How do you study for Nursing exams?

Nursing Students General Students

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Specializes in Critical Care / Psychiatry.

These nursing exams are throwing me curveballs!

I've never seen anything like them and I find that even though I do all of the reading, study the facts, and memorize the information, I still miss the question!

Our exams are NCLEX format from the very beginning. I barely passed the first one with an 85% and already I've looked up 3 questions that I remember having trouble with from our 30 question Exam 2 and I missed them all. How discouraging, eh? I'm just wondering how you folks study for critical thinking NCLEX form exams and what techniques have been helpful to you. Even a website or a book with some specific study tips for these exams would be very helpful. I've toned down my perfectionistic expectations for these nursing classes but I don't want to just barely scrape by either. It's pretty bad when A&P II is your "easy" class. ;)

Shel

I know exactly what you are talking about! I study, read, notes record but does me know good come test time and ours are set up the same way.

I found out that our school offers a test taking class that I am going to look into and also on this website they have a post about websites and there are a few where you can practice taking test. I did a search for nursing test and came up with a few and I just keep on trying!

Hang in there and Good luck.

Here is the link for the different websites I was talking about:

https://allnurses.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28203

I found that the book,"Test Success for Begining Nursing Students," helped me out alot. I also have a study group of about 3 other people which helps alot. We answer the objectives at the begining of our lecture and then we make up 5-10 NCLEX type questions for eachother based on things we think someone else might not know. I do the readings, and the study guides, and I use alot of note cards to memorize concepts. I hope this helps. I'm in my first semester too and it's alot of work. Just keep your head up and realize a B is still passing. Be happy with it, because when you graduate and become a nurse no one is going to ask you what your GPA was and your going to make the same amount of money as someone that passed nursing school with all A's or all C's:)

Specializes in CCRN.

I have found that it is important to really read the question. I will even cross off information in the question that isn't important. I underline what they really want to know and circle the critical words like "first" "least" etc. Then I'll read the question and rephrase it if needed. This helps me. Good luck!

For nursing exams, just knowing the facts is not enough. As you said, you can know the information and still get the question wrong. You have to know how to apply the information to specific patient scenarios. You have to pick out the important data from the question and apply it to the situation described. Usually two answers are correct, one is just more correct than the other. Remember to assess before you act and always prioritize using the ABC's.

I use NCLEX review books to study. Get one that is setup by topic and look at the questions and rationales for the subjects you are studying. It is a little harder to do 1st semester when you are covering such broad topics. Kaplan has an NCLEX review book that is mostly devoted to how to analyze NCLEX type questions. It is really helpful to read their strategies and techniques.

Good luck!

Specializes in critical care; community health; psych.

It's difficult for first semester students to get used to testing for nursing questions. The best way to learn is to apply your knowledge as soon as possible in working out problems. Unfortunately, much of the content that would be found in the NCLEX review books isn't appropriate for first semester since you're learning basic foundations.

Does your text have a corresponding study guide? I have found these study guides to be very valuable. Work the problems in the study guide. They usually have fill in the blank, true/false, matching and critical thinking questions with answers and rationales in the back of the book. This gives you the opportunity to learn from mistakes which is the way many of us learn. Better to do it on a practice test than the real thing.

In second semester and for the rest of the program, the content is there and the NCLEX review books become a big part of the study picture. I'm doing very well so far with a solid "A" in second semester OB so it seems to be working. Good luck.

I also use the NCLEX review books - they seem to really help me with the style of questions.

Well...I'm trying to find a way to study, because I know I should...but for the first round of tests I didn't really do anything. :imbar It's working great for now but I really want to study, mostly because I see everyone else freaking out a month in advance about a test and so I think maybe I should be that way too. the weird thing is that the people who always have their notecards out and are always up on things generally don't do very well. Maybe they're overdoing it? My grades are good, but I feel like a bad student, and that at any moment, my A's could fly out the window. One of our instructors used to write for the NCLEX, so you can imagine how her tests are. Process of elimination works great!

we use also nclex form of exam, our teacher give us handouts for each lecture, i learn from them and read each chapters and what was not mentioned in handout i learn from book, besides there is lots of clinical approach and examples that are later in our tests so read carefully.

we have also study group before biggest test so we share and learn from each other.

good luck, :)

I read the information prior to class that way during lecture I can actually get involved and answer questions. Also, I rewrite all of my notes and I don't take my own notes and then my instructers, I just go by the notes during lecture. I think too much or variations on the same info is confusing. I agree with what someone else said, make sure you can apply the knowledge, you really don't want to memorize and then forget it later.

Julee :)

I read the information prior to class that way during lecture I can actually get involved and answer questions. Also, I rewrite all of my notes and I don't take my own notes and then my instructers, I just go by the notes during lecture. I think too much or variations on the same info is confusing. I agree with what someone else said, make sure you can apply the knowledge, you really don't want to memorize and then forget it later.

Julee :)

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