Certification Study Strategies
By Dennis B. Cox, CBET, CRES, CLES
Vice Chair, US BMET Board of Examiners
August 29, 2006
Certification programs are available for biomedical equipment technicians (CBET), radiology equipment specialists (CRES), and clinical laboratory equipment specialists (CLES). Each certification (CBET, CRES, and CLES) requires a separate, complete examination.
Are you thinking about taking a certification exam? Are you apprehensive because you don’t know what to expect or how to prepare for the exam? Each test contains 150 questions and 105 correct responses are required to pass. Effective preparation is vital to your success. Following are some strategies that may help prepare for these certification examinations.
Develop a Game Plan
There are two examination cycles each year — May and November — and one special testing session in conjunction with the annual AAMI Conference and Expo. The application deadline is typically 6 weeks before the projected exam date.
First, determine an examination date (available on AAMI’s certification website) and plan backwards. Develop a solid study routine investing about 2 months of preparation prior to the application deadline — amounting to 3½ months of total preparation time up to the day of the examination.
Allocate sufficient time every day in a location with good lighting and free of distractions. Plan a schedule and establish goals to cover all the materials. Cover the more difficult areas at the beginning of each study session — while you are fresh and your mind is alert. An effective routine and sufficient preparation will provide confidence and knowledge necessary for success.
Examination Content Areas
Each certification exam is broken down into categories or “Examination Content Areas”. There are five content areas and their breakdowns are available on the AAMI’s certification website at http://www.aami.org/certification/download/content.pdf. Consider the amount of time that you’ll have available for studying and the amount of questions from each area. For CBET, 13% of 150 questions come from Anatomy & Physiology...or about 18 or 19 questions. 27% come from Medical Equipment Problem Solving...that's 40 questions. To make your studying more effective, emphasis could be placed on those categories that have a higher weight.
Also, understand the items listed under each content area. This information is available to help your study efforts as these items are covered on the exam. For example, under Content Area II, Public Safety in the Health Care Facility, Material Safety Data Sheets are listed. Understand their application and how to read them. Know NFPA 99...specifically, the chapter that covers electrical safety. Become well-versed in the fundamentals of infection control and other hazards associated with the job (precautions, preventions, and treatments). JCAHO standards and other pertinent guidance, policies, and accreditation standards as it applies to the biomedical field are also important. Become familiar with your hospital’s Medical Equipment Management Plan and the annual review. It should demonstrate many of the things JCAHO is looking for. For CRES, FDA standards (21CFR and MQSA) are very important. And, if you’re taking CLES, AABB, CLIA, and OSHA standards require attention.
Consider the CBET exam’s content area IV, Medical Equipment Function and Operation…become familiar with each type of equipment listed. However, these are only samples and are not all-inclusive. You may encounter a question on the exam about therapeutic equipment that is not included in the samples provided (infant warmers, ultrasound therapy). But, at a minimum, you should be familiar with every equipment item listed. Grab as much information (e.g., theory of operation) on those equipment items that you are unfamiliar with AND are listed in the examination content areas. Remember…study smarter—not harder. The “Examination Content Areas” is a tool created to help you study more effectively and focus your efforts.
Understand Your Strengths and Weaknesses
Spend more time developing your weaker areas. If you have never taken an Anatomy & Physiology college course, you may want to consider enrolling at your local college or university. General knowledge about A&P is not sufficient — preparation is required (although US Navy biomeds have an advantage). If a college course does not fit into your schedule or budget, visit your local library and check out two or three textbooks. Study the major organs. Think about how medical equipment relates to the body. There are things that you need to study and some you don't. For example, you'll want to know everything about the heart since there's so many equipment items that deal with the heart (e.g., ECG, cardiac output monitors, ultrasound, and pacemakers). Conversely, there are areas you may not want to waste your time with. For example, the skeletal system doesn't have a lot of equipment associated with it — just x-ray...and that's the CRES test (if you’re taking CRES, you should be very familiar with the skeletal system). Eyes are another organ that may require little to no effort. The CBET test (if you look at the breakdown of the different equipment types discussed above) there's no mention of optometry or ophthalmology.
Be Prepared
Check the Educational Resources in the applicant handbook available on AAMI’s certification website at http://www.aami.org/certification/download/handbook.pdf. These reference materials can provide the vehicle to propel your study efforts. These resources are only a sampling of what’s available and are not considered to be a definitive list. Several other books are available and are equally effective study material.
To assist in your study efforts, consider attending certification study sessions with your local biomedical society. Often, these will be offered at an annual meeting or convention. Establishing a shop study group could be another viable alternative. In this way each member could contribute to the group sessions. In addition, explore the availability of commercial study guides. I've used a study guide in the past and found it to be a very good primer for what to expect from the exam.
Don’t bother with trying to find clues to the answer within the stem or answer choices. Some authors suggest strategies to help increase your test score that do not work with certification exams. These include: (1) answer ‘c’ is the most common answer; (2) the longest answer tends to be the correct one; (3) ‘all of the above’ is usually the correct answer; and (4) ‘none of the above’ is generally a wrong answer. Certification questions are professionally developed. Each is written by a BMET and scrutinized for content, relevance, and accuracy by the US BMET Board of Examiners. In fact, before a question appears on an exam, it has been reviewed at least three times.
Don’t worry about memorizing formulas. A formula sheet is provided with the exam. However, you must be able to apply a formula to solve an equation. Practice solving problems involving formulas. Consider converting Celsius to Fahrenheit and vice versa, solving for inductive reactance, and using Ohm’s Law to find the total wattage of an electrical circuit.
If All Else Fails
Once you arrive and work through the exam, you’ll likely find some questions that you just don’t know the answer. The process of elimination should be your first strategy for setting the odds in your favor. Work the problem backwards and prove that one or two (or maybe even three) answers could not possibly be correct. This leaves you with a better than chance of guessing a correct answer. This is the same as knowing the why, not just the what. For example, imagine if you were asked a troubleshooting question and provided voltage readings at certain points. Which of the four answers would produce the malfunctioning effect? Prove each answer to be correct or incorrect. If you are still left with two possibilities, you’ve increased your chances of being correct from 25% to 50%.
Some answer choices may be distracting if unfamiliar to you. Sometimes obscure, although related, answer choices are attractive if the answer doesn’t jump out at you. If you’re well-versed on the subject in question, go with what you know and trust your knowledge.
The Secret Formula
The only secret formula to success is adequate preparation coupled with experience. A haphazard attempt generally won’t be successful. Each examination is carefully prepared to distinguish the experienced and motivated technician. Once you decide to take one of the certification examinations, prepare a road map for success, devote the required time, and keep to your plan.