Exam Study Material Recommendations

In the March “CHP Corner” I asked for input from current CHPs on exam study strategy and materials that could help prospective CHPs in their preparation. Incredibly, I received only five responses. Even though the response was very limited and not what I had hoped for, here are some excerpts from the responses I did receive. No endorsement is made by the AAHP of any of the specific study materials listed.

“I found the best way to study was going over previous exams. I took about the previous 10 years of Part II exams (with solutions) and worked the problems checking my progress along the way. I found there were great software resources to help study for Part I. The software allows the candidate to answer various questions and track strong and weak areas.”

“In addition to some hard studying and the materials recommended on the ABHP Web site, I found the following resources to be helpful in preparing for the ABHP exams: Part I – DataChem® CHP preparation software. . . . Thinking about the solutions to the answers I disagreed with was as helpful as reading the answers I agreed with. This software also allows taking timed tests, which is helpful in learning to budget time during the examination . . . Basic Health Physics, Problems and Solutions by Bevelacqua. This text covers the basic areas of health physics and has numerous Part I style questions . . . Part II – Contemporary Health Physics by Bevelacqua. This text covers the applications of basic ideas and has numerous Part II style solutions.”

“I found the following very helpful: Introduction to Health Physics, Herman Cember. Solutions and Answers to ABHP Exams, Kenneth Skrable.”

“The one book that helped the most was: Contemporary Health Physics, Problems and Solutions by Joseph John Bevelacqua. Another book I used extensively was Introduction to Health Physics by Herman Cember.”

Editor’s Note

Although the response to my original question was quite limited, I will still include study strategy and reference material recommendations from current CHPs in future editions of the “CHP Corner” or CHP News. If you have advice on how and/or what to study to be successful on the CHP Exams, please send me an email or fax and let me know. Strategies from successful past candidates should prove valuable to prospective CHPs.

Remember, the “CHP Corner” and CHP News are forums for current AAHP members. If you have thoughts you’d like included, or suggestions for future topics, please let me know.

Available Forms on AAHP Web Site

Do you ever need any of the various forms used by the AAHP, including exam application forms? Remember that most forms are available on the AAHP Web site (http://www.hps1.org/aahp/).

Click on the link for forms. Forms currently available for download include forms and instructions for application for certification, calculator approval form, the formula sheet provided to candidates, and applications for renewal of application. The forms are all in .pdf files so you’ll need Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer; there’s a link on the forms page to download this.

If you haven’t visited the AAHP Web site recently, you’ll be surprised at the variety of information available, for both the prospective candidate and current AAHP members.