Congratulations on making it this far!  If you’re one of the few that will be sitting for the NPTE on Jan. 29, I hope that you’re feeling prepared and calm about the exam.  I would like to share a few helpful hints about the exam that may take the edge off of the stress you’re feeling.

1.  Review.  Check out the Exam Question Archive to familiarize yourself with the format of the test questions.  If you don’t know yet how the exam is scored, check out the NPTE page for more information.

2.  Be sure to get enough sleep the night before the exam.  I know that this is really a no-brainer, but I firmly believe that when you’re well rested, you become unstoppable.  The same is true about getting too little sleep–everything becomes harder.  Besides, if you haven’t learned the material by the night before the exam, you probably should consider postponing your test date.  So just relax and get to bed early.

3.  Know the directions to the testing facility and get there early.  Imagine the stress you’ll have if you can’t find the testing center or if traffic slows you down.  You’ve got enough on your plate, so memorize the directions or print them out now and be sure there is no question about location.  My test was in a small testing center in Pocatello, ID (USA) about 1.5 hours away from my home.  The test was scheduled at 8 AM, so I did everything I could to get there by 7 AM, and I was glad I did.  The location was not well marked and required me to hunt around the building for my specific room.  But I didn’t have to sweat it because I was there so early.  Believe me, plan ahead and get there early!

4.  If you have questions, ask them!  The FSBPT has made available a number you can call to answer all of your specific questions: 703-739-9420.  You’ll be very glad you didn’t let a burning question go unasked.

5.  Make sure you have all the necessary paperwork for your exam.  The testing centers require picture ID, and it’s a really good idea to bring a printout of your testing confirmation and number.  Just have it all ready in case there is some confusion about your test.  Also, related to #2, make sure that you show up at the right testing center.  One nightmare scenario would be if you arrived at the Prometric center in time with all your paperwork only to realize that you were signed up at another testing center across town.  DOUBLE CHECK your location and time!

6.  Confirm your appointment time.  Visit www.prometric.com to double check your location and time.

After all is said and done, just do your best and let God do the rest!