It is no longer news that the MCCQE1 is an inevitable step in the journey to becoming a licensed physician in Canada. The stakes are high, and there is no such thing as over-preparation. You may already know all the tips to acing your MCCQE 1 exam but self assessment is equally important.
When you self assess, you examine your strengths as well as your performance, based on the criteria of the exam. Think of it as a parameter that will help you measure where you’re at and what you want to achieve. Thereafter, you can take the appropriate steps and remedial measures that match your pace or study technique.
This article will give you a clear picture of the process of self assessment and why you need it before your MCCQE1 exam.
What Should I Expect in the Exam?
In the process of preparing for this test, knowing what’s ahead of you will solve half of the problem. When you understand the structure of the exam you can identify your own gaps. Here is what to expect in your MCCQE Part 1 test.
It is a 1-day computer-based exam that qualifies candidates to enter supervised practice. You can take the exam in an available prometric test center or via remote proctoring on a first come, first served basis. It’s a 7 hour exam divided into morning and afternoon sessions. The morning session lasts about 4 hours to answer 210 multiple questions and up to three and a half hours in the afternoon session for the clinical decision making component.
The CDM component of the MCCQE1 test includes 38 case scenarios, each with some questions attached. This case description assesses your decision-making ability in various situations. You must provide your choice in areas such as diagnosis, prescription, gathering information and so on, as you would if given an actual patient the overall number of questions ranges from 60 to 70 across all 38 cases and the structure of the questions will require that you provide short write-in answers.
Why Do I Need Self-assessment Before this Test?
Now that you understand what you’re up against, it is equally important that you understand why you must evaluate yourself before you take the MCCQE1 test.
1. Less Anxiety: Exam anxiety is a normal feeling, especially with high stake exams such as this one, but self-assessment can help reduce that anxiety because you know what to expect and you’re sure that you have worked on your weaknesses. You can now shift focus from “I hope I passed” to “I’ve worked hard to improve”. This attitude and approach over time reduces anxiety, improves your performance, helps you think more clearly and helps you make better decisions under pressure.
2. Time Management: When you take a self assessed test, it helps you realize how much time you will potentially spend on the exam. The more you practice, the better you get at time allocation and management. There are self-assessment websites such as CanadaQbank where you can set the level of difficulty you want your questions to be, so as you continue to practice over and over you can progress to increasing levels of difficulty with shorter time limits. In this way, on the examination day, you could finish all of your questions with time to spare.
3. Topic Revision: Self-evaluation before a test works best when you revise each topic as you study. You don’t have to wait until you’re done with all of your reading before testing your knowledge. CanadaQbank offers this feature which helps streamline your revision and studying, and helps you know what topics to pay closer attention to. You could also take tests repeatedly so as to realize and work on specific areas that come up as weaknesses.
4. Confidence in your Preparedness: Being prepared for an exam can make you much more confident. It is one thing to self-assess, it is another to self assess ahead of time. This affords you a substantial amount of time to prepare effectively and turn your weaknesses into strengths.
Make sure to start your preparations and revisions early enough so you’re not overwhelmed when the exams are close. Crash reading is an undeniable contributor to the development of unhealthy reading habits therefore you’re advised to start your reading as early as possible so you can develop healthy study patterns.
All of this strengthens your assurance and yourself as you make all the necessary preparations you need to ace the exams.
Make sure to start your preparations and revisions early enough so you’re not overwhelmed when the exams are close. Crash reading is an undeniable contributor to the development of unhealthy reading habits therefore you’re advised to start your reading as early as possible so you can develop healthy study patterns.
All of this strengthens your assurance and yourself as you make all the necessary preparations you need to ace the exams.
How Do I Self-assess?
To take the self-assessment, you need to sign up to a question bank website. An example is Canadaqbank.com, which has all of the features that you will need for your preparations. as mentioned in this article. You can download the mobile app or use the website online. Access to all the features will require a subscription from you which will attract an affordable fee.
Once you have subscribed, you’ll be given login details and you will be able to access all you need. You can streamline your question, then review your tests. Additionally, there are links to demo videos on the app or website, which will help you understand how to navigate the app and the website.
You will also need to go through the MCC’s official website so you’re aware of the recommended books and study materials. The site helps you access resources that will go a long way in guiding your preparations.
Lastly, you can try peer assessment. If you have a couple of friends or colleagues who are also taking the exams, it’s not a bad idea to hang out and evaluate each other’s performance.
Conclusion
As you self-assess, try not to be hard on yourself. When you find your strengths, give yourself a part on the back and leverage on these strengths. If you find weaknesses, give yourself time to process and work through them. As you make all these preparations, try not to see the examination as a hurdle, see it as a bridge that brings you a step closer to your dreams. Don’t forget to explore the many resources on CanadaQbank that can make this journey smoother for you. Good luck!