Signing up for the actual exam may have been the most difficult and confusing part. I had to be verified as someone that could take the test, and then my membership needed to be verified (or something).
I received my confirmation email that I could sign up for the exam and read through it to make sure I understood everything. Turns out, when you sign up for the CPHIMS you need to use your FULL name (and I had just used my middle and last name).
One email to the HIMSS people and we’re all set (need to remember that for next time … this exam is the real deal!)
I was going to be in Oceanside for the Fourth of July Holiday and decided to sign up to take the exam in San Diego on the fifth. With a test date in hand I started on my study plan.
Every night when I got home I would spend roughly 45 minutes reading the study book, and going over Flash Cards that I had made with topics that I didn’t understand. Some nights I took off, but it was a solid 35 days of studying for 45 minutes.
Now, 2 things I did not consider:
- Scheduling an exam on the fifth is a little like scheduling an exam on Jan 1 … not the best idea in the world
- The place my family and I go to in Oceanside always has a ton of friends and family for the weekend (30+) and it would be a less than ideal place to do any last minute studying / cramming
I spent some of the preceding weekend reading and reviewing flash cards, but once the full retinue of friends and family arrived it was pretty much over. I had some chances to read on the beach, but for the most part my studying stopped.
The morning of the fifth came. I made the 40 minutes drive from Oceanside to the testing center to take the CPHIMS exam for real.