Did a full timed practice test today and ran out of time with 13 questions left. Definitely have a time management problem.
The (CBC) Certified Bariatric Counselor exam has 92 questions and the time limit is 103 minutes by my understanding. That works out to roughly 64 seconds per question — which should be doable except I keep stopping on "cbc with differential" type questions.
My bad habit: I over-analyze questions I'm unsure about rather than making a best guess and moving on.
Any strategies that worked for you? Specifically:
- Do you go through once and skip hard questions to come back to?
- How many questions on "cbc news" should I expect — is it worth the time investment?
- Is the real exam usually easier to pace than practice tests, or harder?
I'm good enough on the content, I think — it's purely pacing that's failing me.
For what it's worth from someone who's been through it:
The CBC is one of those exams where the practice tests really do prepare you well. The style of questioning is pretty consistent. If you're comfortable with "cbc news" material under timed conditions, you'll be fine.
The one thing I'd add: read the question stems very carefully. They sometimes add a qualifier that completely changes the right answer and it's easy to miss when you're going fast.
Also check whether you need to schedule the exam in advance — some testing centers book up 2-3 weeks out.
The honest answer is: it depends a lot on your background.
If you're already working in this field, the CBC exam is testing knowledge you probably use daily. The "cbc news" sections will feel familiar.
If you're coming in from outside, give yourself an extra 2 weeks and really focus on the practical application questions.
The practice tests here are worth doing repeatedly — I did the same test bank multiple times and found new questions I'd missed each time.
Related Discussions
- Just passed my AFC exam — here's what actually helped4 replies
- My 8-week AFC study schedule (free resources only)4 replies
- AFC exam mistakes I wish someone had warned me about3 replies
- Best free resources for AFC prep in 2026 — compiled list3 replies
- How close are AFC practice tests to the real exam? My honest review3 replies