I am very excited to share such good news with you all! I finally took the IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor on May 29th (2013) and passed it. I started preparing for the exam in October of 2012, when I created this blog. I studied all my notes every day; I did not purchase any study guides and I only used free resources mainly from SAMHSA.

One thing I can tell you; it was a wonderful experience preparing for this test and creating the blog and all of that, but I feel so much better now that I got that requirement out of the way. I feel relieved!

But I am sure many of you want to know about the actual test and not so much about my experience  . Ok, the exam was not difficult but it really tests your knowledge in the subject. I mean, guessing is not recommended because, even though the questions are not tricky, you have to choose the BEST answer. There might be more than one correct answer and you have to choose the best one! Ok, this is only achievable if you know this stuff very well so that you can apply the “Umbrella Principle” (choosing the answer that includes all the other answers).

My Advice?

You really want to prepare for this exam. I don’t recommend taking the exam unless you have studied for at least 4 months. I was told to prepare for it for 4-6 months. I did it for 6 and I am glad I followed the advice. No study guide guarantees a passing score; it does not matter how expensive or popular it is. You will pass the test if you are well prepared, and being well prepared will reduce your test-taking anxiety. Some people suggest to “practice by taking multiple-choice practice quizzes.” It sure helps, but keep in mind that you might be practicing with quizzes that offer 1 correct answer and 3 distracters. The problem with this is that you get used to looking for the correct answer, while in the real test there might be more than 1 correct answers and you have to choose the BEST.

“Study guides are not good on their on. Bad study guides are for bad students; good study guides are for good students. Get it?”

“When you can identify the answer that includes all the other answers, aka Best Answer, then you know that you have the knowledge and the skills to pass this test. Choosing the Best Answer is a measure of your Competencies.”

Are you interested in studying effectively for test?

Get Ready With Me!

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