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Step 4: Create a Study Plan

Download the ABMP Study Plans to help you organize the study sessions you need to pass the MBLEx.

MBLEx Study Plans

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Step 4: Create a Study Plan

A study plan is an organized schedule you create that outlines study times and learning goals. Creating a study plan helps you stay motivated and self-disciplined in the weeks leading up to the MBLEx.

ABMP has created two sample study plans you can use over an eight-week period before you apply for the test (or use the blank form to make your own plan). Find them in the Picked Fresh section of this newsletter.

The first study plan is for students who have purchased ABMP Exam Coach, an interactive test prep program you can use on any device. It follows the thoughtful organization of ABMP Exam Coach so you can get the most out of your study sessions. With ABMP Exam Coach, the content has been carefully selected to ensure you study relevant material, and all of the terms, definitions, flash cards, and practice quizzes have been created for you. This will substantially reduce your study time. If you use the ABMP Exam Coach program, plan to study approximately 60 minutes a day. If you choose not to use ABMP Exam Coach, you will need to plan additional study time to write term definitions, make flash cards, and create practice quizzes. In this case, plan to study 2½ to 3 hours a day.

The second study plan is a basic plan based on the MBLEx content outline, and a blank study plan is also included.

Action Item: Download and review one or all of the study plan forms in the Picked Fresh section of this newsletter. Use one of these forms by assigning dates to each day of the eight-week plan or write your own eight-week study plan.

ABMP Exam Coach Study Plan

The first study plan is for those students who have purchased ABMP Exam Coach. This interactive web-based test prep program has broken subjects into bite-size chunks to help you study effectively. When you look at the study plan, you will see the subject followed by the topic for that day’s study. For each topic, complete the same tasks:

  1. Terms: Review the terms for the topic by saying the term out loud (use the audio pronunciation guide if you don’t know how to say the term) and read the term definition/explanation. Review all of the terms for a topic before you use the flash cards.
  2. Flash Cards: Work through all of the flash cards for a topic at least once (twice is suggested). You can remove cards you know, so that you only work with cards you need to practice.  
  3. Quiz: Take a quiz. If you pass the quiz, take a second quiz. If you pass the second quiz, take a third quiz. If you fail a quiz, go back through the flash cards, and then retake a quiz. Keep working until you can pass three or four 10-question quizzes in a row.
  4. Do It All: Work through every topic (with the exception of Research Literacy, which is not currently being tested on the MBLEx) in this manner. Be persistent and study every day using the Exam Coach tools.
  5. Take a Practice Exam: When you have worked through all of the topic areas and then gone back and reviewed areas you know you need more study, you are ready to take a practice exam. Take the exam and use the progress section to determine where additional study will support your learning.
  6. Review Areas of Weakness: Based on your practice exam results, review any areas of weakness and then take a second practice exam (save the final two practice exams for study in the week leading up to your actual testing date).
  7. Apply or Study More: If you passed a practice exam, you are ready to apply for the MBLEx. We’ll walk you through the application process in the next newsletter! If you didn’t pass the first exam, studied more, and then didn’t pass the second exam, start over and work through the topics again in order. You want to pass at least one or two practice exams before you apply for the MBLEx.

Basic Study Plan

The second study plan in the Picked Fresh section of this newsletter is based on the MBLEx outline we explored in an earlier newsletter. You will need to identify the relevant content in each study area and create study tools that support your learning. Follow these steps:

  1. Use the Textbook: Identify topics that appear similar to the MBLEx topic you plan to study in a textbook. Mark the pages related to the content you wish to study with paper clips. This is a good time to gather all of your class notes and graded examinations to use along with the textbook for preparation.
  2. Capture Terms: Go through the chapter related to the content you are studying and highlight all the key terms in the chapter. Write these terms on a Vocabulary Form and fill in their definitions.
  3. Make Flash Cards: Go through the chapter related to the content you are studying a second time and identify all of the key concepts. Write the concept on the front of an index card. Write an explanation of the concepts on the back of an index card.
  4. Write Quizzes: Go through the chapter related to the content you are studying and write yourself 10 quiz questions related to key terms and 10 related to key concepts. Put the quiz aside for 24 hours and then take the quiz and see how you do. Some textbooks have review questions at the end of a chapter. You can also use these questions as practice quizzes.
  5. Study: Study areas of weakness until you feel like you have mastered all of the content on the MBLEx. When you feel ready, apply for the exam.

In the next Student Life newsletter covering taking the test, we’ll look at the application process and walk you through your next steps.