ABGC Genetic Counseling Exam Study — Strategies From Recently Credentialed CGCs

Preparing for the Genetic Counseling Certification Examination is a rite of passage for many genetic counselors, and it’s one no one takes lightly. All who have taken the test understand the many emotions experienced, from preparation nerves to procrastination to imposter syndrome. There are many strategies those successful in the exam have utilized, and we asked a few recently credentialed CGCs to share their advice with candidates.

Kimberly Gaiser, MS, CGC

Studying for the boards can feel daunting at first, but have confidence in yourself, and know that you have actually been prepping for the past few years while in school. Here are some of my tips: 

1. Studying begins in the classroom as a student: While you are a student, you will be introduced to many topics. While prepping for lectures and exams, invest time in taking good notes and making good study guides that have enough detail, but not too much detail that it will overwhelm you. When it comes time to study for the boards, you will be one step ahead and can use your study guides as a resource! 
2. Find the clinical pearl: There are many, many conditions, and no matter where you look, you will find a new list with more conditions you never learned about. I recommend looking for clinical pearls of each condition. Ask yourself, “What sets one condition apart from another condition that is similar?”
3. Make a study schedule: Using your syllabuses from your program and the content outline, make a reasonable study schedule with built-in catch-up time, because no matter how hard you try, you will fall behind, and do not forget to account for any holidays! Schedule in off days as well; those are just as important for recharging. 
4. Repetition, repetition, repetition — review everything at least three times! 

McKenna Le, MS, CGC

One major part of the board exam preparation process is knowing when and how to start studying. Before you start to panic, remember that you have been studying for this exam over the past two years of your graduate training. However, once the exam date creeps closer, it is a good idea to revisit what you learned in grad school and really work on dedicating that information to memory. 

1. Create a plan early: It can make you feel more prepared to have your study timeline/plan laid out in advance of your study start date. Creating a plan early also gives you plenty of time to think through how you want to structure your studying. Waiting until your study start date to create a study plan will probably make you feel rushed and lead to the creation of a less-thorough study plan. Creating a study plan early can also be helpful in planning around existing plans that you may have (going on vacation, working, etc.). Overall, it will likely put your mind at ease knowing that you are going into boards studying with a thorough outline of what you need to get done and on what timeline.
2. Pace your studying: The board exam is not one that you can cram for. You will need to have gobs of information memorized and understand it to the point of thorough application. Cramming is not going to be an effective strategy. When creating your study plan, I would suggest writing out all of the study materials that you have and breaking up each one into a daily or weekly task. After doing that, you can then assign each task to a day or week until you have all of your tasks assigned. It will also be important to make sure that you are not assigning yourself too many tasks on any given day and giving yourself breaks to avoid burnout. 
3. Create a plan that works for you: Everyone studies very differently, and it is important to make sure that your study plan is tailored specifically for you and the ways that you learn best. It is going to be in your best interest to get creative and make your own study materials that cater to your learning style. Although it is very difficult, do not compare yourself to others’ study plans, learning styles, perceived level of content knowledge, etc. There are lots of study materials out there and what may work well for one person may not be effective for another, and that’s okay! Similarly, some people start studying for the board exam six or more months before it is administered, while others study six to eight weeks before the exam. Just figure out what is going to work best for you.

Ann Ly, MS, CGC

Two key components of effective preparation for the board exam for me was planning my study schedule and implementing active recall strategies. 

When planning your study schedule, keep this in mind:

1. Studying for a huge test is overwhelming, so break it off into small, tangible tasks. 
2. Generate a time log of your day to determine how long it takes you to complete a task, whether it is watching a lecture video or a lunch break. This will help you plan realistically. 
3. Using your deadlines, plan backwards. What day do you want to be ready for the exam? When do you want to finish studying for insert topic by? Therefore, when should you start in order to complete these tasks?
4. In planning this, prioritize based on urgency and importance (ex: what are your weak points? What topic is a large portion of the board exam?). Get ahead where you can. 
5. Also incorporate breaks and consider days when you won’t be able to study. 

In regard to actual studying, I am the biggest proponent of active recall, the act of quizzing yourself, which facilitates retrieval and long-term memory in comparison to passive absorption. The harder and more complex your questions are (how, why, compare/contrast questions), the more it improves your retrieval. I had written questions on sticky notes covering my entire study guide and it was daunting, but if it feels like your brain is being fried, it’s working! My practice exam score improved significantly after going through all of those questions and served as a turning point for my confidence in passing the exam. Given that 75% of the exam questions are application and analysis and 25% are recall, it is important to be able to retrieve concepts quickly and correctly despite the anxiety of test-taking environments.