So, the prep course is over and I survived the six weeks. It was a busy six weeks for sure, but I am so glad that I took the course, learned some new things and brushed up on some old skills.

You might be wondering what comes next? If you took the prep course because you plan on taking the NISM SMS Certification Exam, then you should be just about ready to take the test. It’s time to review and schedule your exam. If you took the class to gain some knowledge about the Social Media world and do not plan on taking the exam, then you have accomplished that goal and you can now use and share your knowledge with others. I highly recommend taking the certification exam because it gives you an edge in the job marketplace.

What have I done to prep on my own?  For starters, I took the two practice exams that are offered at the completion of the course that provide a great review and also some insight into what type of questions you can expect on the certification exam. The exams are 55 questions and all multiple choice. You are given one hour to complete each exam. At the end of the practice exams it will tell you your score and then you can go through it and see what you answered correctly and incorrectly. It will give you the correct answers so you can see what you may need to review. These questions are not ones you will see on the real exam, but they will give you an idea of what you can expect.

Once I took the first practice exam I could focus my studying on the things that I answered incorrectly or the content that I didn’t understand as clearly. I will admit, during the prep course there were a few things that were completely new to me and I needed to take more time reviewing those content areas. I went back and looked at my notes from the readings and also from the live online discussions before I took the second practice exam. I took the second exam and my score increased and I was able to narrow down my review even further.

Here is a list of study tips that I found helpful while I was preparing for the exam:

1. Go over notes from the readings and from the recorded lectures
2. Answer the discussion questions at the end of each chapter and from the online community
3. Go back over any content that you don’t understand fully and ask questions of the facilitator and other students
4. Write down questions you may have about a particular topic
5. Take the practice exams
6. Look at the results of the practice tests and go over the material that was answered incorrectly

I know most of these tips seem simple enough and you probably have employed a few of them on your own, but one thing I found was that it had been a long time since I had studied for a written exam. I was a little rusty with my study skills and had to remember what has worked for me in the past.  If you have any other tips that could be added to this list, please comment and share them with us.

Author: Mandee Kanikula

Mandee’s love for creating things has led her to a passion for writing, social media, public relations and design. As a consultant with Socially Inspired, Mandee focuses on helping businesses succeed through written and verbal communication. Currently, she is adding to her professional skill set by studying for the NISM Social Media Strategist (SMS) certification.