Tag Archive for: practice questions

Time to go back to the ABC’s

Yes, we know you know your ABC’s 🙂 But, sometimes it helps to reinvent the old classics to help us in the here and now. We’ve compiled a quick list of test taking tips that might help you as you prepare for your exams ( using A-E, because those are the letters you’ll see on the exams and maybe that will help keep these in mind!).

ABC blocks

The ABC’s of Test Taking

A Apply basic knowledge

This is the old adage, if you hear hoof beats, don’t assume it’s zebras. When you get your first look at a test question, whether it’s a standard multiple choice or a multiset vignette, the first thing to do is to look for the obvious. Most questions will be testing your basic knowledge and will give you clear signs that point to an answer. Some will be trickier of course, but a good rule of thumb is to dust off Occam’s razor and keep it in mind as you go through the questions. Keep your basic knowledge front and center!

B Block out distractors

Test makers are devious. There, I said it. They intentionally create distractor answers that will try to trick you (so rude). Falling back on the letter A, keep your basic knowledge in mind and then block out the answers you see off the bat as incorrect. For example, you might be reading a question about someone who is lethargic, has a lack of appetite, low mood, and disrupted sleep. Answer options could be Bipolar I, General Anxiety, Depression, PMDD, or Substance Withdrawal. Now, some of these conditions do in fact share the listed symptoms. But there’s missing information that would be required to make those answers the BEST answer.

Bipolar I would require symptoms of mania; GAD has other hallmark symptoms such as feelings of dread/worry that they cannot control; PMDD is cyclical around menstrual cycles in females; substance withdrawal requires mention of something that would cause the withdrawal. The distractors are there to make you second guess, so if one pops out as the best one, chances are it probably is!

C Check the question stem again

Well, maybe the distractors did a good job and now you can’t get passed it. Go back and find the question stem again. What is the question asking? Does it give the information you would NEED to make the other answer fit, or are you banging a square peg into a round hole? While the test makers are tricky, they aren’t totally evil. They will give you all the information you need with minimal need to fill in the blanks.

D Don’t over think it!

Ok, we got through the distractors and now we have our answer, Depression! Makes sense, fits the symptoms…wait, doesn’t it need a time frame to make a diagnosis? What if it’s none of these answers and actually something like Dysthymia? Or– stop. Stop over thinking it. Again, this is the job of the distractors to make you start thinking in circles. If the answer fits the information given in the best way, move on to the next question.

E Every little bit helps

You get about one minute per question on the exams, so you want to crank out as many answers as possible. And, most exams don’t “penalize” wrong answers, they just add up your correct ones. Leaving answers blanks and guessing and getting it wrong will do the same thing to your score. But, guessing might also get you one right! So if you need to stab a guess at one, DO IT because there’s a chance you could get it right!

Want to give this method a shot? Try our Free Trial and see how well it pans out. We’d love to hear from you, and you can Contact us with any questions you have or to let us know if these tips helped you or not!

A quick overview of the PRITE Exam

The Psychiatry Resident-In-Training Examination or “PRITE” is a resource used by residents and training programs.

The PRITE exam broken down

It’s used by residency programs to evaluate resident preparedness for the board exams. Typically during each year, residents in psychiatry take this exam. The test is administrated by the hospital where the residency program is located.

There are two types of each PRITE. The “Regular” PRITE and the Child PRITE.

The “Regular” PRITE is comprised of 300 questions which are tested and administered in two parts. It covers areas including (but not limited to); Neurosciences, Clinical Neuro/Psych, Behavioral/Social Sciences, and Issues in Practice.

The Child PRITE on the other hand was created for child Fellows. It’s a 200-question exam that contains child and adolescent psychiatry issues, topics, and more in-depth. Coverage areas include (but are not limited to); Clinical Neuro/Psych, Neuroscience, Development, Epidemiology, and treatment from infancy through Adolescence/Early Adulthood.

Although we’ve covered full exam costs in previous blog posts, to summarize the Regular PRITE is $140 to take whereas the Child PRITE is $125.

It’s our goal to help you pass the exam specific to your needs. We offer a full suite of practice Q-Banks on the PRITE and other resources which can help you pass your boards with ease.

Get practcing with our Question Banks (via our Free Trial) today! Still, feeling uneasy or overwhelmed? Contact us and we can help YOU pass your boards with ease!

Who Is My Psych Board ?

Prepare to pass your board exams with ease! My Psych Board offers access to four question banks, each uniquely tailored to the studying needs for those preparing to take the ABPN Certification Examination, PRITE Examination, USMLE – Psychiatry and Neurology categories, and Nurse Practitioner Examination.

My Psych Board is created by experts in the field and covers all the topics you need to master in order to pass your board certifying exams. Feedback is given immediately in Practice Mode as questions are answered, including in-depth explanations that accompany each question for both correct and incorrect answer options. Additionally, students have the option of accessing a one-time phone call with Dr. Abdel to discuss their best studying strategies and one-on-one tutoring to help them gain maximum preparation. My Psych Board is customer oriented; we take your feedback seriously and are always looking for ways to improve the user experience.

Getting the facts straight: Truth and LIES about the USMLE Exam

When preparing for the USMLE Exam it’s important to get the facts right.

Getting the facts straight: Truth and LIES about the USMLE Exam

First, Let’s sort out the USMLE LIES…

❌ The more you put off your test and study, the better your score is going to be.

Studies show that cramming can actually be hurtful. Med school is a full-time job and you need to manage your time wisely. You should study alongside your course work AND practice practice practice… But if you take too long and say you’re not ready, you may lose info that you focused on months or weeks back.

❌ Using as many resources as you can leads to a better score.

This will just flood your brain with info. The most ideal way to study is by using practice question banks that imitate real-life tests. While everyone had various study methods, research shows that the Practice Q-Banks hold higher retention than lectures or reading combined.

❌ Practice Question Banks are all the same!

NOPE. You want to ensure you’re not just getting the information correct but that it matches the real-life test. Many question banks are NOT formatted properly and will only just feed you endless information… Thankfully, our USMLE question bank is formatted to get the most out of your learning experience. Studies have proven members who use formatted practice q-banks have a much higher score/pass rate.

NOW, Let’s get the TRUTH right so you can pass your USMLE With Ease!

✅ The more practice questions you study with, the higher your USMLE Score will be.

As we covered before about the Pract. Q-Banks, you want to ensure you’re studying with resources that will benefit you. They say practice makes perfect and this is 100% true!

✅ There is no “one perfect way” to prepare for the USMLE Exam.

Find a study plan and create one that works for YOU. Everyone is different so don’t listen to the noise others spew about how YOU should be studying.

✅ With the right study plan, you will pass!

This goes with any test and we’ve covered it before, put in the work, create a plan, and dive in. If you’re prepared it’s almost impossible to fail.

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We hope this helps! What other lies or statements have you heard? DM or Contact Us to let us know. We love hearing your feedback!

My Psych Board vs. Them: Competition broken down and compared!

My Psych Board vs. “The Others…” who do you choose?

There are a lot of brands you can choose from, but we’re here to help ensure you pick the right one!

We’ve taken time this past week to dive deep into our competitors and give an unbiased opinion on what separates us from the rest… Now we know that it may seem we would only want to toot our own horn but after looking into everyone the choice is night and day…

So..why choose us?

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1️⃣ Leading Customer Service
Our customer service is unmatched. We operate a much smaller team which provides a more custom and personalized experience while still offering your essential services. “The Others” are no match for us. They charge extra for your time.

With us you can ->
• Schedule a call with a Medical Expert
• Access phone & email support options
• Get assistance with an on-site or Telehealth Observership or Preceptorship
• Additional Tutoring is available

We are here to provide you with the exact services and content you need!

2️⃣ Top Quality Question Banks

When it comes down to our question banks they’re truly groundbreaking and outstanding! You would be surprised how many other brands either limit their coverage, content, or video vignettes.

Some features our Question Banks include are…
• Content curated by industry professionals
• Video & Clinical Vignettes Included
• Tests Customized by Subject
• Times & Practice Modes!
• Up-To-Date Questions
• Detailed Explanations
• FREE trials available!
& MUCH more!

3️⃣ Web & Exam Experience

When we dove into each brand we looked at several areas: Web content, navigation, accessibility, speed, and the actual question bank roll out.

“The Others”
When it comes to speed, the others average performance score of 22/100..oof… The pages are cluttered, finding the specific question banks to purchased are confusing, and the mobile experience was incredibly poor. We also utilized Googles “Core Web Vital Assessment” feature and found that most brands FAILED this on mobile.. how can you trust them to help you pass the boards if they can’t pass their own assessments…

With us, you’ll find an average performance score of 93/100, passed Core Assement, and great content. Each section of content is is to the point, easy to navigate, and gives you a streamlined experience. If you ever have questions or need a hand, you can always reach out to us!

4️⃣ Additional Content (Blogs, Social, and More!)
We’re the only brand that also focuses on other areas of content! Our social media focuses on studying tips, studying experiences, practice questions, real life uses and much MUCH more. With our blog you can dive deep into various learning areas and expand on topics seen on our socials!

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Did you know we offer a FREE trial for our question banks? Just head over to our website (exams.mypsychboard.com) to get started today risk-free (with no Credit Card required!)

Feeling like you need a bit of extra help?

Contact us OR sign up for our tutoring!

How To: Choose the best path when studying for your Psychiatric Board Exams!

An image reading "Choose the best path when studying for your Psychiatric Board Exams!" - in the image is a dark path for stressful exam prep OR a light path for easy studying.

When taking your journey there are many choices you can make that will either help or hurt you in studying. Would you want to take a path that seems rocky & has a higher chance of failure OR one that is sunny & straightforward?

Everyone is different when it comes to taking tests & exams BUT, if you go into your exam with a clear plan your odds of passing become so much higher already!

🤨 â€œSo what’s your advice then?”

You’ve taken tests all your life & know what works for YOU. Take a look back at some of your best / worst tests. Write down the areas you think hurt you & those that helped so you won’t make the same mistakes. Just focus more on the positive areas than the negative.

If you spend more time worrying & less time studying/creating a plan you’re just going to make things worse. You’ll just stress yourself out. The exam is only a small moment in time so don’t let it run months of your life.

⏰ Since we’re talking about time, remember to pace yourself!

Some people finish within seconds to spare & others finish early, but again, we’re all different. There are a few strategies that you can put into place. We’ve outlined two, but we recommend researching more about what others have done.

1️⃣ Review & Tag Method:
Read your question & choose the answer you think is right after thinking quickly about it. Tag questions for review & return to them later. This will keep you moving quickly through the exam hitting questions you’re confident about. When you complete the questions go back & spend more time on the ones you weren’t sure about.
(*Some exams do NOT allow tagging. DM us if you want to learn if you’ll be affected).

2️⃣ Using every second:
It’s not a race, so if you’re the type who feels more confident taking it slow then do it! Spend as much time as you can considering each option & remove the choices you know that wouldn’t be correct. It’s better to answer every question than to leave it blank. You still have a higher chance it’s right.

When your exam is done, leave it in the past. There’s no point saying “I should’ve done this”.Well, that’s enough for now so we will focus on what to do AFTER your board exams in a future post…

Stay tuned!

Did you know we offer additional tutoring? Contact us today to learn more! OR Jump right in with our FREE question banks!

Our Multi Modal Psychiatric Question Banks: Perfect on the go!

a mac, iphone, and ipad are laid out on a blue background. On each of the screens are a section of the "My Psych Baord" website and question banks.

Life can be fast paced and it can seem like finding the right time and place to study is impossible.

Not everyone has the luxury of sitting down in front of a desktop or laptop for hours every day.⁠ We understand that we need to keep up with your hectic schedule and find ways to make that time FOR you.

We have created a means of doing that by offering our Question Banks either at home OR on the go! Our website can be accessed and used from desktops to mobile smartphones to tablets. With user-friendly interface, we want to create the perfect studying tool that you can use- wherever you are.
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With our âœ¨ Multi Modal Question Banks âœ¨ you can study with ease no matter where you are! Whether you’re at home on your laptop, on the go with your phone, or kicking back on your tablet you can access all our Question Banks unrestricted. You should be able to access materials to study for your exams in the way that is easiest for you, whether that’s sitting at a desktop or cramming a few questions in between rotations. Our goal is to make our products accessible no matter what the situation is.
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All you need to do is go to our website, sign in, and start testing! đŸĽł Want to try it out RISK FREE? Give our Free Trial a whirl and see how we can help you!


⁠Did you know we offer a FREE trial for our question banks? Just head over to our website (exams.mypsychboard.com) to get started today risk-free (with no Credit Card required!)

Feeling like you need a bit of extra help?

Contact us OR sign up for our tutoring!


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INTRODUCING: Our New FREE Trial Psychiatric Question Banks!

INTRODUCING- Our New FREE Trial Psychiatric Question Banks!

🚨 FREE TRIAL ALERT!

Take control of your learning and pass your board exams with ease! Our new FREE TRIAL question banks are like an appetizer sampler for your brain. Choose from ABPN, PRITE, NP, and USMLE banks to decide if My Psych Board is right for you.

Test out 10 top quality questions including a sampler video vignette, and get a feel on how our products work. Our free trials feature timed, practice, AND custom quiz modes!

It’s the perfect way to check us out with no risk to your wallet!

Click the link to get started with your trial today!
https://exams.mypsychboard.com/signin?callbackUrl=https://exams.mypsychboard.com/quizzes?trial=1