10 NAPLEX Tips You Need to Know
The North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination, or NAPLEX, is the highest stakes exam a pharmacist will take if they are pursuing licensure in the United States. With so much riding on this exam, it's important to be as prepared as possible. Fortunately, there are some tips and tricks that can help you succeed on the NAPLEX. So that’s why I am sharing 10 of my top tips for passing the NAPLEX with you!
#1: Read the competency statements.
I know it is tempting to skip over this part. These competency statements are long and boring to read, but they are also the best guide you have as to what information will show up on the exam and what information won’t. You can find these statements on the NABP website and can even print them out for easy reference as you study.
#2: Start preparing sooner rather than later.
It is very tempting to put off studying for this exam as long as possible. There are so many things going on right before you take the exam: graduation, finding a job, and looking for a new place to live all seem more fun than studying. (Probably because they ARE more fun than studying). As someone who only studied hard for 3 weeks and passed, I will tell you that cramming can lead to success. It can also lead to a lot of unnecessary anxiety. Even if you only start incorporating in a couple study sessions a week while you are still on rotations, it can help reduce the time needed to study closer to exam date and maybe give you time to re-review tricky subjects.
#3: Do as many study questions as possible.
For me, I found the best retention while studying to be when I did practice questions. Maybe it is my competitive nature, but when I got the answer to a question wrong, I was determined to remember the answer and the reason why so I wouldn’t make the same mistake again. If you are looking for a great question bank, TrueLearn offers a great question bank with over 1500 practice questions that also come with detailed explanations of the answers. I love that they have the sources linked right below the answer and that you can also add on a Picmonic subscription to your purchase. You can use my code HAPPYPHARM for 20% off your subscription of 90 days or more.
#4: Practice calculations as much as possible.
If you are just dipping your toes into the study routine waters, this is where I would start. A large portion of those competency statements we discussed earlier require you to complete a calculation to get your answer. While you have 6 hours to complete your 225 question exam, you don’t want these calculations to slow you down or prevent you from being able to spend time thinking through more complicated clinical questions. Start practicing calculations daily, even if it is only 15 minutes to begin with then increase the amount of time you spend as your exam date gets closer.
#5: Practice your calculations with the right calculator.
Having the right calculator to practice with is important. Why? Because getting the muscle memory down with the calculator you will have on exam day will save you time and prevent unwanted stress. There are two types of calculators available to you on test day. You will automatically be provided with an online scientific calculator that is built into your exam window. Get used to practicing with one of those calculators now. You can click here to download a similar calculator for free! Some testing sites will give you a basic calculator automatically, but if they don’t, make sure you ask for one. Remember, this exam is to determine if you are a minimally competent pharmacist which means many of the calculations listed on the competency statements, like calculating a weight based dose, don’t require scientific calculator functions. In these cases, a basic calculator will do. I found the basic calculator saved me time compared to using the online calculator as well.
#6: Know the top 200 drugs.
Again, what do you think you need to be deemed a minimally competent pharmacist? Hopefully, basic drug knowledge instantly comes to mind. Take some time to make sure you know your top 200 drugs forwards and backwards. Study the medication brand names and generics, the most common or serious side effects, the mechanism of action and the top counseling points. If you are looking for a way to study these that is way more fun than reading a study guide or exam prep book, you can check out the Memory Pharm Top 200 Drugs coloring book here.
#7: Make a test day game plan.
You can bet that top athletes don’t go into a high stakes game without a solid plan and you shouldn’t go into your exam day without a plan either. Map out how you are going to get to and from your testing site. What time do you need to leave? Where are you going to get breakfast? Where will you need to park? Answer those questions, book a hotel if needed and make sure you have all the required documents so you are allowed into the exam room. Review the identification requirements, bring snacks, and pick a good time of day to schedule your exam.
#8: Take allotted breaks on test day.
Your entire time block at the testing center will be 6 hours and 40 minutes. You have 6 hours for taking the exam, two breaks that are 10 minutes long, and some extra time for checking in and out of the testing room. While you can take unscheduled breaks, these breaks mean your exam timer is still counting down while you are out of the exam room. You want to prevent that if at all possible, so take those scheduled breaks even if you aren’t sure you need them. Grab a drink of water, a snack, and go to the restroom. It’s a great chance to breathe and clear your mind before heading back into the next section of the exam.
#9: Don’t dwell on the questions you don’t know the answer to.
I know this one is easier said than done, but you are never going to know the answer to every question you are asked in the pharmacy so it makes sense you won’t know the answer to every question on your exam. That’s okay. The great news is, you don’t need to get a perfect score to pass. Also, 25 of the 225 questions aren’t scored and are just questions that are being tried out to determine if they will be scored questions for future exams. That’s right, you could be wasting your time thinking about a question that isn’t going to impact your score! Don’t fall into this trap. If you don’t know the answer, there is no penalty for guessing the wrong answer! Make your best educated guess and move on to the next question.
#10: You won’t feel 100% ready, and that’s okay.
No matter how long you are a pharmacist, there is always more to learn! You don’t need to be perfect or know it all to pass the NAPLEX, you just need to get enough questions right to be a deemed a minimally competent pharmacist. Actually, getting what is considered an easier question like a brand name and generic matching question right is worth more on this exam than say a complicated question about chemotherapy treatments. Don’t forget that you have technically been studying for this exam for the entire time you were in pharmacy school. Take a breath and believe in yourself a little. Afterall, you are (or soon to be) a doctor of pharmacy!
All in all, I hope these 10 NAPLEX tips have been helpful to you. Remember to breathe, stay calm, and keep your eye on the prize. And if all else fails, just remember that you can always become a professional cat cuddler – it's a real job, I promise! (and possibly a job I take once I retire…) But seriously, with these tips and a little bit of hard work, you'll be well on your way to acing the NAPLEX and becoming the pharmacist of your dreams. Just don't forget to celebrate when it's all said and done. You deserve it.
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