Originally Posted by
caveman
I took the Qualifying Exam this year and passed.
The written exam is fair, with the questions being based around common presentations that you would encounter in each of the three major disciplines (cardio/musc/neuro). The paediatrics and electrotherapy multiple choice were what I found to be the most difficult, with the questions actually being quite particular. The long answer questions required justification, and clinical reasoning. Be sure to also think about exercise prescription; dosage, frequency, aims, monitoring, progression.
The practical exam was relatively straightforward. Each station required you to justify your choice of assessment and treatment through clinical reasoning with respect to anatomy, the patient, their history, pre-morbid mobility, the patient's goals. I found the examiners to be quite fair, and thorough in their questioning as to how you justify your assessment and treatment. Remember to cite evidence (not authors or studies) by saying things like 'Deep neck flexor retraining has been demonstrated to restore the cervical spine's natural lordotic curve and decrease upper cervical extension.... blah blah blah'
If you study well from books like Brukner and Kahn, Kisner and Colby, Pryor and Prassad, and the other listed texts you will be well prepared for the exam.
Best of luck to future candidates!