“How will I know if I’m ready for my upcoming exam?”
I asked myself this very question while preparing for end-of-rotation exams and the PANCE nearly a decade ago. I didn’t have a great answer then, so I powered my way through lecture notes, practice questions, and review books and hoped for the best.
Years later, the script was flipped on me when I became a professor and started getting this question asked of me regularly by PA students. The truth is, you may never feel 100% ready for an exam like the PANCE—and that’s okay! Still, there are some key indicators available to help you make an educated decision in determining your preparedness.
In this post, we’re going to share one of these indicators with you: the Probability of Passing and Projected Score feature within your Blueprint PA Qbank. Let’s get started!
What is the new feature in my PA Qbank?
Our new feature in the analytics section on Blueprint PA gives PA learners a projected score for their exam and—for some of our study objectives—a probability of passing.
Some of you may recognize the projected score and probability of passing analytics that were previously available on Rosh Review. It’s received a makeover and is now available for several key PA milestone exams. The purpose of this tool is to provide you with more valuable insights and data points to help you determine if you’re ready to test.
You may recognize these features from previous Rosh Review PA Qbank subscriptions.
Where can I find my projected score and probability of passing?
This information is displayed on cards within the analytics section of our website, between the “Overall Performance” card and the “Qbank Questions Used” card (see below).
The probability of passing indicates the likelihood of success (passing an exam) as a percentage.
The projected score correlates to the exam that you specified when you set up your profile. Note that the projected score will not appear in analytics until at least one practice set or exam has been completed!
How do I set up my account to have access to these analytics?
First, the metrics you see on your analytics page are based on your selected study objectives. You’ll want to verify that your profile is complete and that you’ve selected the correct study objective for whichever exam you’re preparing for. You can change this information by toggling to the “Settings” section of your profile.
Second, not every PA product will have a probability of passing or projected score calculated. This data is calculated for the PA exams below, which means if you have the corresponding Qbank product, you’ll see these metrics. For example, if you have the Emergency Medicine Rotation Qbank, you’ll see projected score information for the Emergency Medicine Rotation Exam.
On the other hand, other products (e.g., ECG Qbank, Didactic Qbank) would not have these metrics available as they don’t correlate directly to a milestone exam. A probability of passing is not provided for rotation exams as there’s no standardized passing score provided by PAEA, instead it’s determined by individual programs.
Calculations for the Probability of Passing and Projected Score products are based on best practices and proven formulas used by our data team. Scores are recalculated nightly, around 9 p.m., using completed practice sets and exams from that day. This means that work completed during the day will be reflected in the updated metrics the following day, while work completed after 9 p.m. will not make the cutoff. You will see the “Overall Performance” and “Qbank Questions Used” cards change in real time.
How should I best use this information?
Even though the projected score and passing probability analytics will appear after your first set, it’s advised that you don’t consider this information as accurate until you’ve completed at least 50% of the Qbank. We’re constantly updating this information on our end, but it’ll become more predictive the more questions you complete.
It’s important to remember this information is based on what our data team is able to calculate. We’re only able to see a snapshot of how you study (i.e., how you use Blueprint PA) and not all the other variables involved in your preparation. Because of this, it’s meant to be another tool in your tool box, not a crystal ball.
What are some tips on how to use these analytic tools successfully?
- Select the correct study objective for your profile.
- Complete at least 50% of the Qbank before you start paying attention to the metrics.
- Aim to complete work before 9 p.m. to see updates reflected the next day.
- Don’t use these analytics as your only data point, but rather one of several data points. Consider these analytics in relation to other indicators of your performance (e.g., NCCPA practice examination, PACKRAT, and the EOC examination).
- Monitor your performance over time and make adjustments to your study plan as necessary.
- Avoid regularly resetting your account.
Whichever examination you may be preparing for, we’re here for you every step of the way. Discover your chances of passing with Blueprint PA!
Looking for more FREE content to help you pass your PA exams? We’ve got you covered! Check out these other posts on the Blueprint PA blog:
