Bombed first exam

SWM2009 · Aug 28, 2013

First of all, do not despair. It was only your first exam and you have plenty of time to make it up and do better. I bombed my first test too.

Was your exam composed of NCLEX type questions? If so, I have a suggestion. Get yourself an NCLEX PN practice book now and use it in addition to your text book to prepare for tests. Seeing how the questions are asked and reading rationales can really help you develop the critical thinking skills that are needed to answer those types of questions. You may even be able to find one of those books in your public library or older editions for cheap online or in used book stores. I struggled through Fundamentals and Pharmacology and then I finally got a practice book during Med Surg and my grades improved greatly. YMMV of course.

Jay_LPN · Aug 28, 2013

Try to form a study group, create flashcards (I use the CueCard program), check to see if your textbook offers extra online resources to review chapters, take up your professors on extra help if offered (huge help if available since they sometimes emphasize potential test questions etc).

Those are my big suggestions. A few smart kids in my classes ended up doing poorly on exams by panicking, so just try to relax and do better next time around. I personally panic but I try to contain it and focus the energy on studying.

ArrowRN, BSN, RN · Aug 28, 2013

The first thing to do when you "bomb" an exam, especially the first one, is to set up an appointment with your professor. Let them know you would like to have a private review of your exam, not to challenge the answers but just to discuss where you went wrong and get advice on how to approach the next exam. Some students fail to get help and then next thing you know they are dropped. Your secondary source of support should be your classmates. Find out who got A's get some study tips from them, see if they use other resources like an nclex book. I also "bombed" my very first nursing exam in nursing school.

MidwestBetty · Aug 29, 2013

All great advice. I have another exam in the morning so hopefully I do better. I'm trying to improve my study techniques, hopefully what I'm doing now will work better for me

kjrobinetteSN · Aug 29, 2013

All great advice. I have another exam in the morning so hopefully I do better. I'm trying to improve my study techniques hopefully what I'm doing now will work better for me[/quote']
Let us know how it goes!

Dnap22 · Aug 29, 2013

I bombed my first test too. My school uses PrepU online and it helps get used to NCLEX style questioning. Good luck!

breax · Sep 2, 2013

Due to unforseen circumstances after LPN school, never took NCLEX. How long are they good for ? It has been more than 8 yrs.

MidwestBetty · Sep 3, 2013

I bombed my first test too. My school uses PrepU online and it helps get used to NCLEX style questioning. Good luck!

My school uses PrepU also. I better start using it too