Patent Publication Number: US-2012034583-A1

Title: Veterinary exam preparation on mobile devices

Description:
FIELD 
     This invention relates to systems and methods for exam preparation, and more specifically, to systems and methods for veterinary exam preparation. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Veterinary medicine is the branch of science that deals with the application of medical, surgical, dental, diagnostic and therapeutic principles to pet, domestic, wildlife and livestock animals. To be a veterinarian, the person needs to graduate with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), and receive his/her license. 
     In order for a person to obtain the veterinary license, the person needs to receive a passing grade on a national board examination, such as the North America Veterinary Licensing Exam (NAVLE). This exam is eight hours long, and consists of 360 multiple-choice questions. This exam covers all aspects of veterinary medicine, as well as visual material designed to test diagnostic skills. 
     Currently, there are study programs that assist veterinary students in preparing for veterinary exams, such as the NAVLE. Some of these programs provide text books for students, wherein the books may include practice questions. Other of these programs involves providing practice questions on a computer, which allows the student to take practice questions on the computer. 
     Applicants of the subject application determine that it would be desirable to have a new device and method for preparing for veterinary exams. 
     SUMMARY 
     In accordance with some embodiments, an apparatus for use in a process to assist a user to prepare for a veterinary examination includes a computer-readable non-transitory medium storing a veterinary exam practice question, and a plurality of answers that correspond to the veterinary exam practice question, and a processor configured to receive a request from a mobile device, access the medium to retrieve the veterinary exam practice question and the plurality of answers in response to the received request, and provide the retrieved veterinary exam practice question and the plurality of answers for display on the mobile device. 
     In accordance with other embodiments, a method for use in a process to assist a user to prepare for a veterinary examination includes receiving a request from a mobile device, accessing a computer-readable non-transitory medium to retrieve a veterinary exam practice question and a plurality of answers in response to the received request, and providing the retrieved veterinary exam practice question and the plurality of answers for display on the mobile device. 
     In accordance with other embodiments, a computer-readable non-transitory medium includes a set of stored instructions, an execution of which causes a method to be performed, the method comprising receiving a request from a mobile device, accessing a computer-readable non-transitory medium to retrieve a veterinary exam practice question and a plurality of answers in response to the received request, and providing the retrieved veterinary exam practice question and the plurality of answers for display on the mobile device. 
     In accordance with other embodiments, an apparatus for assisting a user to prepare for a veterinary examination includes a mobile device having a screen for displaying information, and a user interface for receiving an input from the user, wherein the portable device is configured to display a veterinary exam practice question and a plurality of answers on the screen, and wherein the mobile device is further configured to allow the user to enter the input in response to the displayed veterinary exam practice question using the user interface. 
     In accordance with other embodiments, a method for assisting a user to prepare for a veterinary examination includes receiving a veterinary exam practice question from a database, receiving a plurality of answers that correspond with the veterinary exam practice question from the database, displaying the veterinary exam practice question and the plurality of answers on a screen of a mobile device, and receiving an input from a user at the mobile device. 
     In accordance with other embodiments, a computer-readable non-transitory medium includes a set of stored instructions, an execution of which causes a method to be performed, the method comprising receiving a veterinary exam practice question from a database, receiving a plurality of answers that correspond with the veterinary exam practice question from the database, displaying the veterinary exam practice question and the plurality of answers on a screen of a mobile device, and receiving an input from a user at the mobile device. 
     Other and further aspects and features will be evident from reading the following detailed description of the embodiments, which are intended to illustrate, not limit, the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The drawings illustrate the design and utility of embodiments, in which similar elements are referred to by common reference numerals. These drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In order to better appreciate how the above-recited and other advantages and objects are obtained, a more particular description of the embodiments will be rendered, which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. These drawings depict only typical embodiments and are not therefore to be considered limiting of its scope. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a database configured to provide veterinary exam practice questions for a mobile device in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a mobile device displaying login information in accordance with some embodiments 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a main page provided by the database of  FIG. 1  for display on a mobile device in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a configuration page for allowing a user of a mobile device to select a practice mode in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 5A  illustrates an example of sub-categories of veterinary exam practice questions under the Equine category provided by the database of  FIG. 1  in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 5B  illustrates an example of sub-categories of veterinary exam practice questions under the Bovine category provided by the database of  FIG. 1  in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 5C  illustrates an example of sub-categories of veterinary exam practice questions under the Canine category provided by the database of  FIG. 1  in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 5D  illustrates an example of sub-categories of veterinary exam practice questions under the Exotic/pocket pet/fish category provided by the database of  FIG. 1  in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 5E  illustrates an example of sub-categories of veterinary exam practice questions under the Feline category provided by the database of  FIG. 1  in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 5F  illustrates an example of sub-categories of veterinary exam practice questions under the Other food animal category provided by the database of  FIG. 1  in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 6A  illustrates an example of a veterinary exam practice question provided by the database of  FIG. 1  in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 6B  illustrates an example of a selection of a multiple choice answer by the user of a mobile device in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 6C  illustrates an example of a feedback to a user&#39;s answer for a veterinary exam practice question; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates another example of a feedback to a user&#39;s answer for a veterinary exam practice question; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates another example of a veterinary exam practice question provided by the database of  FIG. 1  in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 9  illustrates an example of veterinary exam practice question statistics provided by the database of  FIG. 1  in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 10A  illustrates an example of veterinary exam practice question statistics provided by the database of  FIG. 1 , particularly showing statistics being provided for sub-categories under the Equine category; 
         FIG. 10B  illustrates an example of veterinary exam practice question statistics provided by the database of  FIG. 1 , particularly showing statistics being provided for sub-categories under the Bovine category; 
         FIG. 10C  illustrates an example of veterinary exam practice question statistics provided by the database of  FIG. 1 , particularly showing statistics being provided for sub-categories under the Canine category; 
         FIG. 10D  illustrates an example of veterinary exam practice question statistics provided by the database of  FIG. 1 , particularly showing statistics being provided for sub-categories under the Caprine category; 
         FIG. 10E  illustrates an example of veterinary exam practice question statistics provided by the database of  FIG. 1 , particularly showing statistics being provided for sub-categories under the Exotic/pocket pet/fish category; 
         FIG. 10F  illustrates an example of veterinary exam practice question statistics provided by the database of  FIG. 1 , particularly showing statistics being provided for sub-categories under the Feline category; 
         FIG. 10G  illustrates an example of veterinary exam practice question statistics provided by the database of  FIG. 1 , particularly showing statistics being provided for sub-categories under the Ovine category; 
         FIG. 10H  illustrates an example of veterinary exam practice question statistics provided by the database of  FIG. 1 , particularly showing statistics being provided for sub-categories under the Porcine category; 
         FIG. 10I  illustrates an example of veterinary exam practice question statistics provided by the database of  FIG. 1 , particularly showing statistics being provided for sub-categories under the Non-species specific category; 
         FIG. 11  illustrates example of study categories provided by the database of  FIG. 1  in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 12  illustrates an example of a list of live lectures provided by the database of  FIG. 1  for veterinary exam preparation in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 13  illustrates a database configured to provide veterinary exam practice questions for a computer in accordance with some embodiments; and 
         FIG. 14  is a block diagram of a computer system architecture, with which embodiments described herein may be implemented. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Various embodiments are described hereinafter with reference to the figures. It should be noted that the figures are not drawn to scale and that elements of similar structures or functions are represented by like reference numerals throughout the figures. It should also be noted that the figures are only intended to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention or as a limitation on the scope of the invention. In addition, an illustrated embodiment needs not have all the aspects or advantages shown. An aspect or an advantage described in conjunction with a particular embodiment is not necessarily limited to that embodiment and can be practiced in any other embodiments even if not so illustrated. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a system  10  for preparing a user for a veterinary examination in accordance with some embodiments. As used in this specification, the term “veterinary examination” or similar term refers to any examination in the field of veterinary medicine, included but not limited to North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE), Basic Clinical Science Exam (BCSE), Program for the Assessment of Veterinary Education (PAVE), Veterinary Licensing Exam (VLE), Clinical Proficiency Exam (CPE), State Board examination, veterinary school class examination, specialty board exam, continuing education exam, a board examination that is mandatory for veterinary students (e.g., after completing the second year of veterinary school), or any examination related to veterinary subject. The system  10  includes a mobile device  12  that is configured to communicate with a database  14  via the internet  16 . In the illustrated embodiments, the mobile device  12  is an iPhone. In other embodiments, the mobile device  12  may be a Blackberry, an iPad, an ipod (Touch), a Palm, a PDA, or an Android. Also, as used in this specification, the term “database” may refer to any device or software that is configured (e.g., built, programmed, or both) to provide data or cause data to be provided. For examples, in some embodiments, the database  14  may be implemented using one or more computers, one or more processors, software, or combination of any of the foregoing. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the mobile device  12  includes a screen  20  for displaying information, such as any of the information described herein, and a button  22  for allowing the user of the mobile device  12  to control one or more functionalities of the device  12 . In the illustrated embodiments, because the mobile device  12  is an iPhone, the screen  20  is a touch-screen, which allows the user to enter user input by touching the screen  20 . In other embodiments, the mobile device  12  may include a keyboard and/or numeric keys for allowing the user to enter input. In addition, or alternatively, the mobile device  12  may further include a joystick, a touch pad, a rolling ball, etc., for allowing the user to control a cursor or pointer displayed in the screen  20 . 
     In accordance with some embodiments, in response to a request to access the database  14  received from the mobile device  12 , the database  14  is configured to provide information for display on the mobile device  12  for assisting a user of the mobile device  12  to prepare for a veterinary examination. In the illustrated embodiments, the mobile device  12  may be used to launch a program, such as an internet application, for allowing the user of the mobile device  12  to access the database  14  using the internet application, e.g., by typing in an address that is associated with the database  14 . The database  14  is configured to receive the request from the mobile device  12 , and in response to the request, provide login information  40  for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 . 
     In some embodiments, the mobile device  12  is configured (e.g., programmed) to display content from the database  14  for smaller screen resolution. Also, in some embodiments, the mobile device  12  is configured to automatically adjust the screen resolution based on the content provided by the database  14 . For example, if the content from the database  14  involves a picture, then the screen resolution may be enhanced. In further embodiments, the mobile device  12  may be configured to automatically adjust the size of objects (e.g., text, picture, etc.) provided by the database  14  for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 , and/or screen resolution, based on an orientation of the mobile device  12 . For example, for the case in which the mobile device  12  is an iPhone, and the mobile device  12  is viewed horizontally (i.e., in landscape view), then the mobile phone  12  may be configured to scale the objects to be larger, and/or to reduce the resolution. On the other hand, when the mobile device  12  is viewed vertically (i.e., in portrait view), then the mobile phone  12  may be configured to scale the objects to be smaller, and/or to enhance the resolution. 
     In the illustrated embodiments, the login information  40  includes a name field  42  for allowing the user of the mobile device  12  to type in a login name of the user, and a password field  44  for allowing the user to type in a password. In some embodiments, the login name may be any information associated with the user, including but not limited to an email, an alias name, a phone number, etc. After the user has input the user name and the password, the user may select “Login”  46  to send the user name and the password to the database  14  for evaluation. 
     When the database  14  received the user name and the password, the database  14  looks up a table that stores authorized user names and their corresponding passwords to determine whether the user is an authorized user. When the database  14  determines that the user is an authorized user, the database  14  then allows the user to access additional information from the database  14 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , in some embodiments, after determining that the user is an authorized user, the database  14  may provide a page  60  for display on the mobile device  12 . The page  60  includes a “Home” button  70 , an “Account info” button  72 , and a “Logout” button  74 . In the illustrated embodiments, the buttons  70 ,  72 ,  74  stay displayed on the screen  20  of the mobile  12  as the user navigates to different pages provided by the database  14 . 
     The “Home” button  70  may be selected by the user (e.g., by touching the portion of the screen  20  where the “Home” button  70  is located), which allows the user to navigate from the current page back to the main page  60 . 
     The “Account info” button  72  may be selected by the user (e.g., by touching the portion of the screen  20  where the “Account info” button  72  is located). In response, the database  14  is configured to provide information regarding the account info for the user for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 . By means of non-limiting examples, the account info may include user name, login name, password, account activation date, account expiration date, veterinary school in which the user is enrolled, etc. 
     The “Logout” button  74  may be selected by the user (e.g., by touching the portion of the screen  20  wherein the “Logout” button  74  is located) to logout from a session for accessing the database  14 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the page  60  also includes an indicator  80  for informing the user of the mobile device  12  whether the user has taken any timed exam. If the user has taken timed exam(s), the page  60  also provides another indicator  84  for informing the user of the mobile device  12  a number of timed exam(s) taken. In the illustrated example, the indicator  80  indicates that the user of the mobile device  12  has not taken any timed exam. The page  60  also includes an indicator  82  for informing the user of the mobile device  12  a total number of veterinary exam practice questions taken by the user. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the page  60  also includes an indicator  86  for informing the user of the mobile device  12  the date that the user&#39;s subscription to the database  14  will expire, an indicator  88  for informing the user of the mobile device  12  the number of available remaining veterinary exam practice questions that have not been taken by the user, and an indicator  90  for informing the user of the mobile device  12  the number of available remaining veterinary exam questions that have not been taken by the user 
     Returning to  FIG. 3 , the page  60  also includes a “Take practice questions” button  100 , and a “Take timed exam” button  102 . In the illustrated embodiments, each of the buttons  100 ,  102  may be selected by touching the portion of the screen  20  where the button is displayed. In other embodiments, each of the buttons  100 ,  102  may be selected by positioning (e.g., using a joystick, a touchpad, rolling ball, etc.) a cursor or a highlighting over the button, and then pressing an input button on the mobile device  12 . When the button  100  is selected, the database  14  will provide a series of veterinary exam practice questions in a practice format in which the database  14  provides feedback (e.g., correct answer and/or explanation of the correct answer) to the user after each question is answered by the user, so that the user can know right away whether he/she misses the question and learn about the correct answer. On the other hand, when the button  102  is selected, the database  14  will provide a series of veterinary exam practice questions in an exam format (e.g., a timed simulated exam session), in which the database  14  does not provide feedback to the user after each question is answered by the user. As shown in the figure, the page  60  also includes a link/button  104 , which when selected by the user, will cause an explanation of the “Take practice questions” mode associated with the button  100  to be displayed on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 , thereby allowing the user to learn more about the “Take practice questions” mode before selecting its associated button  100 . The page  60  also includes a link/button  106 , which when selected by the user, will cause an explanation of the “Take timed exam” mode associated with the button  102  to be displayed on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 , thereby allowing the user to learn more about the “Take timed exam” mode before selecting its associated button  102 . 
     When the user of the mobile device  12  selects the “Take practice questions” button  100 , the database  14  provides a practice mode menu  200  for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 , which allows the user to select different practice modes ( FIG. 4 ). The practice mode menu  200  includes “Random category”  202 , “Specific category”  204 , and “Your most difficult questions”  206 . If the user of the mobile device  12  selects “Random category”  202 , the database  14  then randomly selects veterinary exam practice questions from a pool of available practice questions for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 . If the user of the mobile device  12  selects “Specific category”  204 , the database  14  then provides veterinary exam practice questions only from the selected category by the user. If the user of the mobile device  12  selects “Your most difficult questions”  206 , the database  14  then provides veterinary exam practice questions that the user has failed previously, or that the user has failed more than a prescribed number (e.g., two or more) of times. The prescribed number of times may be determined by an administrator of the database  14 , or alternatively, be determined by the user of the mobile device  12  through a user interface provided by the database  14 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 5A-5F , the database  14  also provides a pull-down menu  208  for display on the mobile device  12 , wherein the pull-down menu  208  includes different subject categories for allowing the user of the mobile device  12  to choose from. In the illustrated embodiments, the pull-down menu  208  includes the subject categories: Equine, Bovine, Canine, Exotic/pocket pet/fish, Feline, and Other food animal. In other embodiments, the pull-down menu  208  may include one or more additional categories. Also, in further embodiments, any of the categories under the pull-down menu  208  described above may not be included. 
     If the user selects “Equine” in the pull-down menu  208 , then the database  14  provides a second pull-down menu  210  that provides sub-categories under the subject category of “Equine” for display on the mobile device  12  ( FIG. 5A ). The sub-categories under “Equine” include Gastrointestinal, Musculoskeletal, Neurology, Reproduction, and Respiratory. The user of the mobile device  12  may select one of these sub-categories under the pull-down menu  210 , and in response, the database  14  will provide only those veterinary exam practice questions that fall under the selected sub-category of “Equine.” In other embodiments, the menu  210  may further include an “All” selection which when selected by the user, will cause the database  14  to provide questions from all sub-categories under the “Equine” category. In further embodiments, the database  14  may not provide the second pull-down menu  210 . In such cases, questions from all sub-categories under “Equine” will be provided by the database  14  for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 . 
     If the user selects “Bovine” in the pull-down menu  208 , then the database  14  provides a second pull-down menu  210  that provides sub-categories under the subject category of “Bovine” for display on the mobile device  12  ( FIG. 5B ). The sub-categories under “Bovine” include but are not limited to Gastrointestinal, Reproduction, and Respiratory. The user of the mobile device  12  may select one of these sub-categories under the pull-down menu  210  (e.g., by choosing the sub-category, and pressing/selecting the “proceed” button  212 , or alternatively, by just choosing the sub-category), and the database  14  will provide only those veterinary exam practice questions that fall under the selected sub-category of “Bovine.” In other embodiments, the menu  210  may further include an “All” selection which when selected by the user, will cause the database  14  to provide questions from all sub-categories under the “Bovine” category. In other embodiments, the database  14  may not provide the second pull-down menu  210 . In such cases, questions from all sub-categories under “Bovine” will be provided by the database  14  for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 . 
     If the user selects “Canine” in the pull-down menu  208 , then the database  14  provides a second pull-down menu  210  that provides sub-categories under the subject category of “Canine” for display on the mobile device  12  ( FIG. 5C ). The sub-categories under “Canine” include but are not limited to Cardiology, Endocrine, Gastrointestinal, Neurology, Respiratory, and Surgery. The user of the mobile device  12  may select one of these sub-categories under the pull-down menu  210  (e.g., by choosing the sub-category, and pressing/selecting the “proceed” button  212 , or alternatively, by just choosing the sub-category), and the database  14  will provide only those veterinary exam practice questions that fall under the selected sub-category of “Canine.” In other embodiments, the menu  210  may further include an “All” selection which when selected by the user, will cause the database  14  to provide questions from all sub-categories under the “Canine” category. In further embodiments, the database  14  may not provide the second pull-down menu  210 . In such cases, questions from all sub-categories under “Canine” will be provided by the database  14  for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 . 
     If the user selects “Exotic/pocket pet/fish” in the pull-down menu  208  (e.g., by choosing the category, and pressing/selecting the “proceed” button  212 , or alternatively, by just choosing the category), then the database  14  provides veterinary exam practice questions under such selected category ( FIG. 5D ). In the illustrated embodiments, the subject category “Exotic/pocket pet/fish” does not have any sub-categories. In other embodiments, when the subject category “Exotic/pocket pet/fish” is selected, the database  14  may provide a second pull-down menu that provides sub-categories under the subject category of “Exotic/pocket pet/fish” for display on the mobile device  12 . In such cases, the user of the mobile device  12  may select one of these sub-categories under the second pull-down menu (e.g., by choosing the sub-category, and pressing/selecting the “proceed” button  212 , or alternatively, by just choosing the sub-category), and the database  14  will provide only those veterinary exam practice questions that fall under the selected sub-category of “Exotic/pocket pet/fish.” In other embodiments, the second menu may further include an “All” selection which when selected by the user, will cause the database  14  to provide questions from all sub-categories under the “Exotic/pocket pet/fish” category. 
     If the user selects “Feline” in the pull-down menu  208 , then the database  14  provides a second pull-down menu  210  that provides sub-categories under the subject category of “Feline” for display on the mobile device  12  ( FIG. 5E ). The sub-categories under “Feline” include but are not limited to Gastrointestinal, Respiratory, and Endocrine. The user of the mobile device  12  may select one of these sub-categories under the pull-down menu  210  (e.g., by choosing the sub-category, and pressing/selecting the “proceed” button  212 , or alternatively, by just choosing the sub-category), and the database  14  will provide only those veterinary exam practice questions that fall under the selected sub-category of “Feline.” In other embodiments, the menu  210  may further include an “All” selection which when selected by the user, will cause the database  14  to provide questions from all sub-categories under the “Feline” category. In other embodiments, the database  14  may not provide the second pull-down menu  210 . In such cases, questions from all sub-categories under “Feline” will be provided by the database  14  for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 . 
     If the user selects “Other food animal” in the pull-down menu  208  (e.g., by choosing the category, and pressing/selecting the “proceed” button  212 , or alternatively, by just choosing the category), then the database  14  provides veterinary exam practice questions under such selected category ( FIG. 5F ). In the illustrated embodiments, the subject category “Other food animal” does not have any sub-categories. In other embodiments, when the subject category “Other food animal” is selected, the database  14  may provide a second pull-down menu that provides sub-categories under the subject category of “Other food animal” for display on the mobile device  12 . In such cases, the user of the mobile device  12  may select one of these sub-categories under the pull-down menu (e.g., by choosing the sub-category, and pressing/selecting the “proceed” button  212 , or alternatively, by just choosing the sub-category), and the database  14  will provide only those veterinary exam practice questions that fall under the selected sub-category of “Other food animal.” In other embodiments, the second menu may further include an “All” selection which when selected by the user, will cause the database  14  to provide questions from all sub-categories under the “Other food animal” category. 
     It should be noted that the subject categories and sub-categories provided by the database  14  should not be limited to the examples described previously, and that in other embodiments, the database  14  may provide one or more additional subject categories, and/or one or more additional sub-categories, for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 . For example, in other embodiments, the database  14  may provide Caprine, Ovine, and/or Porcine as additional subject category in the menu  208  for allowing the user of the mobile device  12  to select. In further embodiments, the database  14  may not provide all of the subject categories or all of the sub-categories described previously. Therefore, in other embodiments, one or more of the previously described subject categories, and/or one or more of the previously described sub-categories may be omitted. In still further embodiments, the database  14  may provide a third pull-down menu that includes further sub-categories under a selected one of the sub-categories in the second pull-down menu  210 . 
     In the illustrated embodiments, the database  14  is configured to use an algorithm to randomize the order of veterinary exam practice questions that are presented to the user. In particular, the database  14  is configured to determine a pool of available practice questions, and use the random algorithm to randomly select practice questions from the pool for presentation to the user. In some embodiments, the pool of available practice questions may be all questions that are stored at the database  14 . In other embodiments, the pool of available practice questions may be a subset of all questions that are stored at the database  14 , such as only questions that are within a subject category or sub-category as determined by the user, or only questions that have other attribute(s). In some embodiments, the database  14  is configured to remove correctly answered questions from the pool of available practice questions, so that the correctly answered questions by the user will not be selected by the random algorithm, and will not appear again during a practice session. Also, in some embodiments, the random algorithm may be configured to consider the performance of the user when randomly selects practice questions for presentation to the user. For example, in some embodiments, the database  14  keeps track which questions were previously missed by the user. Such questions are flagged in the database  14 , and a higher weight factor may be applied to such questions so that they will have a higher probability (compared with the remaining questions in the pool of available questions) of being selected by the random algorithm. 
       FIG. 6A  illustrates an example of a veterinary exam practice question  300  that is provided by the database  14  for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 . The practice question  300  includes a question portion  302 , and a multiple-choice portion  304 . The multiple-choice portion  304  includes multiple-choices  306   a - 306   d.  In other examples, the multiple-choice portion  304  may have more than four multiple-choices. In the illustrated embodiments, the user of the mobile device  12  may select any one of the multiple-choices  306   a - 306   d  by touching the part of the screen  20  wherein the multiple-choice is displayed. In other embodiments, the screen  20  is not a touch-screen, and the user may then select any one of the multiple-choices  306   a - 306   d  using other input mechanism, such as a keyboard, a joystick, a touchpad, a rolling ball, etc. 
     In the example shown in  FIG. 6B , the multiple-choice  306   b  is selected, and an indicator  307  is displayed on the screen  20  next to the selected multiple-choice  306   b  for indicating to the user that the multiple-choice  306   b  has been selected. The user may then select the “Next question” button  308  displayed on the screen  20 , thereby indicating that the selected multiple-choice is the user&#39;s final decision. In other embodiments, in addition to, or instead of, highlighting the selected multiple choice  82   b  by displaying a graphic (e.g., a check mark, a filled bubble, etc.) next to the selected multiple-choice  82   b,  the selected multiple-choice  82   b  may be highlighted in other way, such as by changing the format (e.g., color, size, style, etc.) of the text of the selected multiple-choice  82   b.  Also, in further embodiments, instead of requiring a two-step process (in which the user selects a multiple-choice first, and then select “Next question” button  308  to confirm the selection), the mobile device  12  may be configured to provide a one-touch answer, wherein when the user selects one of the multiple-choices (e.g., by touching the portion of the screen  20  where the multiple-choice is displayed), the answer is then selected and submitted for evaluation without requiring any further action by the user. 
     Upon receiving a signal from the mobile device  12  that the user has selected multiple-choice  306   b,  the database  14  determines whether the selected multiple-choice  306   b  is the correct answer. In the illustrated embodiments, the database  14  stores information regarding the correct answer for each veterinary exam practice question. In the illustrated example, based on such stored information, the database  14  determines that the correct answer is “Metabolic acidosis”  306   d,  and therefore, the selected multiple-choice  306   b  by the user is incorrect. As shown in  FIG. 6C , the database  14  provides an indicator  320  for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12  for informing the user that the selected multiple-choice  306   b  is “incorrect.” The database  14  also provides a selection indicator  322  for informing the user which answer he/she selected, and a correct answer indicator  324  for informing the user which multiple-choice is the correct answer. In other embodiments, color code may be used to identify correct and incorrect answers (e.g., correct answer may be highlighted in green, and incorrect multiple-choices or the incorrect answer may be highlighted in red). The database further provides an explanation  330  for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12  for explaining to the user why the multiple-choice  306   b  in the example is the correct answer. As shown in the figure, if the user is ready for the next question, the user may select the “Next question” button  332 . Alternatively, if the user wishes to end the practice session, the user may select the “End practice” button  334 . 
     In some embodiments, as the user goes through the practice questions using the mobile device  12 , the database  14  keeps track of the information regarding the user&#39;s performance, and builds a statistic profile using such information. By means of non-limiting examples, the information regarding the user&#39;s performance may include one or more of a total number of questions answered correctly, total number of questions answered incorrectly, number of questions answered correctly in each subject category, and number of questions answered incorrectly in each subject category. Also, in some embodiments, when providing feedback information, such as those described with reference to  FIG. 6C , the database  14  may also provide a user interface (e.g., a check box) for allowing the user to mark a question for review later. In such cases, if the user marks the question (e.g., by touching the portion of the screen  20  where the check box is displayed), the database  14  will flag the question, indicating that the user may wish to retrieve such question for review later. In the illustrated embodiments, the statistics regarding the user&#39;s performance in taking the veterinary exam practice questions is stored in a non-transitory medium associated with the database  14 , so that the user of the mobile device  12  may retrieve them at a later time. 
     It should be noted that the manner in which the user is informed of the correct answer is not limited to the visual information described, and that the user may be informed of the correct answer using other techniques. For example, in other embodiments, in addition to, or in the alternative of, providing the visual indicators  320 ,  322 ,  324 , the database  14  may provide audio data for the mobile device  12 . The mobile device  12  processes the audio data, and provides an audio signal (e.g., an audio message) through its speaker for informing the user of the correct answer. The database  14  may also provide other types of audio data, such as audio data for informing user whether his/her answer is correct or not, audio data for explaining the correct answer, etc. In response to receiving such audio data from the database  14 , the mobile device  12  provides an audio signal to the user of the mobile device  12  accordingly. 
     In other embodiments, in addition to providing an explanation for the correct answer to the veterinary exam practice question, the database  14  may also provide additional information for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 , which allows the user to learn more about the subject related to the answered veterinary exam practice question. For example, in any of the embodiments described herein, the feedback from the database  14  regarding the user&#39;s selection of the multiple choice may also include a link  350  for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12  ( FIG. 7 ). When the link  350  is selected by the user (e.g., by touching the portion of the screen  20  where the link  350  is located), the database  14  will cause information associated with the link  350  to be transmitted to the mobile device. By means of non-limiting examples, the information may be an outline, a study note, a lecture note, or any information relating to the subject matter of the practice question that the user just answered. Also, the information may be presented in the form of a webpage, a pdf, a text file, an image file, an animation, an audio file, or a video file. In some embodiments, some or all of the information provided by the database  14  may be sponsored reading materials that are study aids for assisting the user to prepare for the veterinary exam. Also, in any of the embodiments described herein, the study aid information may be provided by the database  14  using push-technology, in which the database  14  is configured to “push” such information to the mobile device  12 . For example, in some embodiments, study materials may be provided by the database  14  to the mobile device  12  in the form of text message(s). In other embodiments, the study materials may be provided by the database  14  to the mobile device  12  in the form of email(s) or audio message(s). 
     In other embodiments, the veterinary exam practice question provided by the database  14  for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12  may also include a  FIG. 360  ( FIG. 8 ). In the illustrated embodiments, the  FIG. 360  is a photograph. In other embodiments, the  FIG. 360  may be a diagram, a graph, a table, etc. The  FIG. 360  may be stored in the database  14 , and is associated with the practice question  300  in the database  14 . When the database  14  selects the veterinary exam practice question  300  for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 , the database  14  retrieves the  FIG. 360  together with the question portion  302  and the multiple-choice portion  304 , and transmits these information over the internet  16  for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 . In some embodiments, the  FIG. 360  in the screen  20  may be zoomed in (e.g., by touching the screen  20  with two fingers and moving the two fingers apart while touching the screen  20 , or by clicking a button for zoomed-in function) or zoomed out (e.g., by touching the screen  20  with two fingers and moving the two fingers together while touching the screen  20 , or by clicking a button for zoomed-out function) using the mobile device  12 . Providing questions with pictures is advantageous in that it allows the database  14  to test the diagnostic skills of the user in some embodiments. 
     In some embodiments, when the user selects the “Take practice questions” button  100 , the database  14  provides a user interface for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 , that allows the user to request whether to receive only practice questions without any images, receive only practice questions with images, or receive both practice questions with images and practice questions without images. In other embodiments, instead of, or in addition to, allowing the user to prescribe whether to receive practice questions based on the image attribute, the database  14  may be configured to allow the user to configure the practice questions mode based on other attributes, such as one or more attributes of questions (e.g., questions that are within a certain subject category or sub-category, as discussed, questions that involves hypothetical, questions that ask about definitions of medical terms, etc.), and/or one or more attributes of answers (e.g., questions for which the answers have video explanation, questions for which the answers have study notes, etc.). 
     In one implementation, the database  14  may include a medium for storing a set of veterinary exam practice questions. Each practice question may include the text of the question and the text of the multiple choices. Also, each practice question may include an index that identifies the practice question, and a plurality of attributes with corresponding attribute values. In some embodiments, the attributes include a subject category attribute that identifies the subject category to which the question belongs, a sub-category attribute that identifies the sub-category to which the question belongs, a status attribute that identifies whether the question was answered correctly by the user, a question number attribute that identifies the number of times the question was previously presented to the user, a flag attribute for identifying whether the question was flagged by the user for later review, and a picture attribute that identifies whether there is a picture associated with the question (and if so, the storage location for accessing the picture). 
     In one algorithm for providing a practice question by the database  14 , the database  14  is configured to receive configuration commands from the user of the mobile device  12 , which prescribes the type of practice questions desired by the user. For example, the configuration command may be one that asks the database  14  to provide practice questions that are under the “Feline” category, and the “Respiratory” sub-category within the “Feline” subject category. When the database  14  receives the configuration command, the database  14  then determines a pool of available questions that satisfy the configuration command. In the illustrated example, the database  14  retrieves all questions with subject category attribute&#39;s value of “Feline” and sub-category attribute&#39;s value of “Respiratory,” thereby forming a pool of available questions for presentation to the user. Also, if the user sends a configuration command using the mobile device  12  to request only questions that have pictures, then the database  14  will further reduce the pool of available questions by including only questions that have picture attribute&#39;s value of “1” (wherein “1” indicates that there is a picture associated with the question, and “0” indicates that there is no picture associated with the question). In addition, the database  14  may further reduce the pool of available questions by excluding questions that have already been answered correctly. In such case, the database  14  may use the status attribute to identify those questions that have already been answered correctly, and exclude them from the pool of available questions. Once the final pool of available questions is determined, the database  14  then uses the random algorithm to randomly select practice questions, one at a time, from the current pool of available questions. As the user goes through the practice questions, the attribute values of the questions that have been presented to the user are updated, and the pool of available questions is updated after each question that has been presented to the user. For example, when a practice question is presented to the user, the question number attribute for that practice question that identifies the number of times the question was previously presented to the user will be updated (e.g., increase the value by 1). Also, if a question is answered correctly, the status attribute for that question is updated, and the database  14  will exclude such question (e.g., using the status attribute) from the pool of available questions for providing the next practice question. 
     The feature of allowing the user to take practice questions using the mobile device  12  is advantageous. Such a feature allows the user to take practice questions anywhere. For example, the user may be commuting in a bus or train, may be waiting in line, or may be at a location where there is no power and/or wi-fi for a computer. Yet, in these situations, the user will be able to take practice questions using the mobile device  12 . Also, such a feature obviates the need for the user to carry a computer or exam practice book(s) for the purpose of taking practice questions. 
     Returning to  FIG. 3 , as discussed, the page  60  also includes the “Take timed exam” button  102 . When the user of the mobile device  12  selects the “Take timed exam” button  102 , the database  14  provides a series of simulated exam questions in a simulated exam session for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 . Each simulated exam question may have the format like that shown in the example of  FIG. 6A . The user may answer each simulated exam question by selecting one of the multiple choices  306   a - 306   d,  as similarly discussed with reference to  FIG. 6B . However, unlike the practice question mode described with reference to  FIG. 6C  in which the database  14  provides feedback to the user after the user answers each practice question, when the user is in the practice exam mode, the database  14  does not provide any immediate feedback. Instead, as the user goes through the practice exam using the mobile device  12 , the database  14  keeps track of the information regarding the performance of the practice exam, and builds a statistic profile for the practice exam session using such information. By means of non-limiting examples, the information regarding the performance of the practice exam may include one or more of a total number of questions answered correctly, total number of questions answered incorrectly, number of questions answered correctly in each subject category, number of questions answered incorrectly in each subject category, and time the user spent in completing the practice exam. In the illustrated embodiments, the statistics regarding the performance of the practice exam is stored in a non-transitory medium associated with the database  14 , so that the user of the mobile device  12  may be retrieved at a later time. 
     In the illustrated embodiments, the format of the practice exam provided by the database  14  is predetermined (e.g., by an administrator of the database  12 ). In other embodiments, the format of the practice exam may be configured by the user of the mobile device  12 . For example, in some embodiments, when the “Take timed exam” button  102  is selected, the database  14  may provide a menu for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 , wherein the menu is configured to allow the user to configure the format (e.g., duration of the practice exam, number of questions in the practice exam, etc.) of the practice exam. In one implementation, the user is allowed to customize either the duration of a practice exam session, or the number of practice questions in the practice exam session. In another implementation, the user is allowed to customize one or both of the duration of a practice exam session and the number of practice questions in the practice exam session. 
     Based on the format configured by the user of the mobile device  12 , the database  14  then provides the practice exam in accordance with the configured format. In other embodiments, the database  14  may provide a list of different veterinary exams for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 , wherein each of the veterinary exams has a format associated therewith. By means of non-limiting examples, the list of veterinary exams may include NAVLE, BCSE, PAVE, VLE, CPE, State Board examination, veterinary school class examination, specialty board exam, continuing education exam, a board examination that is mandatory for veterinary students (e.g., after completing the second year of veterinary school). When the user of the mobile device  12  selects one of the veterinary exams, the database  14  then provides a practice exam for the user of the mobile device  12  in accordance with the format that is associated with the selected one of the veterinary exams. In some embodiments, the database  14  also provides a “Pause” button for allowing the user of the mobile device  12  to pause a practice exam session, and a “Resume” button for allowing the user to resume the practice exam session. When the practice exam session is paused, the timing of the practice exam will also be paused. When the practice exam session is resumed, the timing of the practice exam will be resumed. 
     The feature of allowing the user to take practice exam(s) using the mobile device  12  is advantageous. Such a feature allows the user to take practice exam(s) anywhere. For example, the user may be commuting in a bus or train, may be waiting in line, or may be at a location where there is no power and/or wi-fi for a computer. Yet, in these situations, the user will be able to take practice exam(s) using the mobile device  12 . Also, such a feature obviates the need for the user to carry a computer or exam practice book(s) for the purpose of taking practice exam(s). 
     Returning to  FIG. 3 , the page  60  also includes a progress section that includes a progress chart  110 , a link/button  120  for accessing the statistics of the user&#39;s practice questions, and a link/button  122  for accessing exam results and statistics. The progress chart  110  allows a user to see how much of the exam preparation course the user has completed. The progress chart  110  also allows a user to compare his/her progress to other users, and inform the user of his/her total subscription time to help the user budget study time. The information from the progress chart  110  may be obtained by the database  14  or the mobile device  12  by accessing the attribute values for the attributes that are associated with the practice questions, and processing (e.g., filtering) those attribute values. 
     In the illustrated embodiments, the progress chart  110  includes a “You” bar that shows the percentage of veterinary exam practice questions the user has completed. In one implementation, the percentage of practice questions completed (percentage of completion) may be determined (using the database  14  and/or the mobile device  12 ) by determining the total number of questions that have been answered by the user, and divide such number by the total number of available questions. In some cases, the total number of questions answered correctly may be determined by counting all questions with status attribute&#39;s value equal to “1” (with “1” representing a correctly answered question, and “0” representing a question that has been answered incorrectly). 
     The progress chart  110  also includes an “Others” bar that shows the average (mean) percentage of the course that all other users have completed over the same time period (e.g., users who have completed the practice questions during the last month, the last three months, or other prescribed period). In some embodiments, the information in the “Others” bar may be obtained by accessing the attribute values of the practice questions for other users, and processing (e.g., filtering) those attribute values. For example, the percentage shown in the “Others” bar may be determined (using the database  14  and/or the mobile device  12 ) by determining the percentages of completion for all respective users, and calculating an average of the percentages of completion. 
     The progress chart  110  further includes a “Time” bar that shows the percentage of the length of the user&#39;s subscription that has expired. In the illustrated embodiments, each subscription to the database  14  by the user has a prescribed duration (e.g., 3 months). The database  14  and/or the mobile device  12  keeps track of the date on which the user signed up for the subscription, and determines the duration of the subscription that has expired (e.g., by determining a difference between the current date and the sign-up date). In the illustrated embodiments, the percentage shown in the “Time” bar may be determined by dividing the duration of the subscription that has expired by the total prescribed duration (e.g., 3 months). 
     As shown in the figure, the page  60  further includes a link/button  112 , which may be selected by the user to allow the user to learn about the progress chart  110 . 
     As discussed, when the user is in the practice question mode, the database  14  keeps track of the statistics of the user&#39;s performance. From the page  60 , the user has the option of accessing such statistics by selecting the link/button  120 . In some embodiments, when the link/button  120  is selected by the user (e.g., by touching the screen  20  of the mobile device  12  where the link/button  120  is located), the database  14  provides a summary of the number of questions answered correctly for each subject category for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 9 , the database  14  may provide a chart  400  for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12  that lists the subject categories (Equine, Bovine, Canine, Caprine, Exotic/pocket pet/fish, Feline, Ovine, Porcine, and Non-species specific), and the percentage of questions answered correctly for each subject category. The percentage of questions answered correctly may be determined by dividing the number of questions answered correctly for each subject category, by the total number of questions in the corresponding subject category. In one implementation, the total number of practice questions in each subject category (e.g., for subject category of “Equine”) may be determined (using the database  14 , the mobile device  12 , or combination of both) by counting all of the questions with a certain subject category attribute&#39;s value (e.g., subject category attribute&#39;s value equal to “Equine”). Also, the number of questions answered correctly for each subject category (e.g., for subject category of “Equine”) may be determined (using the database  14 , the mobile device  12 , or combination of both) by counting all of the questions with a certain subject category attribute&#39;s value (e.g., subject category attribute&#39;s value equal to “Equine”), and with status attribute&#39;s value equal to “1” (or other prescribed value for representing a correctly answered question). The same technique may be used to determine the percentage of questions answered correctly for other subject categories. In the illustrated embodiments, the order of the subject categories is fixed and is predetermined. In other embodiments, the order of the subject categories in the chart  400  may be automatically sorted by the database  14  or the mobile device  12  based on number of most missed questions (in which the subject categories with more missed questions are arranged first), or number of least missed questions (in which the subject categories with fewer missed questions are arranged first). 
     The database  14  may also provide a plurality of links/buttons  402   a - 402   i  for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 , wherein each of the links/buttons  402   a - 402   i  may be selected by the user to provide statistics of sub-categories for the respective subject categories. In particular, as shown in  FIG. 10A , when the link/button  402   a  for the “Equine” subject category is selected, the database  14  then provides a chart  500   a  for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12  that lists the sub-categories (Dermatology, Gastrointestinal, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Reproduction, Respiratory, and Neurology) of “Equine,” and the percentage of questions answered correctly for each sub-category under the “Equine” category. In the illustrated example, the “Equine” category has six sub-categories. In other examples, the “Equine” category may have more or less than six sub-categories. 
     As shown in  FIG. 10B , when the link/button  402   b  for the “Bovine” subject category is selected, the database  14  then provides a chart  500   b  for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12  that lists the sub-categories (Gastrointestinal, Respiratory, and Oncology) of “Bovine,” and the percentage of questions answered correctly for each sub-category under the “Bovine” category. In the illustrated example, the “Bovine” category has three sub-categories. In other examples, the “Bovine” category may have more or less than three sub-categories. 
     As shown in  FIG. 10C , when the link/button  402   c  for the “Canine” subject category is selected, the database  14  then provides a chart  500   c  for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12  that lists the sub-categories (Dermatology, Ophthalmology, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Respiratory, Neurology, Oncology, Parasitology, and Musculoskeletal) of “Canine,” and the percentage of questions answered correctly for each sub-category under the “Canine” category. In the illustrated example, the “Canine” category has eight sub-categories. In other examples, the “Canine” category may have more or less than eight sub-categories. 
     As shown in  FIG. 10D , when the link/button  402   d  for the “Caprine” subject category is selected, the database  14  then provides a chart  500   d  for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12  that lists the sub-category (Urinary) of “Caprine,” and the percentage of questions answered correctly for each sub-category under the “Caprine” category. In the illustrated example, the “Caprine” subject has only one sub-category. However, in other examples, the “Caprine” subject may have a plurality of sub-categories. 
     As shown in  FIG. 10E , when the link/button  402   e  for the “Exotic/pocket pet/fish” subject category is selected, the database  14  then provides a chart  500   e  for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12  that lists the sub-category (Rodents) of “Exotic/pocket pet/fish,” and the percentage of questions answered correctly for each sub-category under such category. In the illustrated example, the “Exotic/pocket pet/fish” subject has only one sub-category. However, in other examples, the “Exotic/pocket pet/fish” subject may have a plurality of sub-categories. 
     As shown in  FIG. 10F , when the link/button  402   f  for the “Feline” subject category is selected, the database  14  then provides a chart  500   f  for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12  that lists the sub-categories (Endocrine, Respiratory, Cardiology, Emergency, Oncology, and Urinary) of “Feline,” and the percentage of questions answered correctly for each sub-category under the “Feline” category. In the illustrated example, the “Feline” subject has six sub-categories. However, in other examples, the “Feline” subject may have more or less than six sub-categories. 
     As shown in  FIG. 10G , when the link/button  402   g  for the “Ovine” subject category is selected, the database  14  then provides a chart  500   g  for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12  that lists the sub-categories (Gastrointestinal and Neurology) of “Ovine,” and the percentage of questions answered correctly for each sub-category under the “Ovine” category. In the illustrated example, the “Ovine” subject has two sub-categories. However, in other examples, the “Ovine” subject may have more or less than two sub-categories. 
     As shown in  FIG. 10H , when the link/button  402   h  for the “Porcine” subject category is selected, the database  14  then provides a chart  500   h  for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12  that lists the sub-category (Respiratory) of “Porcine,” and the percentage of questions answered correctly for each sub-category under the “Porcine” category. In the illustrated example, the “Porcine” subject has one sub-category. However, in other examples, the “Porcine” subject may have a plurality of sub-categories. 
     As shown in  FIG. 10I , when the link/button  402   i  for the “Non-species specific” subject category is selected, the database  14  then provides a chart  500   i  for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12  that lists the sub-category (Food safety/Public health) of “Non-species specific,” and the percentage of questions answered correctly for each sub-category under the “Non-species specific” category. In the illustrated example, the “Non-species specific” subject has one sub-category. However, in other examples, the “Non-species specific” subject may have a plurality of sub-categories. 
     The percentage of questions answered correctly for a subject sub-category may be determined by dividing the number of questions answered correctly for the subject sub-category, by the total number of questions in the corresponding subject sub-category. In one implementation, the total number of practice questions in each subject sub-category (e.g., for subject sub-category of “Dermatology” under the subject category “Equine”) may be determined (using the database  14 , the mobile device  12 , or combination of both) by counting all of the questions with a certain subject category attribute&#39;s value (e.g., subject category attribute&#39;s value equal to “Equine”), and with a certain subject sub-category attribute&#39;s value (e.g., subject sub-category attribute&#39;s value equal to “Dermatology”). Also, the number of questions answered correctly for each subject sub-category (e.g., for subject sub-category of “Dermatology” under the subject category “Equine”) may be determined (using the database  14 , the mobile device  12 , or combination of both) by counting all of the questions with a certain subject category attribute&#39;s value (e.g., subject category attribute&#39;s value equal to “Equine”), with a certain subject sub-category attribute&#39;s value (e.g., subject sub-category attribute&#39;s value equal to “Dermatology”), and with status attribute&#39;s value equal to “1” (or other prescribed value for representing a correctly answered question). The same technique may be used to determine the percentage of questions answered correctly for other subject sub-categories. 
     Returning to  FIG. 3 , as discussed, the page  60  includes the link/button  122  for accessing exam results and statistics. In the illustrated embodiments, when the link/button  122  is selected by the user (e.g., by touching the screen  20  of the mobile device  12  where the link/button  120  is located), the database  14  provides a summary of the number of questions answered correctly in a practice exam session for each subject category for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 . For example, the database  14  may provide a chart (e.g., like that shown in  FIG. 9 ) for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12  that lists the subject categories (Equine, Bovine, Canine, Caprine, Exotic/pocket pet/fish, Feline, Ovine, Porcine, and Non-species specific), and the percentage of questions answered correctly for each subject category. The database  14  may also provide a plurality of links/buttons (like elements  402   a - 402   i  described previously with reference to  FIGS. 10A-10I ) for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 , wherein each of the links/buttons may be selected by the user to provide statistics of sub-categories for the respective subject categories. 
     Returning to  FIG. 3 , the page  60  also includes a link/button  130 . In the illustrated embodiments, the database  14  is configured to remember which questions a user missed and provide them again for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12  at a later time. For example, the database  14  may be configured to flag one or more questions that have been missed by the user. For the flagged questions that have been missed, the database  14  can provide them again when the user is using the practice question function (which is discussed with reference to element  100  and  FIGS. 6A-6C . This helps to ensure that the user learns the material he/she needs to know before putting it behind. Some users may prefer to have an opportunity to specifically revisit questions that he/she has previously missed to focus on the areas where improvement is needed. In such cases, the database  14  may be configured to provide information for allowing a user to review the questions that have been previously missed. For example, the user can view a list of the questions that he/she has previously missed and see how many times each question was missed. If the user has not answered the question correctly, the user can also re-take the missed practice questions. For example, the database  14  may provide a link/button for taking missed practice questions, which when selected by the user, will provide only those practice questions that have been missed previously. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the database  14  also provides a link/button  132  for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 . When the user of the mobile device  12  selects the link/button  132 , the database  14  provides study materials for the user. In the illustrated embodiments, the database  14  is configured to provide a list of subject categories, and their respective sub-categories, for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 , so that the user can select any one of them ( FIG. 11 ). When the user selects one of the sub-categories, the database  14  then provides further information regarding the selected sub-category, such as lecture notes, outline, etc., that pertains to the selected sub-category within the veterinary field. Also, in some embodiments, when the user selects one of the main categories (e.g., Equine, Bovine, Canine, Exotic/pocket pet/fish, Feline, Ovine, Porcine, and Non-species specific), the database  14  then provides information (e.g., lecture notes, outline, etc.) regarding the selected category that includes all of the sub-categories. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the database  14  also provides a link/button  134  for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 . When the user of the mobile device  12  selects the link/button  134 , the database  14  provides one or more videos for assisting the user in studying certain subject areas. For example, the database  14  may provide a schedule of live lectures organized by subject matter for display on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12  ( FIG. 12 ). When the user selects one of the lectures (e.g., by touching a portion of the screen  20 ) for a certain subject area, the database  14  then provides a video for that subject area for presentation on the screen  20  of the mobile device  12 . In the illustrated example, the video is a live lecture. In other embodiments, the video may be a pre-recorded lecture. Also, the video may be a live stream, or alternatively, be downloaded to the mobile device  12  for storage as a file in the mobile device  12 . The video feature is advantageous because it allows the user to have access of the lecture(s) anywhere, e.g., even when the user is commuting. For example, the user may be sitting in a bus, and the user will be able to view the study video for preparing the veterinary exam using the mobile device  12 . It should be noted that the database  14  is not limited to providing video lectures, and may be configured to provide other forms of lectures in other embodiments, such as, audio lectures, text lectures. Also, in other embodiments, the lectures may be online lectures. In such cases, the database  14  may provide link(s) for allowing the user to access any of the available online lectures. 
     It should be noted that any of the functions described herein may be implemented by configuring (e.g., designing, constructing, programming, or any combination of the foregoing) the database  14 , the mobile device  12 , or both the database  14  and the mobile device  12 . For example, in some embodiments, the database  14  may include a processor that is programmed to provide any of the functions described herein. Also, any of the functions described herein may be implemented as a function of a web page (e.g., using HTML). In further embodiments, the mobile device  12  may be programmed (e.g., by downloading a software, receiving instructions, and/or receiving a web page includes one or more functions, either from the database  14  or from another source that is associated (e.g., another content provider) with the database  14 ) to provide any of the functions described herein. In still further embodiments, all of the functions described herein may be implemented as a software that is downloaded from the database  14  and is stored in the mobile device  12 . 
     In the above embodiments, the various features provided by the database  14  were described as being presented for the mobile device  12 . In other embodiments, instead of the mobile device  12 , any of the features described herein may be provided by the database  14  for a user who is using a computer  500  ( FIG. 13 ). In further embodiments, any of the features described herein may be provided by the database  14  for a user who is using a TV. Thus, any of the features (e.g., functions, capabilities, configuring of the device, etc.) described with reference to the mobile device  12  may be applicable for a computer or a TV. 
     Computer System Architecture 
       FIG. 14  is a block diagram that illustrates an embodiment of a computer system  1200  upon which an embodiment of the invention may be implemented. Computer system  1200  includes a bus  1202  or other communication mechanism for communicating information, and a processor  1204  coupled with the bus  1202  for processing information. The processor  1204  may be a part of the database  14  of  FIG. 1 , or another processor (such as the processor in the computer  500  of  FIG. 13 ) that is used to perform various functions described herein. The computer system  1200  also includes a main memory  1206 , such as a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device, coupled to the bus  1202  for storing information and instructions to be executed by the processor  1204 . The main memory  1206  also may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions to be executed by the processor  1204 . The computer system  1200  further includes a read only memory (ROM)  1208  or other static storage device coupled to the bus  1202  for storing static information and instructions for the processor  1204 . A data storage device  1210 , such as a magnetic disk or optical disk, is provided and coupled to the bus  1202  for storing information and instructions. 
     The computer system  1200  may be coupled via the bus  1202  to a display  1212 , such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) or a flat panel, for displaying information to a user. An input device  1214 , including alphanumeric and other keys, is coupled to the bus  1202  for communicating information and command selections to processor  1204 . Another type of user input device is cursor control  1216 , such as a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys for communicating direction information and command selections to processor  1204  and for controlling cursor movement on display  1212 . This input device typically has two degrees of freedom in two axes, a first axis (e.g., x) and a second axis (e.g., y), that allows the device to specify positions in a plane. 
     The computer system  1200  may be used for performing various functions (e.g., calculation) in accordance with the embodiments described herein. According to one embodiment, such use is provided by computer system  1200  in response to processor  1204  executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in the main memory  1206 . Such instructions may be read into the main memory  1206  from another computer-readable medium, such as storage device  1210 . Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in the main memory  1206  causes the processor  1204  to perform the one or more of the functions described herein. One or more processors in a multi-processing arrangement may also be employed to execute the sequences of instructions contained in the main memory  1206 . In alternative embodiments, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions to implement the invention. Thus, embodiments of the invention are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software. 
     The term “computer-readable medium” as used herein refers to any medium that participates in providing instructions to the processor  1204  for execution. Such a medium may take many forms, including but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media includes, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as the storage device  1210 . A non-volatile medium may be considered to be an example of a non-transitory medium. Volatile media includes dynamic memory, such as the main memory  1206 . A volatile medium may be considered to be another example of a non-transitory medium. Transmission media includes coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise the bus  1202 . Transmission media can also take the form of acoustic or light waves, such as those generated during radio wave and infrared data communications. 
     Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, or any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave as described hereinafter, or any other medium from which a computer can read. 
     Various forms of computer-readable media may be involved in carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions to the processor  1204  for execution. For example, the instructions may initially be carried on a magnetic disk of a remote computer. The remote computer can load the instructions into its dynamic memory and send the instructions over a telephone line using a modem. A modem local to the computer system  1200  can receive the data on the telephone line and use an infrared transmitter to convert the data to an infrared signal. An infrared detector coupled to the bus  1202  can receive the data carried in the infrared signal and place the data on the bus  1202 . The bus  1202  carries the data to the main memory  1206 , from which the processor  1204  retrieves and executes the instructions. The instructions received by the main memory  1206  may optionally be stored on the storage device  1210  either before or after execution by the processor  1204 . 
     The computer system  1200  also includes a communication interface  1218  coupled to the bus  1202 . The communication interface  1218  provides a two-way data communication coupling to a network link  1220  that is connected to a local network  1222 . For example, the communication interface  1218  may be an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card or a modem to provide a data communication connection to a corresponding type of telephone line. As another example, the communication interface  1218  may be a local area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connection to a compatible LAN. Wireless links may also be implemented. In any such implementation, the communication interface  1218  sends and receives electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals that carry data streams representing various types of information. 
     The network link  1220  typically provides data communication through one or more networks to other devices. For example, the network link  1220  may provide a connection through local network  1222  to a host computer  1224  or to equipment  1226 . The data streams transported over the network link  1220  can comprise electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals. The signals through the various networks and the signals on the network link  1220  and through the communication interface  1218 , which carry data to and from the computer system  1200 , are exemplary forms of carrier waves transporting the information. The computer system  1200  can send messages and receive data, including program code, through the network(s), the network link  1220 , and the communication interface  1218 . 
     Although particular embodiments of the present inventions have been shown and described, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the present inventions to the preferred embodiments, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present inventions. For example, the term “page” needs not be limited to a web page, and may refer to any presentation of information that is displayed on a screen. In addition, any information described herein as being presented in a page may alternatively be presented in a plurality of pages. Furthermore, any information described herein as being presented in different pages may alternatively be presented in a single page. Also, the term “processor” may include one or more processing units, and may refer to any device that is capable of performing mathematical computation implemented using hardware and/or software. For example, in some embodiments, any processor described herein (such as the processor associated with database  14 ) may be implemented using one or more computers. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense. The present inventions are intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the present inventions as defined by the claims.