Below are some useful tips to get you started, however, firstly we recommend that you do the following... Purchase both the Weisman book and APHA book. Download the latest official law handbook which can be found here (for gold subscribers only).

Fully familiarize yourself with IV diluents (D5W, NS only), antibiotics suspensions (dosage, frequency, refrigeration etc) and dosing on new drugs.

Review as usual as you did for NAPLEX i.e. theory, hospital PH SOPs, TPN procedures, patient consultations and community health. You are not allowed calculators in the CPJE Exam and you will be expected to accurately complete 2-3 calculations, so make sure your mental arithmetic is up to scratch!

1) Get some good books and make your own notes summarizing as much as possible. For example a depression chapter: focus on classes, agents in each class, side effects, diagrams, interactions. Do the same for all subjects mentioned in the syllabus (see links on the Course front page). 

2) Study - whatever you used for the NAPLEX, study the same. They asked a lot about ADR's and the monitoring of medicines. Know what to monitor for most of the drugs (esp if it is like a blackbox or a caution type warning). Definitely know IV diluents. Know whether to use NS or D5W with the drug and how many mL's to mix. More specifically make sure the knowledge you have learned is up to date, subscribe to the CA Board's newsletter bulletin to make sure.

3) Review - Read the question carefully! They will ask a question like "which of the following options shows that the patient best understands why they are taking a specific medication? "and they will give all right answers on the medication (ie side effects storage etc) but one will be the right answer as to why the patient will be taking it (ie to treat my anaemia), so make sure you take your time and read the question carefully. I took the entire two hours!

4) Calculation questions - pretty straightforward. Know CrCl, diluents, etc. Just go over the very basic math questions. As mentioned you are not allowed calculators in the exam so make sure you can do calculations in your head or in shorthand, remember to check for accuracy!

5) Finding weaknesses - when you practice questions you begin to find gaps in your knowledge which then directs you to your weak points, so go back and read over. 

6) Experience - we can't emphasize enough how Pharmacy experience is extremely useful. Many cases require your professional logic as opposed to memorized information. 

7) Ethical issues - know the legislation. All these can be obtained from sources mentioned on the CPJE websites.

8) Drug names - CPJE love to throw random brand names you have never heard of. So know your top 300 drugs in detail in respect of:

• Brand Name
  
• Generic Name
  
• Schedule (ex, RX, OTC, C-II..)
  
• Most common indication
  
• Common strength and dosing frequency
  
• Axillary labels that need to be on the bottle (very important!)
  
• Most common side effects
  
• Consultation points
  

On-the-day CPJE Exam Tips

1) Relax - by joining this site you have already made a great first step, just by doing so the probability of you passing has just got a lot higher. The majority of students who do not pass are unprepared. Make sure you are not, remember that practice makes perfect; the more questions you do the better!

2) It's not as hard as you think - we have purposely made the questions on this website slightly more difficult than those in the exam you will be taking, to make you just that little bit more prepared. If you have passed all the questions in this book with a 70% average, should expect 80% on the actual exam. 

3) Get there on time - make sure you know where you are going, check the transport you are taking online, also print off a map if you can. Remember to set your alarm clock!

4) Food and Drink - there are no real rules here for students, do not bring a four-course meal, but do bring a bottle of non-fizzy water and a snack high in carbohydrate-this will keep you awake during the gruelling exam. 

5) The night before - get everything you need together in one place. All the ID requirements, the correct books, pencil, eraser, calculator and pen. 

6) Timing - You have 90 seconds to complete each question. A good technique is to go through all of the questions, answering the ones you know instinctively, and leave the ones you doubt till later. 

7) Use your experience - if you are a graduate, by now you have probably sat over 50 exams. You know what is best and what works for you. The most important thing to remember on the eve of your exam is that stress is unproductive. Don't fall prey to it. Having revised, you will be more than capable of tackling your exam calmly and confidently. Don't worry now about any subject areas that you have not thoroughly covered. All you can do is your best. Relax, unwind and prepare.