Grounding ABPI exam candidates in rock-solid revision techniques
I’m asked fairly regularly: “Where do I find past ABPI exam papers?”
A seemingly straightforward, but loaded question, fraught with misunderstanding.
Worse still, it seems some of you waste time looking for mythical unicorns…
Everyone needs tips to pass their ABPI exam. Don’t they?
I wish I could tell you that the ABPI exam is a piece of cake. But, I’d be lying and I’m not that kinda gal. I’m a plain-speaking, tell it like it is kinda gal.
So, can I confess something to you?
Come closer… on 25th Feb 2022 it’s the anniversary of setting up the ABPI Exam Toolkit.
Yep. Five years have now gone by since I got serious about sharing my tools and expertise directly with exam candidates on my new dedicated website.
That’s not my confession. This is: I should be celebrating and happy to have reached this milestone. But, truth be told, I’m too tired.
It’s been hard work putting it all together, and it’s nowhere near where I’d like it to be, in terms of interacting with more of you. For example, despite setting up a Facebook group, I’ve done zip to get it off the ground. I suppose I’m struggling with the idea of whether it’s something you need or want. (Perhaps you could let me know what you think about that, or even join the group if you’d like to share thoughts?)
But, here’s my dilemma…I know from the same conversation I have over and over again, that many of you feel unsupported when it comes to studying for your exam. Seems some of you also feel bulldozed by managers who made you register for the exam when you didn’t feel ready.
While it’s not good to feel unprepared (because your inner critic is screaming that you’re not up to the task, because you’re not good enough)… it’s truly the pits if you really aren’t.
You know in your heart of hearts if you’ve not managed your time well enough to get your revision done adequately; or worse, you haven’t really applied yourself, due to our old friend (or, should that be enemy?) the overwhelm monster.
So, what can you do about it? Read on for my 7 key tips to pass your ABPI exam.
Got this great ABPI exam question about the sodium pump in Unit 4.4 Pharmacology from one of my tutees: –
“So, we know that the sodium pump actively moves potassium ions into the cell, and sodium ions out of the cell. If every transporter moves ions only one way, how come the sodium pump moves potassium in, and moves sodium out? Does it happen at the same time?“
This fabulous question nicely illustrates how – Continue reading “ABPI Exam: 2-minute lesson on the sodium-potassium pump”
The single most difficult question I’m often asked about the ABPI exam by candidates is: –
How long will it take me to study?
Truth is – I can’t answer that directly for them. Or, for you.
Instead, when we get into it, I turn the question around by asking: how much time do you have available? Then, we can have a conversation about next steps in study planning.
Backwards planning
We all know that when it comes to answering – “how much time do you have?”- you need to work backwards. If you’ve already enrolled for your exam, what’s the deadline? Working back from that cut off point tells you exactly how much time you’ve got to prepare for the exam. This is my least favoured option when planning, but in the real world, it’s the most common situation exam candidates find themselves in.
Forwards planning
If you haven’t yet signed up for your exam, you’re forward planning.
So, where to start?
Continue reading “ABPI Exam? 5 sure-fire steps to conquering overwhelm”
One of my students, Maggie was confused about the difference between neutrophils and macrophages, and also about the significance of the proportions mentioned in the learning materials (i.e. 70% of white blood cells (wbc’s) are neutrophils and 4% of wbc’s are macrophages).
Neutrophils are the immune system’s 1st responders
As I explained to her, you need to remember that neutrophils are a type of phagocyte. Being first on the scene of bacterial invasion in the body, they do their bit to nuke invaders by gobbling them up and neutralising them with their lysozymes. But, they’re relatively short-lived cells, and are often overwhelmed by a growing army of – never encountered before – bacterial invaders (pathogens).
That’s when the 2nd responders join the party
Macrophages are beefed up, muscular, 2nd responder phagocytes who take over the fight a few days later, cleaning up the remaining invaders.
They also act as antigen presenting cells to T helper cells, which then proliferate (i.e. increase in number) in response to having antigen served up to them. Some of these helper T cells will then present the antigen to B cells, ultimately stimulating them to produce antibodies (i.e. after they, in turn, have proliferated)[1].
These antibodies bind to the antigen, making it more appealing and juicy for phagocytes to eat (called opsonisation). If everything goes to plan, the end result is that invading bacteria are effectively cleared.
If the pathogen is encountered again in the future, memory B cells (and memory T cells [2]) will not only recognise it but help to produce antibodies to zap it even faster than before.
Have a look at this video , which beautifully illustrates how neutrophils defend us from infection. Continue reading “ABPI Exam Unit 4.1.5.1 Phagocytes: Neutrophils and macrophages. What’s the diff?”
You appreciate that taking the ABPI exam involves a variety of costs, right?
Some costs can be claimed back from your company, or else your company pays up front. For example, this includes the cost of:-
But what if you need more than that?
Like any other big goal that involves a cost, you plan for it by budgeting. Don’t you?
And yet, the cost of my 16-week email course of lessons is zilch, nada, niente. In other words, nothing. Why look a gift horse in the mouth?
While there’s no cost to you, there’s a ton of hard work behind these lessons. Does that mean you don’t value them? I’m pleased to say that many of you tell me you’ve found them helpful. A good many of you then progress to take advantage of the flashcards, MCQ workbooks or mind maps.
Even so, some find self-study challenging.
That being the case, it’s disappointing for me when students sabotage themselves rather than seeking help. (Is it really that hard to discuss your issues with your manager, or a colleague, or someone outside your company, like me?)
Take the other day, an ABPI exam candidate fed back that she wished she hadn’t bought the unit 1 to 4 workbook…
“When you look back on last year, what do you think of? Which of your achievements are you most proud of?” These questions dropped into my mailbox earlier this week. They’re good questions to reflect on. But, to be honest, at this time of year I always start to feel a bit jaded. It’s a combination of things: the dark nights; the cold temperatures; the rain (or the snow, as happened this week); Christmas muzak blaring everywhere; and the fake forced jollity. Not feeling the Christmas spirit. Just overwhelmed. Exhausted. Jaded. I’ve still got things on my work to-do list for this year that haven’t been crossed off. These tasks keep niggling like the start of a bad toothache that gets worse instead of fading. It doesn’t help that since my Dad died suddenly on Jan 31st 2016… since then, I haven’t really felt much like celebrating Christmas. He loved it. The tinsel, the razzmataz, the telly, turkey, mince pies, the lot. It still hurts to be reminded of all the things he loved when he’s not here to share in any of it. In bygone years, I got into it at the last minute, especially when I saw how my Dad got into it. He was ready to enjoy having his family around him. So, I’d shut the office door on work, at least from Christmas Eve until after Boxing Day, to make the most of this time of year. Why am I telling you this? Well, I’m wondering if you feel the same at this time of year (exhausted, overwhelmed, or jaded)? Or, is it just me? So, what’s the answer? |
Continue reading “My key tip to gear up for ABPI exam success this year (and a pressie)”
I’m about to let you in on a secret that will boost your ABPI exam revision…
Actually, it’s more of a tip for developing your ABPI exam super-power of focus.
Ever been in a GP surgery, hospital postgrad centre, or in your company’s head office 
and heard a resounding “ding, ding” clanging out from somewhere?
That’s the tell-tale sign of someone using a time management app, like Pomodoro. Continue reading “The secret to razor-sharp focus on ABPI exam revision”
The other day, an ABPI Exam Toolkit user got in touch to ask how other exam candidates go about studying the ABPI Code of Practice for the exam. Ideally, he wanted me to put him in touch with others to chat about it (by giving him their email addresses).
It’s a great question that made me realise you too might find the answer helpful.
But to be clear, no can do on the sharing other Toolkit users details with him, or anyone else.
The upshot is – neither I nor this site can act as a conduit to put Toolkit users in touch with each other. There’s a Facebook group for that. So, if you want to ask questions of other ABPI exam candidates, then consider joining it.
So, back to the question:-
Continue reading “How do I learn the ABPI Code of Practice for my ABPI exam?”
A couple of months back I had one of those “how can you help me?” calls, which didn’t turn out as I hoped.
The caller mentioned that she’d failed her morning papers in the ABPI exam, despite reading the learning manual from cover to cover, and despite using her highlighter pen until it ran dry.
The minute I heard this, I knew I could help her….. Continue reading “How to turbocharge your ABPI exam revision”