- Joined
- Oct 20, 2016
- Messages
- 4
- Reaction score
- 4
Hey guys! I am a long time lurker of this forum but never actually posted anything. I decided to create an account and let you know about my NAPLEX experience.
A little back story: I was an EXTREMELY average student in school with a 3.2 GPA. I procrastinated my way through school only starting to study half a week before my major therapeutics exams. I managed to scrape by with decent grades. I bought the RxPrep 2015 edition during my rotations so I could refresh on topics but didn't even crack it open once. I decided not to buy the 2016 edition because I didn't want to waste another $160.
I just took the NAPLEX this past Monday and I was not prepared at all. I studied on and off since August, however, I never went hard core. I would study maybe 1-2 hours a day and sometimes only going through 1 chapter a day (and not even retaining the knowledge...I just highlighted and moved on). Some things came up and I was unable to study for a good 3 weeks. I finally decided that I had to schedule my NAPLEX before the new format took effect. I scheduled my exam on September 28th and tried my best to finish reading through the RxPrep book at least once. I purchased the RxPrep test bank and only went through about 12 of the topics, scoring from 50%-70% on all of them. Time flew by and before I knew it, it was only 1 week before my test date. I was FREAKING out because I didn't even do calculations yet and I still didn't even read the first 1/3 of the book (all the biostats, immunizations, DIs, liver and kidney diseases). I decided I wasn't ready and two days before my test I pushed it back until October 17th (the only time slot left). I thought, wow 17 days is more than enough to adequately prepare...I was wrong. I am a serial procrastinator and started procrastinating again. When it was 1 week before the exam I was feeling dread again. Why didn't I learn from my past mistakes??? Anyway It was too late now to reschedule because they stop administering the old NAPLEX on Oct. 22. I ran through the calculation chapter in the book and jotted down all the important equations in a notebook. I did half of the SDN120 but felt like I needed to go back and really get a good grip on ID, HIV and Onco. I studied those for 2 days and then went back skimmed the big chapters like HTN, HLD, DM, and HF. Finally on the night before the test I attempted to finish the SD120 but didn't even finish the last 15 questions.
The entire morning of my test date I felt like crap. My teeth hurt from anxiety and I was sweating. I went into the testing center and started taking the exam. My first few questions were big patient profiles. I was reading through and it got me so disheartened because these were NOTHING like the RxPrep practice questions. I was so scared of running out of time that I rushed through the entire first half of questions. Also I guessed on so many questions...(like 60% of them...I KID YOU NOT). Some of the questions I recognized but I didn't study those topics enough to know the exact answer so I just tried to take an educated guess. I got a lot of Onco and Hepatitis questions, which SUCKED because I didn't even go over the Liver disease chapter (Stupid I know...I basically blind guessed on all of those questions). I also got 3-4 structure questions...like point to the part of the structure that does this or which of these structures cause this effect? I was panicking because I didn't even study med chem at all. For the math I'm pretty sure I got at least 3-4 completely wrong because I forgot or messed up some part of an equation. I also got a lot of calculating CrCl questions and drip rate questions. I finished 105 questions by the time of the mandatory break. I was so sad at that point because I knew I rushed through the first half and I probably should have spent a little more time thinking them through. I finished the entire exam with 45 minutes left. (YES ...That's how unprepared I was because I just guessed on a bunch of questions)
Anyway after the exam I felt so down. I was 100% sure I failed. I knew after a few days I would check my score and it would say like 50 or something. That's how bad I thought I did. I went home and slept and had nightmares of getting a failing grade. It's been 3 days since my exam and I just checked my grade and almost fell out of my chair. I PASSED....WITH A 111. WTH? I don't know HOW this is possible. I couldn't believe it....but I am so relieved now. I don't have to take the new NAPLEX in January.
I just wanted to give a little hope to those people who might be taking it soon and don't feel prepared, or just took it and think they failed.
Summary of my test: I got a LOT of Hepatitis,Onco, and Immunization questions. I also remember a few arrhythmia and DM ones too. I don't think I got more than 1-2 HLD and HF questions. For math I got a lot of drip rate and CrCl questions (at least 4-5 each) and a few PNs, dosing, and mEq ones. At the end (last 50 questions) I got hit with around 5 biostats questions. The entire test was just REALLY random so you really don't know what you'll get. Just KNOW your equations really well, DEFINITELY study biostats and immunizations. MEMORIZE ALL HIV BRAND NAMES AND COMBOS.
A little back story: I was an EXTREMELY average student in school with a 3.2 GPA. I procrastinated my way through school only starting to study half a week before my major therapeutics exams. I managed to scrape by with decent grades. I bought the RxPrep 2015 edition during my rotations so I could refresh on topics but didn't even crack it open once. I decided not to buy the 2016 edition because I didn't want to waste another $160.
I just took the NAPLEX this past Monday and I was not prepared at all. I studied on and off since August, however, I never went hard core. I would study maybe 1-2 hours a day and sometimes only going through 1 chapter a day (and not even retaining the knowledge...I just highlighted and moved on). Some things came up and I was unable to study for a good 3 weeks. I finally decided that I had to schedule my NAPLEX before the new format took effect. I scheduled my exam on September 28th and tried my best to finish reading through the RxPrep book at least once. I purchased the RxPrep test bank and only went through about 12 of the topics, scoring from 50%-70% on all of them. Time flew by and before I knew it, it was only 1 week before my test date. I was FREAKING out because I didn't even do calculations yet and I still didn't even read the first 1/3 of the book (all the biostats, immunizations, DIs, liver and kidney diseases). I decided I wasn't ready and two days before my test I pushed it back until October 17th (the only time slot left). I thought, wow 17 days is more than enough to adequately prepare...I was wrong. I am a serial procrastinator and started procrastinating again. When it was 1 week before the exam I was feeling dread again. Why didn't I learn from my past mistakes??? Anyway It was too late now to reschedule because they stop administering the old NAPLEX on Oct. 22. I ran through the calculation chapter in the book and jotted down all the important equations in a notebook. I did half of the SDN120 but felt like I needed to go back and really get a good grip on ID, HIV and Onco. I studied those for 2 days and then went back skimmed the big chapters like HTN, HLD, DM, and HF. Finally on the night before the test I attempted to finish the SD120 but didn't even finish the last 15 questions.
The entire morning of my test date I felt like crap. My teeth hurt from anxiety and I was sweating. I went into the testing center and started taking the exam. My first few questions were big patient profiles. I was reading through and it got me so disheartened because these were NOTHING like the RxPrep practice questions. I was so scared of running out of time that I rushed through the entire first half of questions. Also I guessed on so many questions...(like 60% of them...I KID YOU NOT). Some of the questions I recognized but I didn't study those topics enough to know the exact answer so I just tried to take an educated guess. I got a lot of Onco and Hepatitis questions, which SUCKED because I didn't even go over the Liver disease chapter (Stupid I know...I basically blind guessed on all of those questions). I also got 3-4 structure questions...like point to the part of the structure that does this or which of these structures cause this effect? I was panicking because I didn't even study med chem at all. For the math I'm pretty sure I got at least 3-4 completely wrong because I forgot or messed up some part of an equation. I also got a lot of calculating CrCl questions and drip rate questions. I finished 105 questions by the time of the mandatory break. I was so sad at that point because I knew I rushed through the first half and I probably should have spent a little more time thinking them through. I finished the entire exam with 45 minutes left. (YES ...That's how unprepared I was because I just guessed on a bunch of questions)
Anyway after the exam I felt so down. I was 100% sure I failed. I knew after a few days I would check my score and it would say like 50 or something. That's how bad I thought I did. I went home and slept and had nightmares of getting a failing grade. It's been 3 days since my exam and I just checked my grade and almost fell out of my chair. I PASSED....WITH A 111. WTH? I don't know HOW this is possible. I couldn't believe it....but I am so relieved now. I don't have to take the new NAPLEX in January.
I just wanted to give a little hope to those people who might be taking it soon and don't feel prepared, or just took it and think they failed.
Summary of my test: I got a LOT of Hepatitis,Onco, and Immunization questions. I also remember a few arrhythmia and DM ones too. I don't think I got more than 1-2 HLD and HF questions. For math I got a lot of drip rate and CrCl questions (at least 4-5 each) and a few PNs, dosing, and mEq ones. At the end (last 50 questions) I got hit with around 5 biostats questions. The entire test was just REALLY random so you really don't know what you'll get. Just KNOW your equations really well, DEFINITELY study biostats and immunizations. MEMORIZE ALL HIV BRAND NAMES AND COMBOS.
Last edited:
