What’s It Like to Take the ABGC Certification Exam? A Recent CGC’s Experience
After graduating from a genetic counseling program and studying for the ABGC Certification Exam for months, what’s it like to sit down and take the exam? During times of increased stress, having an idea about what to expect can be beneficial. In this article, you’ll learn ways you can prepare prior to your exam, as well as insight into my personal experience taking the board exam. Keep in mind every test taker’s experience is unique.
Before the Exam
One way to set expectations is by learning more about your testing center if you are taking the exam in person. I visited the Prometric website and watched this video about what to expect on testing day. Knowing the answers to simple questions, such as “Can I bring a water bottle?” and “How do bathroom breaks work?” helped to ease some of my uncertainty. You may want to reflect on your previous experiences taking exams and think about how you would want to approach the exam on test day. Consider when you may want to utilize your bathroom break during the test. What clothes would make you feel both comfortable and confident? Thinking about these aspects ahead of time provided me with ease.
If you are able to, I would recommend purchasing the ABGC Practice Exam for a few reasons. Undoubtedly, the practice exam is useful to get a sense of different question styles and test your knowledge of the content. Nonetheless, besides obtaining a benchmark for your studying, the practice exam is delivered using the same testing platform as the official exam, so you can go into the testing center with comfort in knowing how to navigate the interface. For example, I used the practice exam to engage with the flagging system, locate the timer and utilize the calculator (yes, there was a calculator within the practice exam).
Although this is a common piece of advice, knowing where your testing center is located will limit stress on test day. Whether you search the location using street view or take a ride to the testing center days in advance, having a sense of where you need to travel can eliminate added stressors. You never know when there will be traffic or delays, so being acquainted with your route beforehand and leaving ample travel time is important.
During the Exam
When taking the exam, it is normal to feel nervous, both physically and mentally. Remember that you not only spent countless hours studying for this exam, but you also have completed months of graduate-level training. Be confident in your skills and knowledge! Throughout the exam, flag questions that you want to return to, and trust your gut. If you flag a bunch of questions at the start, remember that those few questions are not reflective of your performance on the entire exam. While taking the exam, I reiterated to myself that I would not know the answer to every single question, and that is expected.
As I finished checking over the exam and preparing to hit submit, I felt incredibly jittery and anxious. One thing I wish I had known while taking the exam is that once you hit submit, you may be prompted with a feedback question about your experience at the testing center. Complete the feedback question(s), and then you will receive your results. My testing center did not provide a printout of my results and assured me that ABGC would email me with information. I felt unsettled leaving the testing center without any confirmation; however, as soon as I turned my phone back on after the exam, ABGC immediately sent a congratulatory email with additional information about my results. Have trust in yourself and those facilitating your test. The day of your CGC exam is stressful enough, and I hope that reading about the experience of a recent test-taker can provide a bit of comfort.