrats on your board certification! And thanks for sharing your experience!
how long in advance you recommend to take the mock test?
What source you used for bio-stats?

I have failed twice with 1 point off!
What should I do differently next time?
what should I use a question bank?

Thanks!

Try to focus on one exam at a time.

 

[pardisrezaeipour]

Hey SDN: I passed BCPS. I wanted to share what I did to prepare. This is not a post about what I saw on the actual exam but what I did to prepare.

about me: graduated pharmacy school in 2016. no residency. Hospital inpatient pharmacy 2016-2020. Mix of staffing/ clinical stuff.

I bought the ACCP study material (ACCP). I highly recommend it. i did not buy the video lectures just the pdf. I read every word of almost every chapter. I skipped oncology and skimmed pediatrics (neither of which I have experience with).

I learned biostats like my life depended on it.

I memorized everything with major disease states: HTN, HF, DM, common infections, depression, etc. For obscure diseases or third/fourth line agents I either skipped or just went over once.

Then I bought the ACCP mock test. I put all my notes away and took the test. I HIGHLY reccomend this. the questions on the mock exam and the study material are very difficult but it will prepare you for the real exam.

Learning the regulations was tough. there are so many i just learned as much of the major/ important rules as I could.


Finally I bought some flash cards for my phone on an app. These questions are SUPER difficult, no way the real test is this difficult. But again...the super hard questions will prepare you for the actual exam.

hope this helps.

I am willing to buy your study materials. Are you willing to sell your prep book and study books if they are 2019 and newer? Thanks

 

[bazuka]

Hi guys, thanks for sharing your thoughts on BCPS. How did you manage to retain material over months?

The problem I am having is that since its a huge amount of material, I do not get to review a lot. I forget by the time I revisit it again.

 

[RX2020]

Hey SDN: I passed BCPS. I wanted to share what I did to prepare. This is not a post about what I saw on the actual exam but what I did to prepare.

about me: graduated pharmacy school in 2016. no residency. Hospital inpatient pharmacy 2016-2020. Mix of staffing/ clinical stuff.

I bought the ACCP study material (ACCP). I highly recommend it. i did not buy the video lectures just the pdf. I read every word of almost every chapter. I skipped oncology and skimmed pediatrics (neither of which I have experience with).

I learned biostats like my life depended on it.

I memorized everything with major disease states: HTN, HF, DM, common infections, depression, etc. For obscure diseases or third/fourth line agents I either skipped or just went over once.

Then I bought the ACCP mock test. I put all my notes away and took the test. I HIGHLY reccomend this. the questions on the mock exam and the study material are very difficult but it will prepare you for the real exam.

Learning the regulations was tough. there are so many i just learned as much of the major/ important rules as I could.


Finally I bought some flash cards for my phone on an app. These questions are SUPER difficult, no way the real test is this difficult. But again...the super hard questions will prepare you for the actual exam.

hope this helps.

Thank you for your amazing tips and congratulations! I am scheduled for the exam in May of 2021. Starting to look over materials now. Do you think I am behind?

 

[RxTest1]

A couple of people have mentioned flashcards or a flashcard app. Does anyone know where to find these?

 

[bellavida]

I think you can purchase it on ACCP. I found the audio synched powerpoints were helpful.

 

[PharmDBro2017]

How long does the BCPS application review normally take? Says pending.

 

[Rose19]

Here are my thoughts:
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.

Thank you for the info. How much time did you spend on pharmacokinetics and how many questions in real exam was from it?

 

[bthom989]

On top of these advices, I want to say that Anki or other quiz/flashcard apps on my phone helped a lot. Especially since many of us are working, it helps to memorize things through repetition during breaks or slow times while working.

Any pre-made Anki decks you can recommend?

 

[lkrph17]

Hey SDN: I passed BCPS. I wanted to share what I did to prepare. This is not a post about what I saw on the actual exam but what I did to prepare.

about me: graduated pharmacy school in 2016. no residency. Hospital inpatient pharmacy 2016-2020. Mix of staffing/ clinical stuff.

I bought the ACCP study material (ACCP). I highly recommend it. i did not buy the video lectures just the pdf. I read every word of almost every chapter. I skipped oncology and skimmed pediatrics (neither of which I have experience with).

I learned biostats like my life depended on it.

I memorized everything with major disease states: HTN, HF, DM, common infections, depression, etc. For obscure diseases or third/fourth line agents I either skipped or just went over once.

Then I bought the ACCP mock test. I put all my notes away and took the test. I HIGHLY reccomend this. the questions on the mock exam and the study material are very difficult but it will prepare you for the real exam.

Learning the regulations was tough. there are so many i just learned as much of the major/ important rules as I could.


Finally I bought some flash cards for my phone on an app. These questions are SUPER difficult, no way the real test is this difficult. But again...the super hard questions will prepare you for the actual exam.

hope this helps.

where did you buy flash cards from

 

[Ha Bui]

Hi. Congratulation on anyone who passed. I plan to do BCCP next year and stat to look for materials. I wonder if i should buy ACCP or High yields? Does anyone take a look at BCCP materials on High yield?

also, may I ask if I am supposed to memorize the commonly used equations and risk scores like Cockroft-Gault or Chadsvacs? I depend too much on MDcalc in my daily practice

thank in advance