What's new
What's new in October 2026
Everything we shipped to BoardPal in October 2026.
Oct 1 to 7 · 46 fixes
7Oct · Wed
Pregnancy and labor explanations in plain words
Fixed- Fixed
Out-of-date facts in pregnancy explanations corrected. more ▾less ▴
While rewriting them, our content team checked the facts they rely on against WHO, ACOG and Philippine guidance and corrected the ones that were out of date. These include the fasting blood sugar target in gestational diabetes, when a finger exam is safe with a low-lying placenta, bed rest after the water breaks early, and giving anti-D within 72 hours of a procedure.
- Fixed
6Oct · Tue
Explanations on asking about voices corrected
Fixed- Fixed
Voices explanations now agree: always ask what the client hears. more ▾less ▴
Five explanations about clients who hear voices now teach the same thing: the nurse always asks what the client is hearing, especially whether a voice is telling them to do something. Two explanations had said that asking about the voices makes them worse, and one marked a choice wrong for a reason that also applied to the right answer. Every answer stayed the same.
Clearer timing for when antidepressants work
Fixed- Fixed
Antidepressant timing questions now separate first improvement from full effect. more ▾less ▴
Two pharmacology questions said an antidepressant's full effect takes two to four weeks. Mood often starts to lift in that time, but the full effect can take four to eight weeks, so the answers now say several weeks and the explanations give both figures. Every answer letter stayed the same.
Mood disorder questions rewritten
Fixed- Fixed
Mood disorder questions with a second right answer fixed. more ▾less ▴
Several mood disorder questions had a second right answer: an MAOI food question where every food was on the avoid list, an MAOI drug question where three wrong drugs were also unsafe, and four questions whose own explanation called a wrong choice true. Each now has one right answer, and questions that repeated others in the bank now test something new.
Schizophrenia and psychosis questions rewritten
Fixed- Fixed
Repeated antipsychotic and clozapine questions now test different points. more ▾less ▴
Two near-identical questions on eye and neck spasms after starting an antipsychotic, and three near-identical clozapine blood test questions, now each test a different point. Numbers were taken out of two answers, and a catatonia question now describes the slight resistance a client's arm gives before it holds its new position.
- Fixed
5Oct · Mon
Calendar sync only says on once your calendar is connected
Fixed- Fixed
The calendar bar says on only once your calendar app has added your plan. more ▾less ▴
Opening Add to my calendar on your Study Plan page no longer makes the bar say Calendar sync is on. It now says on only after Google, Apple or Outlook Calendar has actually added your plan, and it switches by itself when you come back from your calendar app.
Next sheet skips what you've finished
Fixed- Fixed
Next sheet no longer suggests a cram sheet you already finished. more ▾less ▴
When you mark a cram sheet as finished, the Next sheet suggestion now skips sheets you have already finished. Before, it could suggest one you had already read.
- Fixed
4Oct · Sun
Next badge on Home matches your Achievements
Fixed- Fixed
Home's Next badge now agrees with your Achievements page. more ▾less ▴
The Next badge line on Home could ask you to set up a study plan you had already set up, while Achievements showed that badge as earned. Home now counts your badges the same way Achievements and your Profile do, so all three always agree.
Post-operative care questions rewritten
Fixed- Fixed
Post-op questions with conflicting or extra right answers fixed. more ▾less ▴
Two post-op questions no longer contradict each other on whether pain medicine comes before breathing exercises, a question with two right answers on bowel care now has one, and a blood-clot question no longer teaches strict bed rest as a standing order.
Mastitis and magnesium questions updated
Fixed- Fixed
Mastitis explanations no longer insist on warm compresses. more ▾less ▴
Mastitis care no longer treats a warm compress as the only right answer. Current breastfeeding guidance is split between warm and cold, so explanations and a flashcard now say either can ease the soreness, and that keeping the baby feeding from that breast is what matters.
- Fixed
Postpartum cram sheet page 8 updated to match. more ▾less ▴
Page 8 of the Postpartum & Newborn cram sheet now teaches the same: keep feeding from the sore breast whenever the baby wants, use a warm or cold compress for comfort, never knead a lump firmly, and do not pump extra to empty the breast. Your notes on the sheet were kept.
Postpartum complication questions rewritten
Fixed- Fixed
Postpartum questions with outdated or conflicting facts fixed. more ▾less ▴
A catheter question no longer teaches cloudy urine as the first sign of infection, which current guidance says it is not. A question that ranked falling urine output as the earliest sign of blood loss, against another question that ranks a rising heart rate first, now asks something else. A mastitis answer no longer tells the mother to keep the breast emptied, and an endometritis question no longer mentions an incision after a vaginal birth.
Growth figures in six explanations matched to review books
Fixed- Fixed
Six milestone explanations matched to review-book growth figures. more ▾less ▴
Six developmental milestone explanations now give the same growth figures your review books teach: birth weight quadruples by about two to two and a half years, the soft spot on top of the head closes at twelve to eighteen months, and walking is one sign a toddler is ready for toilet training. Every answer stayed the same.
Developmental milestone questions rewritten
Fixed- Fixed
Extra right answers and a growing pains explanation fixed. more ▾less ▴
Several questions had a second right answer once current milestone ages were checked, and now have only one. A growing pains question no longer says the aches come from bones lengthening, since studies have not linked them to fast growth.
- Fixed
3Oct · Sat
Tips now call the What's New button a megaphone
Fixed- Fixed
Tips now say megaphone, matching the button. more ▾less ▴
The What's New button at the top is a megaphone, but a few tips and the first lesson still called it a bell. They now say megaphone.
A tidier top bar on phones
Fixed- Fixed
Even spacing in the top bar on phones. more ▾less ▴
On phones, your picture at the top right sat right against the button beside it. It is now the same height as that button, with even space between every item in the bar, and nothing is squeezed on smaller phones.
Leaderboard season date fixed
Fixed- Fixed
The weekly season end date now reads Sunday from the start. more ▾less ▴
On the Leaderboard, the line saying when this week's season ends could show Monday for a moment before the countdown started, then the page quietly redrew itself. It now says Sunday, the season's last day, from the very first moment.
The once-a-week timezone limit is a full week everywhere
Fixed- Fixed
The timezone limit now counts exactly 7 full days for everyone. more ▾less ▴
Your timezone can change once every 7 days. In places that move their clocks for daylight saving, that week could end an hour early. It is now counted as exactly 7 full days for everyone, the same way the display name and leaderboard limits are counted.
Every name on the leaderboard has at least 2 characters
Fixed- Fixed
Leaderboard names need at least 2 characters, now checked everywhere. more ▾less ▴
To appear on the leaderboard you need a display name of at least 2 characters. Our database now checks this too, not only the Settings page, so the board never shows a blank or one-letter name. An emoji counts as one character. If you are already on the board, nothing changes unless you rename or rejoin.
Display name and leaderboard limits now hold for everyone
Fixed- Fixed
Name and leaderboard limits are now enforced for everyone. more ▾less ▴
The once-every-30-days display name limit and the once-a-week leaderboard on/off limit are now checked by our database too, not only by the Profile and Leaderboard pages. Nothing changes in how you use them, and the 15-minute window to fix a typo in a new name still works. It just means nobody can get around the limits to rename or hop on and off the board more often than everyone else.
19 new questions on the DOH-approved herbal medicines
Fixed- Fixed
Two older herbal medicine explanations corrected. more ▾less ▴
Two older herbal medicine explanations were corrected: one wrongly said each approved plant has only one use (sambong, for example, has two).
- Fixed
The herbal table on the Immunization, MCH & Nutrition cram sheet now matches PITAHC. more ▾less ▴
The herbal medicine table on page 23 of the Immunization, Maternal & Child Health & Nutrition cram sheet now matches the official PITAHC guidance: niyog-niyogan seeds are chewed well and followed with water (there is no meal-timing rule), garlic is taken with meals and is not for dog bites, and tsaang gubat also helps prevent tooth decay. Your marks on that page stay where you drew them.
Page tips close when you tap outside them
Fixed- Fixed
Tap outside a page tip to close it; the page behind it no longer ignores your taps. more ▾less ▴
The short tip that appears the first time you open a page (Resources, Practice, Flashcards and the rest) now closes when you tap anywhere outside it, not only with Got it. Before, the dimmed page behind the tip ignored taps, so a cram sheet cover could look like it would not open.
- Fixed
Page tips no longer slide off the screen when you scroll. more ▾less ▴
A page tip now always stays fully on your screen, even after you scroll or on a short phone screen, so its title and its Got it button are never cut off.
Smoother pen strokes on cram sheets and the Scratch pad
Fixed- Fixed
Pen ink no longer flickers ahead of your pen or jumps when you lift it. more ▾less ▴
Writing with the pen on a cram sheet or the Scratch pad no longer flickers. A short line used to shoot out ahead of your pen at every turn of a letter and then snap back; it is gone. The ink now keeps right up with your pen tip instead of trailing a few pixels behind, so the end of a stroke no longer jumps when you lift the pen. What gets saved is exactly the same as before.
Zoom in on the Scratch pad to write comfortably
Fixed- Fixed
A resting palm no longer scrolls the Scratch pad under an Apple Pencil. more ▾less ▴
On an iPad, resting your palm on the Scratch pad while writing with an Apple Pencil no longer scrolls the pad under the pen.
- Fixed
2Oct · Fri
Spine questions and two cram sheets corrected
Fixed- Fixed
Six spine questions and a scoliosis flashcard corrected. more ▾less ▴
Six spine and scoliosis questions and one flashcard were corrected after a second source check. Scoliosis curve sizes now match across questions, flashcards and cram sheets (watch under about 25 degrees, brace about 25 to 40 in a growing child, surgery about 45 to 50 or more), and a Duchenne question no longer says migraine cannot cause tiredness. Every answer stayed the same.
- Fixed
Musculoskeletal and Neuro C cram sheets corrected; your notes kept. more ▾less ▴
The Musculoskeletal cram sheet now teaches avoiding bed rest for back pain instead of two to four days of rest, and names the Milwaukee brace for high curves. The Neuro C sheet no longer lists anti-inflammatory pain pills as first-line care for carpal tunnel syndrome. Your highlights and notes on both sheets stayed in place.
Flashcards fact-checked: 254 linked to their question, 6 corrected
Fixed- Fixed
Six flashcards corrected against the question bank. more ▾less ▴
Six cards were corrected against the questions: the preferred anticoagulant in pregnancy is low-molecular-weight heparin; Good Samaritan laws are described as existing elsewhere, since the Philippines has none enacted; the Alma-Ata goal is Health for All; the fundus sits at the umbilicus in the first 12 to 24 hours after birth; hepatomegaly comes after feeding trouble in infant heart failure; and autonomic dysreflexia's gravest complication is hemorrhagic stroke.
- Fixed
Capillary refill: normal is under 2 seconds everywhere. more ▾less ▴
Capillary refill now reads the same everywhere: normal is under 2 seconds. The flashcard and two practice questions that treated 2 to 3 seconds as normal were updated, and the correct answers did not change.
Ten flashcard decks read again: 49 cards improved, 11 new
Fixed- Fixed
Fourteen flashcards corrected against their sources. more ▾less ▴
Fourteen cards were corrected against their sources, among them: papillary muscle rupture follows an inferior MI, not an anterior one; door-to-balloon time counts from hospital arrival; a stroke within three months bars clot-busting drugs; the semi-restricted OR zone needs a mask when sterile supplies are open; new leg swelling is not expected in an acute PE; and permethrin goes from the neck down only for older children and adults.
Liver, gallbladder and pancreas questions rewritten
Fixed- Fixed
Outdated pancreatitis feeding teaching and extra right answers fixed. more ▾less ▴
Two pancreatitis questions taught that keeping the client on nothing by mouth with a stomach tube rests the pancreas; they now teach current guidance, that no medicine cures pancreatitis and that mild cases start eating early once pain eases. Five questions that had a second right answer now have only one, four correct answers no longer carry numbers to memorize, and a needlestick explanation now matches the CDC table.
Antenatal visits: one question and two cram sheets updated
Fixed- Fixed
Prenatal-visit question now names the older four-visit schedule. more ▾less ▴
A practice question on the timing of the last prenatal visit now names the older four-visit schedule it is testing, and its explanation adds that current DOH guidance asks for at least eight visits. The answer is unchanged.
Spine, scoliosis and carpal tunnel questions rewritten
Fixed- Fixed
Spine questions with extra right answers or a backwards fact fixed. more ▾less ▴
A question on which back-pain finding to report first had three right answers, because three choices were the same nerve emergency; now only one is. A scoliosis question no longer asks students to memorize curve sizes in degrees, and a neck-pain explanation that had the cause backwards now says looking up is what narrows the nerve's opening.
Second look at the hardest flashcards: fourteen improved, three new
Fixed- Fixed
Non-healing sore card no longer waits three months. more ▾less ▴
The cancer warning-sign card for a sore that does not heal no longer gives a three-month threshold; it now says a lip or mouth sore still open after several weeks needs checking.
Flashcards updated: isoniazid vitamin B6 and antenatal visits
Fixed- Fixed
Isoniazid vitamin B6 card now lists every higher-risk group. more ▾less ▴
The isoniazid card now lists every higher-risk group that should get vitamin B6 (pregnant or breastfeeding women, people living with HIV, alcohol dependence, malnutrition, diabetes, chronic liver disease and kidney failure), not just three.
- Fixed
Antenatal visit cards updated to the current schedule of eight. more ▾less ▴
The antenatal visit card now teaches the current DOH schedule of at least eight visits (at least one in the first trimester, two in the second and five in the third), and a second card keeps the older four-visit rule clearly labelled as the older rule.
Thirteen more flashcard decks read whole, ninety-six cards sharpened
Fixed- Fixed
Twelve flashcards corrected against their sources. more ▾less ▴
Twelve cards were corrected against their sources, among them: chemotherapy leaking into the tissue is drawn back before the line comes out and the antidote follows; a protein-restricted diet lowers urea, not creatinine; any recent stroke bars clot-busting drugs; the old progressive-relapsing MS label is retired; and DRRM offices stop at the municipality, the barangay has a committee.
- Fixed
1Oct · Thu
Acoustic neuroma explanation corrected
Fixed- Fixed
Acoustic neuroma explanation now matches its sources. more ▾less ▴
An acoustic neuroma explanation said a growing tumor affects the nerve for facial feeling more often than the nerve that moves the face. The research we can cite does not support that comparison, so the explanation now says plainly that numbness comes from one nerve and weakness from the other. The question and its answer are unchanged.
Otosclerosis drug question updated to current guidance
Fixed- Fixed
Otosclerosis drug question now teaches current guidance. more ▾less ▴
A question taught sodium fluoride as the tablet a nurse should expect for otosclerosis. A 2023 expert review says fluoride now has only historical value and that drug treatment has shown little benefit. The question now teaches that no tablet is standard care and that hearing improves with a hearing aid or stapes surgery. The answer letter is unchanged.
Ear disorders and ear surgery questions rewritten
Fixed- Fixed
Two ear questions that taught the wrong sign fixed. more ▾less ▴
Two questions taught something wrong. An otosclerosis question said hearing is worst in noisy rooms, when people with otosclerosis usually hear speech better in noise. A question after middle-ear surgery used a sign that belongs to tonsil surgery; it now tests the taste change that ear surgery can cause.
Critical care teamwork and communication questions rewritten
Fixed- Fixed
Three questions with a second arguable answer fixed. more ▾less ▴
Three questions could be argued two ways. A handoff question now says the two nurses already checked the drips together, a brain death question no longer offers a partly true statement as a wrong choice, and a question about a family who disagrees with a do-not-resuscitate order no longer has a second right answer. Each now has one right answer.
- Fixed
Three explanations tightened to match their sources. more ▾less ▴
Three explanations were checked against their sources again and tightened. The advance directive question now explains that CPR goes ahead until the directive is confirmed valid, instead of saying only a do-not-resuscitate order can stop it.
Peripheral neuropathy questions rewritten to board length
Fixed- Fixed
Nine questions with a second defensible answer fixed; carpal tunnel added. more ▾less ▴
Nine questions had a second answer that could also be defended. For example, a foot-care question marked filing a callus with a pumice stone as the mistake, but soaking the feet, also among the choices, is a mistake too. Each now has one right answer. Carpal tunnel is now tested as well, through the Tinel sign.
Eye anatomy and vision test questions rewritten to board length
Fixed- Fixed
Four eye questions with an error or a second right answer fixed. more ▾less ▴
Four questions had a real error. One described age-related reading trouble while asking about farsightedness. One used a United States legal definition of blindness. One offered a structure that a textbook also places between the lens and the retina as a wrong choice, and one gave its answer away in the question. Each now has one clear right answer.
Critical care equipment questions rewritten to board length
Fixed- Fixed
Four questions with a real error or a second right answer fixed. more ▾less ▴
Four questions had a real error. One called a wavy line on the monitor asystole, when a wavy line is a shockable rhythm. One gave sugar by mouth to a drowsy patient, which is unsafe; the patient is now alert. One left a heart drug as a second right answer, and one offered the correct way to position the wrist for an arterial blood draw as a wrong choice. Each now has one right answer.
Arthritis and gout follow-up fixes
Fixed- Fixed
Arthritis and gout flashcards, explanations and cram lines brought up to date. more ▾less ▴
Four flashcards, seven question explanations and two cram sheets (Musculoskeletal, and Infectious, Inflammatory & Immunologic) now match current evidence. Osteoarthritis is no longer called a disease without inflammation, since its joint lining can be inflamed too. Starting allopurinol during a gout attack is no longer said to prolong the attack, and a patient already on it keeps taking it through the attack. Rheumatoid arthritis morning stiffness is taught as lasting over 30 minutes, often an hour.
- Fixed
Two explanations corrected: vaccines before infliximab, hip injections. more ▾less ▴
A Crohn's disease question on starting infliximab no longer calls bringing vaccines up to date a mere formality, since the drug's label asks for it before the first dose; the explanation now says why tuberculosis is still checked first. A hip arthritis explanation now says joint-fluid injections are seldom advised for the hip, rather than never used there.
Stroke, head injury and eclampsia explanations corrected
Fixed- Fixed
Stroke aspirin explanation corrected. more ▾less ▴
One stroke question said that giving aspirin first can rule a client out of the clot-dissolving drug. Current guidance says aspirin taken before a stroke is not a reason to withhold it. The explanation now says only that aspirin waits until a scan shows no bleeding in the brain.
Crohn, colitis and Guillain-Barre questions rewritten to board length
Fixed- Fixed
Three questions corrected, including one on how the two bowel diseases behave over time. more ▾less ▴
Three questions were corrected. One taught that Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis follow different courses, but both usually go back and forth between flares and quiet periods, and the answer now says so. A warning-signs question and a question about starting a biologic drug each had a second right choice, and both were rebuilt so only one choice is right.
- Fixed
Three IBD flashcards corrected on biologics, screening and food. more ▾less ▴
Three flashcards in the IBD and Guillain-Barre deck were corrected. The ulcerative colitis drug card now says steroids are for flares only, while biologic drugs both treat moderate to severe disease and help keep it quiet. The flare diet card now says that no specific food has been found to cause or worsen these diseases. The biologic screening card now says hepatitis B is tested before the first dose too.
Cram sheet pen tools fit an upright iPad again
Fixed- Fixed
Cram sheet pen and highlighter options fit an upright iPad again. more ▾less ▴
On an iPad held upright, the cram sheet tool row with the pen or highlighter on had grown one button too wide after Select text arrived, so its last options slid off the edge. The row is spaced a little tighter on tablets now and every tool, colour and size sits on screen without scrolling. Select text now sits after the eraser, so Undo is back beside the pen. Nothing changed on phones or desktop.
Arthritis and gout questions rewritten to board length
Fixed- Fixed
Seven questions with a second right answer fixed. more ▾less ▴
Seven questions had a second defensible answer and were rebuilt so only one choice is right. They had marked wrong things current guidance supports: avoiding alcohol and using contraception on methotrexate, kidney tests while on methotrexate, avoiding live vaccines on a biologic injection, water exercise for knee arthritis, and exercise with sleep habits for fibromyalgia.
- Fixed
A question that contradicted three others rebuilt; gout timing brought up to date. more ▾less ▴
One rheumatoid arthritis question taught keeping inflamed joints at rest until a flare settles, which disagreed with three other questions that teach gentle movement during flares. It now asks about dry eyes and a dry mouth in rheumatoid arthritis. No gout question now says allopurinol can never be started during an attack, since current guidance allows it with flare cover.
Four student reports resolved
Fixed- Fixed
The aspirin surgical risk question now explains platelets plainly and no longer hinges on a shellfish allergy. more ▾less ▴
A surgical risk question about a woman who takes daily aspirin now explains, in plain words, why stopping aspirin on the morning of surgery does not bring clotting back to normal: aspirin weakens platelets for the rest of their life, and a platelet lives about 8 to 10 days. The question no longer depends on a shellfish allergy, which review materials treat differently, and one answer choice that could be argued either way was replaced.
- Fixed
The cancer screening question now has the nurse perform the screening, removing the doubt. more ▾less ▴
A community health question on cancer screening described the nurse only teaching about screening and urging women to go, which some references count as primary prevention and others as secondary. The nurse in the question now performs the breast examinations and the VIA (visual inspection with acetic acid) cervical screening, and a short note explains how teaching about screening is classified.
- Fixed
A mental health question's explanation now matches the wording of its answer choice. more ▾less ▴
In a question on what describes a mentally healthy person, the explanation spoke of someone "under pressure" while the answer choice spoke of ordinary demands. The explanation now uses the choice's own words and ties each choice to the World Health Organization's definition of mental health.
Critical-care neuro questions rewritten to board length
Fixed- Fixed
Four questions with a second right answer fixed. more ▾less ▴
Four questions had a second defensible answer and were rebuilt so only one choice is right: a brief burst of faster breathing in a brain emergency, assisted coughing to clear mucus after a neck injury, a lung infection after a long seizure, and a near-true reason for giving a second seizure drug. Two explanations that no current source supports were also removed, one about bleeding risk rising with delay and one about a strong salt drip.
- Fixed