First test with Excelsior-Microbiology, Nervous!

Nursing Students Excelsior

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This is my first time posting. I started the Excelsiors nursing program a few months ago and microbiology is my first test. I am regretting taking this test first after being out of school for many years. I have studied until I can study no more and am nervous about my test. I used the text book, study guide, and Micro Demystified. I took the pretests and scored a 68 on form A, and 59 on form B. I have gone back and re-reviewed the pretests several times. I have waited till the end to take my test and have no time to reschedule it. Im just hoping I pass it so I dont have to pay for the test again. I also just paid to fully enroll due to the deadline for A&P, dont want to take that over again. Im all in financially and failure is not an option! Im attempting to go through the excelsior program while working full time (paramedic) plus OT, and I'm married with 3 young kids. One foot in front of the other.

What was your experience with the micro test?

Do you find that all the pretests are that way, much lower scores then what you end up with on the actually exam? That was really messing me up mentally thinking after all that studying I was getting 68, and 59 on the pretests.

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I took one practice test with my first test which was A&P. and never took another one. I got so nervous after taking it and receiving such a low score that I almost reschedule test. I made a B. I never took another one after. I graduated in September. I never failed a test. I read the material. Used study guide 101. Used their content guide and studied. Good luck to u.

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Congrats!

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Specializes in NICU, Psychiatry, UM, CM.

Congrats!!:laugh:

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congratulations on passing the micro exam! i'm hoping for the same results once i crash that bridge. :)

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Thankyou! Yes I have all my other pre-req's as I already have two other AS Degrees (EMT-P, and Fire Science), so now I am on to the Nursing exams !! I didnt find Micro Demystified that helpful. I read the ENTIRE 800+ pg Microbiology text book, had the study guide that goes with it, and also Excelsior's exam guide.

I am most of the way through Micro Demystified... it is really interesting, but I wanted more structure, following the Content Guide. So I am also reading the entire textbook, with the Content Guide at my side, and making notes on it as I go along.

Another resource I have is the College Network binder, which I found cheap on Ebay. It's not bad, but I am using it mainly for the chapter quizzes.

Hope to take this exam (my first, also, and last pre-req) sometime in December!!

Good luck to you, pdxmedic!

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Wow nice going! I am in the exact same boat as you! Paramedic, always working O.T. and/or a second per diem EMS job, 3 very young ones at home AND I need Micro Biology! LOL....at least now I know not to get to nervous if I end up scoring low on practice exams. I have 3 ex partners (2 in the past 6 months) all whom graduated the Excelsior RN program within a year to a year and a half. One of them had hardly any transferring credits and still banged them all out studying on a slower overnight unit. They all got well paying jobs as E.D. RNs in NY/Long Island area, (1 in SW Florida) even though they only had a 2 year degree...obviously there is a lot of concern with it being possible to get a position with only an AAS degree. A lot of places will make you agree to get your Bach within 5-7 years as a condition of employment. So be it. They all appear (and admit to being) much happier as RNs then they were as Medics. That's the truth. The one thing I noticed was they all set deadlines. They would schedule exams and KNOW they couldn't procrastinate and HAD to study and that they did. The deadlines made them push themselves to get it done. As Medics we ALL can do it. I've seen it 3 times already. I'm next.

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I just wanted to leave a word of encouragement for people currently doing the Excelsior program. I was terrified of taking the actual exam after getting a 59 on Practice Exam A and a 65 on Practice Exam B. A week and a half after the 2nd practice exam I was finished reviewing the material I had missed and I scheduled the exam for the next day. I GOT AN A!!!!!! I was so scared that my practice exam scores would reflect my actual knowledge of the material, but it did not. This was my first Excelsior exam so I was not sure what to expect.

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