need help with test taking techniques asap..help

shay · Oct 8, 2004

Does your school have interactive CD-ROM's? Lots of people have great success with them. What classes are you having the most trouble with?

DoniaRN · Oct 8, 2004

no..i dont have anything like that, tho i have more than enough sims to watch..i know my notes front and back...but do really crappy on the lecture tests, i think its all in the question..i just need to figure out what i am doing wrong

shay · Oct 8, 2004

no..i dont have anything like that, tho i have more than enough sims to watch..i know my notes front and back...but do really crappy on the lecture tests, i think its all in the question..i just need to figure out what i am doing wrong

Have you talked to anyone else in your class about this? Maybe it's a universal problem within the class? Sometimes it's the instructor, not the student.

At any rate, maybe try taping the lectures and listening to them in your car as you drive around?

I know for me, I am a visual learner and hands on learner, so diagrams and actually performing the task are what helped me. Do you know what kind of learner you are?

cursenurse · Oct 8, 2004

do you participate in a study group? when one of my classmates got a failing test score i started one and everyone who participated improved their grades. what we did was take our notes to group and do a systematic Q & A of all the material. even if you didn't know the answers offhand, you could read them from your notes and it would help to reinforce info. i think working with a group also helps because there were many times that i had not paid enough attention to parts of lecture thinking they were not that important only to have my study partners emphasize it and sure enough it would be on the test. i agree with the previous poster who said to try and find out what kind of learner you are. try different methods until you find one that works-don't try to go it alone, talk to your classmates and see what methods they are using.

DoniaRN · Oct 8, 2004

no thats not the prob...the prob is my reading the questions...i study 24-7...i got to the school EVEN when i dont have school...

i h ave gotten the test taking technique book but i have so much to read that i cannot read it like i should...

does anyone know how to break down the questions, the key words ect...i think im getting caught up in the long critical thinking questions...

and as far as our instructers...you either make it or you dont...so....i need to do what i can to jpass....

thanks anyway...i wil keep studying

janetrette · Oct 9, 2004

usually happens to me. i study and i mean study but sometimes getting grades are a different story.

reading the question: make sure you know what they're asking for!!!! #1

#2 if the choices has a " , " then try to remember does the 1st half or 2nd half is right or not. if one part of the choice is wrong - cross that one out.

#3 always cross out the ones you know for sure it's not correct. why bother reading it again for the 2nd time.

#4. read the book. not 1x, 2x but at least 3x. u'll be surprised how much of what you read is missing.

#5. as you read -look for things that are important ( i know everything is important but just the gut feeling important) signs and symptoms eg. shock; know your priority, abc.

#6 try to think outside the box. sometimes after i finish the exam i tell it to my family who has no medical field background and usually they get it right. think "common sense" what would i do???

read the book. practice questions to get a feeling what they're asking for. no time? read the summary in back of the chapter. to sense a feeling what's important to read and know! plus, never read from page 1 to blank. skim the chapter. look at what's important. look at the chart, pictures. prof. loves tiny details...

good luck.

DoniaRN · Oct 9, 2004

ok...thats something that no one has told me yet...i study...more than prob anyone in my class and i barely get a 78%...i have only taken two tests so far...i know that im doing something wrong...i know my notes front and back before i take all my test...im getting discouraged...thanks, im printing off your tips

donia S.N.

Gompers, BSN, RN · Oct 9, 2004

Try to go with your gut when you answer questions. If you see an answer and think it's right, it probably is. If you try to overanalyze every single question, that's when you might end up second-guessing yourself and choosing the wrong answer. I had a friend who did this in school. She knew her stuff, but she picked apart every single test question, and would pick the answer thinking that every question was a "trick" question. This also lead to her running out of time during every test. When she finally relaxed and went with her gut, she did much better.

oujeepgrl · Oct 15, 2004

Hey!! you know im having the same problem as you are but im in nursing 4

I just cant seem to answer the test.. I know the material but my test scores are not showing it. Maybe we can keep contact through emails to help each other. I do have some pointers that I have picked up for my next exam. I got the Kaplan study guide. I can break it down to you really simple so you don't have to read it. They suggest you read the answers first and automatically you can tell what the question is going to ask you. Then read the question. Restate the question in your own words only using the stem of the question. If you dont know what the stem is, it usually is the last part of the question. for example, Clients most at risk for hypocalcemia are clients: this is a priority question because the hint is the word most, so you would reword it as what client would show signs and symptoms first of having a low calcium

always reword your question with when,what,why...i also went to my instructor after a test and had her go over each question with me so she could explain to me why that answer was wrong. I think that helped as well. Our school offers tutors for nursing check into that as well. Most of the time they are instructors...

hope this helps

my email is [email protected]

also, check out any new theory for taking exams on some questions in the back of the book before you take the test to see if it works for you

good luck.. and honey i know exactly how you feel.. i was getting frustrated because everyone thought i was not studying and that was no the problem at all. if you gave me verbal exam i would ace it !!

vcannon · Oct 21, 2004

i am a RN student in my 2nd semester...i am struggling...my first semester i got an A and now...i can barely pass...any suggestions or anything on line to check out...i dont have time to read a book...i already have soooo mu
ch to read...anyone please help me

I am a second year RN student, I will graduate in May 2005. What I have found helpful is reading the tables in each of the chapters and going over the objectives that are listed in the front of the chapter.

Also, if your nursing books have a CD with them, there is usually some kind of break down review of each chapter, like vocab, questions to answer, etc......

Good luck and hang in there!

flashyrn2be · Oct 21, 2004

deep breath in........let it out.

The most important thing to study is the nursing interventions. They are usually found in a little box in your text book. Go thru the chapter, read all of the highlighted information. Then read all of the little boxes of extra information. The extra information is usually what is on the test. at least at my school.

Try to skim the chapter before you read it Look over everything then look at it again.

I am in my final semester of an adn progam. Now when I read - I can almost pick out what information will be on a test. Weird, but true. When I study - as I read I write down the stuff that I think will be on the test........usually it is that little nursing intervention stuff that should start to make a bing bing bing sound in your head.

I have been kidded recently about my good grades and the quickness with which i take test. Honestly, I think I just figured out the formula.

Flashy