Tip 1: Take on the licensing exam as a rewarding learning challenge.
We have seen many candidates pass and many fail. We've noticed the difference is that successful candidates take the stress and anxiety of test taking seriously and use it to their advantage.
As students of mental health, we can certainly agree that one’s mindset is remarkably important! Stay aware and be mindful of the fact that this exam is not a reflection of your competence or ability as a therapist. In fact, holding this kind of misconstrued value to the exam can give rise to greater levels of anxiety. We must not identify our own value with the exam results—it is just a tool to measure our knowledge in the field as well as a test our ability to take a standardized exam.
Knowing that your or some of your colleagues may fail the exam—when those same colleagues have likely been very successful in their career goals—can be a source of anxiety. We may consider ourselves knowledgeable, extremely hard workers, or a combination of both.
Relying on our past track record of professional excellence is not going to cut it for this exam. As I have mentioned, the licensing exam is not a performance indicator of your capacity to help and treat as a therapist.
No one in the field of mental health holds that value to this exam.
WHAT THIS EXAM DOES MEASURE:
- Your ability to formulate and stick to a successful study plan
- How many hours of study and preparation you put in
- Standardized test-taking abilities
- Your ability to discern exam semantics
- Specific areas of knowledge within your mental health field
But—and this is key—this exam also measures your confidence: Believing in yourself is part of the test!
The licensing exam is a difficult test. It was developed for the very purpose of protecting our profession. This test has a purpose, even if it doesn’t seem immediately evident. And I would bet that you agree with its motives despite its inconveniences.
The test is the last barrier of entry into what you have worked so hard to achieve. The exam establishes a core group of qualified individuals who make up the beating heart of our work. It gives assurance to those who seek our help. Passing this exam proves that we are dedicated to our field and willing to work hard to the finish line.
Tip 2: Rediscover your passion.
Think back to what brought you to the metnal health field. Do you love working with people? Do you have a passion for helping people through their struggles? Whatever the reasons, use this passion to motivate you for success. Remind yourself of your passion for this career and the privilege to serve that you have acquired. Use the exam as an opportunity to fine-tune your knowledge and your intellectual reflexes. Take ownership of this step in your career and focus on getting as much value out of the process as possible.
Don’t let the fear of not knowing certain content get to you. Areas of weakness can be overcome. They are absolutely achievable if you have a plan and study hard.
AATBS has prepared thousands of candidates for their licesing Exam and all have faced anxiety in one way or another. Discovering self-study skills, strategies, and organizational tricks to be successful is one of the most important first steps to take. How you handle and respond to this anxiety with a positive, healthy mindset is equally important.
Tip 3: Take a Workshop.
Workshops are, for many candidates, one of the best tools for reducing anxiety. It can provide an anxiety-reducing confidence boost to be surrounded by people who share your fears – in addition to teaching you the most important exam areas and strategies that you need to know to pass.
Customer feedback reports indicate that applicants who attend a workshop score higher than an applicant who only buys study materials. Why? Because students who learn from an expert and who participate with their peers will gain more knowledge and bring more confidence into the exam, which is key to passing.
Of course, workshops aren’t free. They are best viewed as an extension of your education and as part of your business plan. You're making an investment in your future if you prepare yourself properly for your licensing exam.
AATBS offers online workshops, providing opportunities for you to learn how to master the key concepts and theories that will be covered on the exam. We’ve done the homework on what counts, and we’re providing our research to you so that you can use it to your advantage.
To give you an immediate feel for these benefits, we offer a free, streamlined, high-level overview of the exam in our Online Strategies Workshop. We’ve designed this workshop specifically to provide concrete tips and tools to formulate a custom study plan for your exact needs.
The great part about this workshop is that it’s free!
There is no obligation and no cost. . .and you will discover what the most successful exam applicants are doing right—and what the unsuccessful candidates are doing wrong.
To enroll in the next Free Online Strategies Workshop is easy and will take you less than a minute. Just follow this link to the sign-up page and enroll today. This is a not-to-be-missed, complementary opportunity to hear direct from the experts the top tips on exam success.
In fact, this is the type of information that unsuccessful candidates wished they knew at the beginning of their study process, and you’re being gifted with it now so you can empower your own study plan right from the start.
