I have a very close group of friends that I went to graduate school with. Within 9-12 months of one another, we all began to prepare for licensing having completed all of our supervised hour requirements. In our study huddles, I was able to review the options from all the test prep companies ( Berkeley, aatbs, Gerry Grossman) and I couldn't believe the study materials my friends were receiving and the cost of the seminars. Some of the study manuals were larger than most of the class text books in graduate school. I took practice tests from other companies and failed miserably. I attended free workshops and experienced the hard sell from the big test companies. Often the material they presented was esoteric and had nothing to do with my graduate education or what I experienced doing all those supervised hours. I was daunted, I didn't know where to begin, the BBS list was so long and the print was so small and I felt like I had to know it all to pass...so I dove into the materials beginning with the population I had the least experience working with, older adults. I tried to memorize and prepare comprehensively. I continued to fail at the test banks. I was tempted to buy more and more study materials to relieve my anxiety. Then it dawned on me, why would I buy more materials from a developer that wasn't helping me to pass the test banks with the manuals and flashcards I already had? I wasted time and money before I found the Therapist Development Center. It was so refreshing to be introduced to the TDC materials and the concept that I could study smarter, not harder. Everything the TDC said about the exam seemed to 'click'. If you want to pass the BBS licensing exam, studying volumes of source material isn't going to do it. There wasn't one question on the exams that I was able to know because of the hours I spent studying the diseases that commonly affect the elderly. I passed because I learned how to understand the test questions. I was confident to move through the test quickly and accurately. My anxiety was well managed using the TDC methods. I actually enjoyed listening to the audios. I learned the material for the exam, and I know I became a more competent clinician. I recommended TDC to all of my friends and the ones that used TDC materials passed the first time, like I did.
LCSW