nursing pre-requisite question

Hi, Adrienne. I didn't take the math accuplacer because my old stats class was accepted. (If I apply to UCHSC I'll need to retake stats--but I'm applying to UNC, which won't make me retake.) One encouraging note on any of these tests. You can simply take it, and if you fail, go off and study and retake. I think they want you to wait at least 24 hours for a retake, and they charge you $5 for retakes. They have tutorials available on their website that give you a very fair idea of what the test will cover. (This is more true for their math test than their bio test, but I used the bio tutorial as a study guide for the Pearson material I bought.)

Dina

I know it's too late for you now, but you can register for CCCOnline classes through any of the CCs. Aurora didn't care that my prereqs were 15 years old, so if you have a problem with the age of your prereqs from one CC, try another.

Hi Dina,

I'm interested in going back to school for nursing ( I have a BA in a non science), and I am hoping to register for some of the prerequisites this summer at FRCC Westminister. I am about to take the biology placement test next week and was wondering if you could tell me how detailed the test is. I have been studying for a couple of weeks now, although a lot the material is new for me. I feel that I could do pretty well. But everyone says how difficult this placement test is. What makes is so difficult? Do you have any tips for preparing for it? I would really appreciate any advice you (or anyone else) could give.

Thanks!

-Danielle

Hi, Danielle. It's a hard question for me to answer because I took the science placement test in January--and now that feels like ancient history! But as best as I can remember:

1. Lots of questions on the actual structures of the cell, down to fairly detailed information. Really know what every label on a diagram of a cell means.
2. Knowing the basic biochemistry of the cell was important; recognizing chemical functional groups by their simplified chemical formulas was important.
3. Knowing the process and phases of cellular metabolism, division, protein production--all that stuff.
4. Knowing the parts and names of a microscope. I can't remember if any other lab equipment was covered? Maybe there were some questions on the scientific process in general?

The topics they describe on their study guide gives a pretty accurate overview, as I remember. If you haven't found that yet, it's available at this link:

http://www.frontrange.edu/FRCCTempla...7.aspx?id=1195

All the way through I thought: I'm flunking this. I just wasn't sure of the material, and barely one question was something I could say, aha, I'm POSITIVE I know the answer to that.

But all I needed was a 70? 75? to pass, and I managed--barely--with a 78. The best thing I did for myself was pay to access the Pearson study guide for the course. I went to the FRCC Larimer bookstore, found out what text the on-campus class was using, then went online to find the Pearson study guide for that textbook and purchased access. This wasn't cheap ($90), but it's what I studied pretty intensively before taking the test.

Good luck! If you know this material (I hadn't studied biology in, oh, 25 years) you'll probably do just fine.

Dina