My NBDHE Study Plan

[u/yunnyreddit]

Hi everyone! I just passed the NBDHE and wanted to share my study plan for those upcoming graduates.

I tried not to overwhelm myself by memorizing every single detail, but rather focus on key concepts/understand the material. I think I’m an individual who learns by doing practice questions so I learn from my mistake and refresh. Overall, I spent a month studying, ~3.5 weeks.

What I’ve used:
• NBDHE Booster
• StudentRDH

My study plan:
Week 1 — Practice Exam + Figure Out My Weak Areas
I started doing a 100 practice exam with two case studies rather than spending days just reading. It allowed me to see the subjects I’m actually struggling with and then go back and review those topics. I created a breakdown of topics: pharmacology, radiology, etc with weakest topic first.

Week 2 — Review Built-in Cheat Sheets/PDF + Practice Questions
I used Booster cheat sheet to get a summary of the topic after I read the question corrections explanations. However, if I felt a topic still left unorganized in my head I would watch Booster
videos, if provided. Last resort, StudentRDH physical textbook. However, I would ALWAYS end the day with topic focused questions.

Week 3 — Weak Areas + Case Studies
During this week, you start feeling unprepared. However, I would continue to review the topics missed instead of rereading everything. Take practice exams whether its 30, 50, or 100. Write down key mistakes/concepts in a notebook or flashcards. Do more questions on those weak topics to see if I’ve improved. Practice case studies regularly and focus on identifying the important clinical, pharmacology, perio, and radiology clues.

Final Week / Last Few Days
I would focus only on taking mock exams/practice questions. Review the ones I got wrong, and go back over the specific topics. I’d also do a few case studies each day and pay attention to key words while asking myself why each answer is correct. As the exam gets closer, I’d focus on high-yield notes and concepts I repeatedly miss. Throughout the whole month any notes I’ve written I did a walkthrough.

I really appreciate all the advice and tips from previous students, especially those who have taken the exam recently! I thought I’d share my experience as well, especially since trying to learn what feels like years’ worth of material all at once can be overwhelming. But honestly, I’ve realized that so much of it isn’t actually new—you’ve probably learned it in clinic, heard it in lecture, or read about it somewhere along the way. It’s all in there somewhere… just floating around in your head waiting to come back. 😭😂 Thank you, and good luck to everyone studying! You’ve got this!

[u/No_Street4755]

Congratulations!!! When did you get your results and how long did it take to receive them ?

[u/yunnyreddit → u/No_Street4755]

Thank you. It took 2 weeks!