Changing Answers

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I'm into my third day of the Level 1 ADN program. So far things were great! I even got the clinical location I wanted. Well...we had a 25 questions practice test on basic nursing skills to get comfortable with testing format (which was not a problem) and to see were we stand with basic knowledge.I totally blew it!

I got a 73%. Our grading scale is 75% is failing. I went back and changed the answers to 4 questions. My first choices on all 4 were right. I don't know why on earth I did that. I would have only gotten 3 wrong instead of 7.

:imbar

The bad part is the questions were so basic, like systolic verses diastolic! The grade doesn't count but the instructors are looking at this for a reason. I am so mad at myself.

Just needed to vent. I am really hard on myself when I make stupid mistakes.

If I'm starting out this way, how in the $%^& am I going to make it through the next 16 week?

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I can't tell you how many times I've kicked myself for changing an answer from the right one to the wrong one.

Unless you're 100% positive you marked it wrong, RESIST the urge to change.

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Hi THaugen,

Don't let this practice test get you down. You're lucky to have been given the practice. I just finished my first semester in May. I failed the second test of the semester by one point. I still finished in the top 5 of my class. You don't need to win every battle to win the war.

Once you get used to the format of these nursing exams you'll do much better. The only other advice I can offer is that whenever I wasn't sure of an answer, if one of the choices had to do with something I'd never heard of, I would never pick that for the answer. It served me well.

I hope you use all of the allotted time to review the test and don't worry that you're not one of the first ones finished. Remember: the tortoise beat the hare.

Best of luck this semester!!!

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Wound Care.

On a multiple choice answer you can usually rule out two of the answers pretty easily. Then you only have to decide between the two that are left. If you have NO clue, pick C. For some reason there are a higher percentage of C answers on most tests!!

It will get easier as you get used to the testing process.

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I don't know if this will help you or not but this is how I take multiple choice test..

1.) Go through the test and answer only the questions I am 100% sure I know the answers

2.) Go back and answer the questions that I'm pretty sure I know the answers to (crossing out the ones I know for sure aren't correct and going from there)

3.) Answer the questions with the best educated guess

4.) Then C to all the questions I have no clue to what the answers are.

Thats how I did it all through nursing school and did pretty good. Good luck to you tests are stressful no matter how you look at them.

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on the other hand, just think how smart you will look at the end of the semester when your grades have improved so much more than that test grade! I recommend you see what test taking strategies are in the computer lab and bone up on them.

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We had a prof who gave us tests that no normal human being with a reasonable IQ could pass. The class curve was set by whoever failed with the highest grade -- pretty sad when you are ticked off at the classmate that got the best "F" and screwed up the curve!

Best nursing school advice I ever got : There are things you NEED to know, things it's NICE to know and things it's downright NUTS to know. The key is not to know all the answers, but knowing where to find the answers when ya need to!!!"

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