by Deanna Gillingham | Dec 11, 2023
Whether you have studied for months to prepare for your Case Management Certification exam or just finished some last-minute cramming, we have a few last-minute tips that have stood the test of time and helped countless individuals pass their CCM Exam.
Here are a few tips for the last week of preparation.
A Week Before the CCM Exam
In the week leading up to the CCM Exam, it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with the logistics of the test day.
If you’re heading to a testing center, consider taking a “test drive” to the location. This will help you gauge potential traffic hurdles, identify parking spots, locate the entrance, pinpoint the office – basically, iron out all the logistical details.
Are you opting for a home-based exam on your computer? Take a thorough look at the instructions regarding computer testing, room specifications, and the monitoring process. If you have any uncertainties or questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to the testing company now. Addressing concerns beforehand ensures a smooth test day experience and minimizes the risk of tech-related frustrations.
A Day Before the Exam
One day before your exam take a break from your study sessions. Allow your mind to rest and absorb the knowledge you’ve acquired over the weeks.
Monitor your caffeine intake, ensuring it’s moderate. While caffeine can boost alertness, excessive amounts might affect your sleep the night before the exam and we all know how important a good night’s sleep is!
To enhance your sleep quality, engage in physical activity like going for a walk. Taking a walk outdoors in nature not only contributes to better sleep but also aids in relieving stress, setting the stage for a more relaxed exam day.
Night Before the Exam
The evening before the exam eat a nutritious dinner that won’t trigger heartburn or indigestion, ensuring a good night’s sleep without discomfort.
Organize your essentials for the morning by laying out your clothes, ID, and directions to the testing center. If testing online make sure the room you are testing in is free of clutter and ready for inspection. This minimizes last-minute stress and ensures a smooth start to your day.
Utilize the final moments before sleep for a brief review. Glance over your notes, vocabulary, or essential points to reinforce your understanding.
To avoid oversleeping set an alarm, or two.
Morning of Exam
The morning of your CCM Exam start your day with a healthy, low-sugar breakfast. This helps maintain stable blood sugar levels, ensuring optimal concentration during the test.
Take a moment to review any last-minute details or topics you want to reinforce before heading to the test center.
Plan to leave early, allowing plenty of time for travel. If taking the exam from home log in early. This will eliminate unnecessary stress and panic, ensuring a calm and composed start to your test-taking experience.
Upon Arrival
Once you arrive shift your focus away from last-minute reviews. If you don’t know the information now it’s too late.
Maintain a relaxed and confident mindset. A confident mindset is one of the most important factors to success. Remind yourself that your studies and preparation have given you all you need to succeed.
Avoid engaging in conversations with fellow students before the exam if they are anxious or nervous as stress can be contagious. Stay positive and confident.
Find a balance between comfort and alertness to optimize your concentration during the exam.
Tips for Multiple-Choice Questions
- Try to identify the answer before you read all the choices, but look at all choices before selecting, as two answers will often be similar
- Narrow choices by eliminating obvious wrong answers
- Do not be afraid to change an answer if you feel strongly about it
- If you do not know the answer to a question make your best guess, flag the question so you can come back to it, and then move on
If you have to guess:
- Length is often a clue, choose the longest most precise answer
- Reject answers with specific determiners such as everyone, always, never, none, except, most, or least
- Look for answers with words like often, most
- If two choices are similar, choose neither
- If two choices are opposite, choose one of them
- The most general answer is usually correct
Specific CCM Exam Tips
When answering questions, think of the “perfect situation” answer. I know we do not work in “perfect” situations where all of the needed resources are at our fingertips, but the test will expect you to know the “best practice” answer. So answer as you would in the perfect world scenario.
This test is not about how you do it where you work. It is about best practices. Don’t answer the question based on policies and procedures where you work, but on “best practice” which may or may not be the way it is done in your organization.
Think like a social worker and not a nurse. As nurses, we are accustomed to “doing for” our patients. We change their dressings, start their IVs, and make sure they are warm. Social workers are trained to help patients help themselves. As case managers, we are to empower our patients. Remember this when taking the exam.
And finally, here is the best advice I was given before my exam:
Remember to breathe!
Write “breathe” on top of the scrap paper they give you, and each time you look at it, stop and take a few deep cleansing breaths, relax, and let the knowledge inside you work its way out.
You have been working hard getting ready for this exam; I know these tips help you with your final preparations!
And don’t forget to let me know how you do! Send me an email at Deanna@CaseManagementStudyGuide.com and post your results in the Facebook group “Case Managers Community”.
by Anne Llewellyn | Jul 5, 2022
Many ask, “should I take a prep course to help me pass the case management certification examination”? The answer is ‘it depends’. This article provides ten reasons why people take a prep course to help them prepare for their certification exam or any national examination that requires recall from various domains or practice. If these points resonate with you, check out the resources from the Case Management Institute to help you prepare as you step up to case management certification.
- Certification Examinations are scary. Most people who sit for a certification exam have not taken a formal test for many years, so taking a certification prep course can help decrease anxiety and help you feel confident.
- A prep course will cover a wide variety of topics that will help you know the essential areas/ the domains of practice on which the exam is based.
- A prep course will explain concepts and theory and how it relates to actual practice. A prep course will help you think critically and associate theory with actual practice as you answer questions.
- A prep course will help you think outside of the box. Most certification examinations are broad, so you must look at what the question is asking vs. what you do in your job.
- A prep course will remind you that you are taking an examination that tests the fundamentals of the practice.
- A prep course will help you organize your thoughts and help you focus on what you don’t know. A prep course s will help you maximize your time, so you focus on things you need to understand better.
- A prep course will allow you to interact with others taking the certification exam. The interaction will help you think critically.
- A prep course will help you understand how to break down questions so you can zero in on what is being asked and help you not overthink a question.
- A prep course will help you understand how to eliminate answers that don’t fit the question. Narrowing down answers is an important skill, especially when you don’t know the right answer.
- A prep course will set you on a path of study that is organized and focused on what you need to know for the exam you are taking.
The Case Management Institute has several resources to help you prepare for two of the National Case Management Certification examinations, the Commission for Case Management CCM Exam and American Nurses Credentialing Center Nursing Case Management Exam. As an instructor for both courses, I have seen firsthand how taking a prep course can turn anxious test takers into confident test takes. If you have questions, please feel free to email me at allewellyn48@gmail.com ,
by Vivian Campagna, MSN, RN-BC, CCM | Dec 14, 2018 |
We recently received this article written by Vivian Campagna, MSN, RN-BC, CCM, from CCMC and thought it would be beneficial to know how to use the knowledge domains to study for the CCM. (Note the highlighter tip, which is part of Deanna’s Successful Study Strategies.) (more…)
by Deanna Gillingham | Aug 8, 2018 |
First of all, I want to let you know I am very sorry you did not pass. I know that you invested a lot of time and money into passing this exam. I hope you plan to take the exam again. Many people do not pass their first attempt and go on to pass later. This article should help you to do that.
CCMC will waive the application fee for your first retest during the next testing cycle only. For example, if you fail the test in April you can take the August exam without reapplying and paying the application fee again. You will have to pay the test center (Prometric) fee though. If you do not test during the next exam cycle, but wish to retest later or this is not your first retest, CCMC will require the entire application fee and test fee again. Also, if you rescheduled your first test and failed, you will have to reapply and pay the application and test center fees again. Basically, the application only covers 2 testing cycles, if for any reason you do not pass the test by the 2 test cycles after your application is accepted you must reapply.
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by Deanna Gillingham | May 10, 2017 |
You’re used to taking exams as a professional, and as you know, each test is slightly different. Today, I’d like to go over the layout for the CCM Exam Prep and offer 8 Tips For Success to help you prepare.
When I began studying I didn’t know where to begin. I started by looking at CCMC’s website. They have a lot of valuable information, but it is not easy to find everything you are looking for in one spot. Here is a summary of the information you need to know when preparing for the exam.
CCM Exam Overview
The CCM Exam is administered three times a year in April, August, and December.
The application window opens five months before the exam and remains open for three months.
The CCM exam is administered at Prometric test centers. After being approved by CCMC to sit for the exam you will receive information to contact Prometric to schedule your exam date.
Quick Tip: As soon as you get your authorization from CCMC to sit for the exam, be sure to contact Prometric to get the test date of your choice, as some centers fill up fast!
In order to sit for the CCM exam, you must meet the eligibility criteria. Take a look at this post for specific eligibility information.
According to CCMC, “The CCM exam is practice-based, meaning all questions are based on the knowledge that an experienced case manager should know and understand. There is not any course or education required to take the exam or to prepare for the exam.”
The CCM Exam includes:
- 180 multiple choice questions (150 are scored, the other 30 are pretest questions that are being tested for possible inclusion of future tests)
- Covers 5 knowledge domains
- Questions are drawn from CCMC item pool
- 3 hours to complete
5 Knowledge Domains
The CCMC Exam questions cover the following five knowledge domains:
* approximately
Quick Tips for Preparing for The CCM Exam
Here are 8 specific tips for studying and taking the CCM exam:
Study Tips:
- The CCM exam was updated in December 2020, make sure you have the updated study materials.
- Plan study time according to the number of questions on the exam. Look at the number of questions in each domain and plan study time accordingly.
- A broad general knowledge is more important than memorizing facts. Have a general knowledge of the items in each domain. Here is a list of the domains.
- Know the Case Manager Philosophy and ensure your answers align with it.
- Study until you understand the information well enough to teach someone about it (especially the information you are not familiar with). When you understand the information that well, it is a good sign!
Exam Tips:
- Exam questions are direct. There are no “all of the above” or “none of the above” questions.
- Answer questions according to how Case Managers, in general, would answer, not how it is done at your place of employment.
- Breathe! When you get to the exam, write “BREATHE” at the top of your scratch paper, and look at it when you are feeling overwhelmed.
Hopefully, this helps you have an idea of what to expect on the exam.
If you are looking for study materials, the CCM Study Guide along with one of our Online CCM Prep Courses is sure to help you feel confident and ready to take the exam.
I have put together a free step by step guide to studying for the CCM exam called Successful Study Strategies. If you would like me to email it to you, simply complete the form below with your personal email address and it will be on its way to you. You will be able to save this to your computer for future use and print it off if you like. Please use your personal email address and not your work email address, as most employers’ emails will not accept emails with attachments.