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What's your best CRA prep tip?

  • 1.  What's your best CRA prep tip?

    TEAM CAYUSE
    Posted 07-28-2021 08:29
    I know the next exam period isn't until November, but seeing how many folks we have here who are certified research administrators got me wondering: What's your best CRA exam prep tip? Any other advice you'd give people interested in getting certified?

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    Simon Helton
    He/him
    Community Manager
    Cayuse
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  • 2.  RE: What's your best CRA prep tip?

    Posted 07-28-2021 09:24
    Edited by William Smith 07-28-2021 09:30
    My best advice is to expose yourself to as many study sessions as you can identify.  RACC provides such sessions (http://www.cra-cert.org/exam-review-sessions/).  Many of our University colleagues also provide in-house/virtual sessions and invite guests.  You may also join and reach out to colleagues for recent study documents by accessing the RESADMIN list serve at (https://www.healthresearch.org/office-sponsored-programs/research-administration-listserv/)

    As research administrators, we cannot remember everything and rely on searches and digital resources.  What I discovered is that the study sessions are more inclined to cover those items most important for your success on the test.

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    William Smith
    Associate Director
    New York University (NYU)
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: What's your best CRA prep tip?

    Posted 07-28-2021 09:37
    It's been close to 15 years since I was certified, but having spent my entire career in pre-award administration I remember thinking that my knowledge in all the other areas covered by the exam would not be sufficient for me to pass.  At that time, you could take a test exam online for free, so I did...and much to my surprise I passed with over 80%!  That gave me enough confidence in my breadth of knowledge that I immediately registered for the exam and passed the first time.  I did not study nor did I attend a review session.  I'm not suggesting this is the correct path for everyone...but want to emphasize that you probably know a LOT MORE then you think you do.  As Research Administrators, no matter what area you work in--but especially for those of us in pre- or post-award--our job requires that we be knowledgeable in ALL compliance areas including IRB/IACUC protocols, financial/audit requirements, export controls...and the list goes on. In academia we all know that adding those "little letters" after our name goes a long way to earning credibility from the faculty we serve. I would encourage anyone in research administration to earn any of the RACC certifications so you can have official recognition of the knowledge you already possess.

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    Anne Schauer
    Director of Research and Sponsored Programs
    Miami University
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: What's your best CRA prep tip?

    RISING STAR CONTRIBUTOR
    Posted 07-28-2021 09:52
    I agree with the previous posters regarding joining listservs and seeking study groups at other institutions.  I personally attended the UVA study group and it was very helpful.  I also attended the Body of Knowledge presented by RACC and it was very helpful for test prep.  I would have loved to start a study group at my institution as well but there was no one else prepping at the same time so I wasn't able to do that.  I did benefit immensely by taking the CITI training courses for COI, Export Control, IRB, IAUCUC, etc.  Those courses really helped my do the deep dive into the regulations and practice of the regulations.  And last but not least, flash cards and quizlet were by best friends!  There are several quizlets out there that are helpful or you can make your own.

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    Jennifer Mills
    Senior Grants and Contract Specialist/ERA Administrator
    University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: What's your best CRA prep tip?

    Posted 07-28-2021 10:29
    I would highly recommend the body of knowledge that RACC provides.  That was a huge benefit to me s it provided me some direction and a better idea of how to focus my studies.  I also borrowed notes and tips from my boss who had recently passed.

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    DJ Swepston
    Senior Grant Accountant
    Oklahoma State University-Center for Health Sciences
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: What's your best CRA prep tip?

    Posted 07-28-2021 11:33
    My best advice is to be disciplined.  Understand that your projected outcome is totally dependant upon your study habits. With that, I strongly recommend finding a study group.  I happen to have one that uses Quizlet, however, there are many available.  Virginia Tech has a really good group. My study group via Quizlet has received lots of positive feedback for its convenience.  You can download the app on your phone to study anywhere. Find me on LinkedIn to request access to the group.

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    Rashonda Harris
    Director of Award Management and Post Award Services
    University of Connecticut, Storrs
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: What's your best CRA prep tip?

    STAR CONTRIBUTOR
    Posted 07-28-2021 12:24
    Quizlet was very helpful for me. There are many sets of cards there and I do recommend going through all of them. Also if you can pay for the subscription for a short time there are helpful resources behind the paywall.
    The Body of Knowledge is nice to have as an outline to go over so you don't miss anything.
    There are math problems on the test and you do have access to a calculator, pen and extra paper, but they still tripped me up a bit (I hang my hat on Excel).
    It's multiple choice but the answers are worded in some cases to confuse you. Tricky RACC.
    The practice test was nice, but I don't feel like it helped me be ready for the test. Like the practice test was a buncha softballs and the real test questions were.... Not. I mean I didn't expect it to be easy but there was a big difference.
    Take your time on each question. There are a lot of questions but you have plenty of time. As others have said, you probably know more than you think you do, it's just a matter of digging deep into the Brain File when you need it.

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    Augusta Isley
    Senior Proposal Manager
    Ball State University
    amwray@bsu.edu
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: What's your best CRA prep tip?

    Posted 07-28-2021 12:33
    It has been a while, but I attended a RACC body of knowledge review session and also took advantage of Virginia Tech's review course. I found both of these resources to be extremely helpful. Their greatest value for me came from the breadth of information covered so that I was exposed to information that I normally do not encounter in my day to day (e.g. I work for a healthcare system and don't have much exposure to NSF funding, so the review courses were key for that information).

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    Rebecca Valenstein
    Manager, Pre-Award & eRA
    Atrium Health (formerly Carolinas Healthcare System)
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    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: What's your best CRA prep tip?

    Posted 07-28-2021 23:37

    My approach back in 2010:

    (1) Attended a Body of Knowledge review session (put on by RACC), to get familiar with the content areas

    (2) Took a practice test cold (unofficial, on actual paper- before the online tests/resources were around!), to highlight my weak areas

    (3) Mapped out a 4-month study plan leading up to test date, focusing heavily on those areas I scored lowest in practice test. 

    (4) Gathered 2 colleagues into a study accountability group (they were also planning to sit for the exam that cycle), which met weekly.  I was post-award at the time, and my buddies were in pre-award; compliance. That made us a fairly well-rounded little pod, and it helped to have those different perspectives from each other's real-world experience to discuss and think-through difficult/unfamiliar concepts. 

    For those specialist RAs anxious about the scope of the CRA exam, I think it's doable to pass if you commit to intentional and targeted studying! But, if you prefer to focus on your specific area of expertise, you could certainly consider pursuing the pre-award or financial focused credentials: CPRA (pre-award); CFRA (financial)



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    Cira Mathis, CRA, PMP
    Manager, Internal Programs
    University Sponsored Research
    Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi
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    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: What's your best CRA prep tip?

    STAR CONTRIBUTOR
    Posted 07-29-2021 07:29
    Find a "study buddy".  I took the test years ago as well.  My study buddy helped get through the stress of trying to remember everything.  We set up a schedule which provided both of us with accountability. When we reached an area we needed to research, we were able to split up the topic areas we were not that familiar with and work through it together.

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    Domenica Pappas
    Assistant Vice Provost for Research
    Illinois Institute of Technology
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    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: What's your best CRA prep tip?

    Posted 07-29-2021 08:11
    I agree with what Jennifer said already. I was working in a pre-award role when I certified and wanted to dive deeper into the compliance side. The CITI training courses were tremendously helpful. I believe that is really an underutilized resource.

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    Matthew Kingore
    Solutions Consultant
    Cayuse
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    Original Message


  • 12.  RE: What's your best CRA prep tip?

    Posted 07-29-2021 11:20
    Edited by Megan Roth 07-29-2021 11:21
    My process was similar to Cira's. I took the exam last fall. I started with the RACC Body of Knowledge Review to get a better understanding of what the content areas would be. Then I took the practice test cold to identify my strengths and weaknesses. Then I focused on reviewing the areas that I struggled more with. I felt pretty confident after the practice test, but am still glad I reviewed some of the things I did. That being said, as a one man central office shop, my work experience was the best preparation.

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    Megan Roth, Ph.D., CRA
    Executive Director of Research
    Abilene Christian University
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    Original Message


  • 13.  RE: What's your best CRA prep tip?

    Posted 07-29-2021 11:26
    Hi, everyone.  My advice is much like everyone else's.  Take it seriously, study early and often, and join multiple study groups until you find the one or two that are most helpful.  I flunked my first time taking the exam, so this advice comes from experience. 🙃

    Other advice:  Once you're certified, keep track of all of your activities for recertification as they happen.  It was a real challenge to gather that stuff for past years.  Learn from my mistakes!

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    Jennifer Williams
    Pre-Award Specialist / Proposal Processor
    North Carolina State University
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    Original Message


  • 14.  RE: What's your best CRA prep tip?

    RISING STAR CONTRIBUTOR
    Posted 08-02-2021 08:37
    I am a terrible procrastinator when it comes to my own stuff (great at telling other people what to do and when to do it :)). Our office holds a roughly 9-week CRA review course twice a year, so I collected all of the presentations for those sessions as well as some other resources from Virginia Tech, and put them in a binder. I spent a full week and a half reading through page by page and doing practice tests for each topic (very unofficial tests). I also used the Virginia Tech quizlet flashcards quite a bit, and used all of the various quizzing methods (definition to term, term to definition, questions, etc.).

    When you take the exam, you can skip questions your not sure about and come back to them later. I highly recommend flagging the question and moving on if you're spending more than a few minutes on it. If you spend too much time on it, you'll overthink the response. Move on, change the perspective, and come back to it. You might remember it suddenly later on when something else jogs your memory.

    So... my own top tips:
    • Give yourself enough preparation time, and figure out how you study best. Prioritize the items that you're least familiar with (narrow it down with a practice exam, as a lot of people mentioned; that's an excellent way to gauge your knowledge base)
    • Give yourself enough time to rest and refresh before your exam. At a certain point, you can go over the same information again and again, and it won't change what you know, especially on an exhausted mind. Let yourself rest and reset.
    • Take your time on the exam. You have... so much time.
    • If you spend more than, lets say, five minutes on a question, move on and come back to it. You'll actually be surprised how many questions you have left once you get through the whole thing once! (and by that I mean you'll likely have fewer than you thought you would)
    • Treat yourself when your done. Even if you find out you don't pass, you took on an awesome task. Give yourself the credit you're due.
    Someone also said keep track of stuff to recert. It definitely is a pain to try to backtrack CE credits.

    Best of luck to everyone and remember that you know more than you think you do!

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    Lyndal Arceneaux, CRA
    Sr. Proposal Administrator I, Team Lead
    Texas A&M University
    College Station, TX
    979-862-2465
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    Original Message


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