New ABGC email!
May 18, 2011
Hello all – I wanted to post the email that I just received from the ABGC because I think it is very exciting and a great step in the right direction for the exam.
If you did not receive it here is the email:
“Dear 2010 ABGC Certification Examinee:
The American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) is committed to continually enhancing our certification examination program. To that end, we are considering several improvements:
1. A practice examination to help genetic counselors prepare for the exam. A practice exam offers a series of questions similar to questions one would find on the actual exam. It also allows the examinee to know which questions they answered correctly and incorrectly, and indicates the correct response.
2. A self-assessment examination to help genetic counselors prepare for the exam. This includes everything in a practice exam and also includes an explanation about why the response is correct and why the other options are incorrect.
3. Instant scoring so the test taker will learn whether he/she passed immediately upon completion.
4. Moving the exam window to a different time of year that may be more convenient to new graduates (i.e. not at the end of the summer).
5. Having more than one exam window to better accommodate all certification candidates.
We plan to accomplish most of these goals in time, but they cannot all be done at once. We would like to pursue improvements that the majority of genetic counselors feel would be most valuable first. To help us determine this, we are surveying current genetic counseling students, 2011 graduates, and recent examinees.
This is a quick survey and your opinion counts! We plan to immediately begin working on the initiative that the majority of respondents agree is most valued.”
At the bottom of the email there is a link to a survey that is intended for current students, 2011 grads and people who took the 2010 exam to complete. I suggest everyone who fits this criteria should take the survey.
I think all of the suggested changes are fantastic and what this exam needs to be better for the test takers. I have to say I think number 1 and 2 are the most important and would be the most helpful to test takers.
What do you think are the things the ABGC should work on having ready first?
I would love instant scoring… honestly my biggest fear is not passing by a few points… how did you cope with that?
It was very difficult for me to get deal with the idea that if I had only answered one three more questions correctly I would have passed. I would have saved a lot of money and a lot of stress. I think the most difficult part was that my score was passing if it was based on the alternate exam score. That was the toughest for me.
The good part is that it allowed me to feel like I could pass if I took it again. It also made me realize I couldn’t be that far off of “minimally competent” because I only missed it by a few questions.