Defeat not an option

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Defeat is not an option

by Anonymous Psychometrician

It was third week of August when I decided to take the board exam. It was a struggle. Dealing out with the requirements marks the impending doom that is ahead of me. Time, energy and money we’re all essential part of the process. I also began collecting hand-out materials, PDF files, books, and everything that may help me freshen up my memory with all the essential topics that I have to review. I have to do it by myself, without a review center. It was mid-September when I finally accomplished my application, it was a relief. I didn’t realize it’s really just the beginning.

There and then, I decided to start browsing my resources. But life as you planned it doesn’t come that easy.    Juggling a full time (demanding) job and a part time job (both are unrelated to the field) gave me no chance to glimpse even a single sheet of a hand-out. I go home tired and exhausted.  I started to lose hope as the exam is fast approaching. I guess October wasn’t a good month for me, and I just want the exam to be over, pass or fail, it wouldn’t matter. I’ve learned my lesson, the hard way. Always look before you leap.

I’ve come to a realization that I will not let myself be defeated just like that. Maybe, I can give a little fight. So starting the 2^nd week of October,  after work, I allot at least an hour to review. Weekends became my bestfriend too. I tried taking online quizzes, but all my scores are flunk. It was hard. Reality was hitting me. All I know is that I wasn’t fully equipped, but I was learning.

Fast forward…

A day before the exam, I’ve met my friends in Manila. Travelling back and forth would be exhausting so we decided to find a place to accommodate us. It wasn’t easy, AGAIN. After roaming around the streets of Manila we decided to stay in a not-so-accommodating-hotel (we don’t have any option anymoreL). It was around 8:30 PM when we checked-in, and all we wanted was to take a rest. No more review for the night because of the physical and mental fatigue! Oh extraneous variables!

Day of exam! Tummy ache, lack of sleep, Kaba, and all. Patong-patong. I even forgot my PRC receipt! HAHA. And the exam had begun (DON’T FORGET TO PRAY, IT HELPS). After taking Theories of Personality, I was shocked. It was difficult. The concepts were quite familiar, but I cannot seem to find the answers. ‘I SHOULD HAVE STUDIED MORE INTENTLY. I FAIL TO PREPARE’. It was a blame game. And then, overhearing other examinees that it was a not-so-difficult-test for them just added a pinch of frustration.

I took each exam nearly an hour and a couple of minutes. Two hours for Assessment (HARDCORE). I kept calm during the exam. I tried to remember everything. Analyse. Think. Shade. Skip. Go back. Shade. Skip. Guess. Shade C. Shade. Repeat. Ohhh. I was laughing at myself, really. The exam was generally difficult (considering the time of my preparation and the quality of my review). I got some sure items and a lot of not so. It’s still a good time. At least, I’ve experienced how it feels to take a board exam.

And just like that, it was over. I prayed again, that no matter what the results be, I’ll just be thankful for all the realization I’ve come to understand. I gain more than I lose. From that day, I let the world decide on the outcome. I did my best, I guess. And then I moved on.

It was midnight when I received the news about the result. I PASSED, luckily. The feeling was ecstatic. I believe that my success was partly from hard work, and partly from luck. I didn’t give up, I fought, and now I am a victor of my own battle. 

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE BOARD PASSERS! WE ARE THE PIONEERS! THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING ELSE! J

Crowdsourcing PSYCHOMETRICIANS LENS: 2014 BLEPP Anecdotes

After day-2 or the last day of the BLEPP (Psychometrician), we were receiving complaints and feedback about the exam particularly Psychological Assessment on our FB page. We have to make our FB page offline for few days in order not to breach the attestation of non-disclosure.

So to make those complaints formal and official we suggest our FB readers/likers to send us private message or email us those complaints and we can collate and send them to the Board of Psychology of PRC.

In line with this, we are requesting you our readers to make our experience of the licensure exam a lasting memory and a legacy, whether we did good or failed in our first attempt in the history of Philippine Psychology. It is by way of anecdotes which we entitled,  Psychometricians Lens: Anecdotes of the Pioneers on the 2014 BLEPP.

We would like to feature here in our blog those personal stories and experiences of the board exam. Since we are pioneers we would like to document them for posterity. And we  hope those experiences will serve as lesson  and a a source of inspiration for those who will take the exam after us. We would truly appreciate your contribution. 

The goal or objective of this anecdotes crowdsourcing include: 

1. sharing of personal story and experiences of the board exam (not necessarily the content of the board exam)
2. lessons learned to serve as source of inspiration for future test takers
3. to post in blog these anecdotes and transform them to free-downloadable e-book.

Note: copyrights belongs to/will remain with the author/contributor and will be co-shared as a creative commons when posted in the blog or made into an ebook.

So what are the requirements:

1. not more than 3-4 paragraphs
2. at least 500 words
3. written in any Philippine language such as Tagalog/Filipino/Visayan/Ilocano/(English/Taglish)
4. send us your article via PM on FB or email to tinorepaso@gmail.com

What and how to write, it can be humorous, anxious, fun, informative, academic, etc. How you got to know about the exam, the struggle of finding out information about the exam during your application, your preparation and review and the result and outcome (which will be out next week) - whether pass or fail. Also, if you have some issues and concerns or constructive feedback, recommendations and suggestions to the Board of Psychology of PRC then write about it as well. Refrain from discussing content of the exam though so we will not breach the non-disclosure policy of the board exam. 

We hope to feature 10-20 stories (depending on the submissions) both of those who will be successful and those who did not make it on their first attempt of the licensure exam. We also wish to provide copy to the Board of Psychology of PRC so that they will be made aware of  our experiences and concerns as test takers and pioneers.