Im so angry!!!!!!!Did bad on test.

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In my health assessment test I barely got a 70% and I needed a 78% to pass. This is for my internet Health Assessment class. The teacher said everyone did bad and she even gave us two questions. But I noticed a lot of the questions were not good questions and not even fair. There were questions on there where both answers were correct I knew this because I looked in my book and confirmed it. Is this how my nursing program is going to be not even knowing if you are going to pass the next test because the instructors always put very tricky questions that dont make sense when you read the question but when the instructor explains she points out the smallest thing that makes it right. Are all nursing program tests about tricking the student? Because if its not, that is sure what it feels like. I could understand if there were a few tricky question but not the whole test!! When is our knowledge really going to be put to use, and when are we really going to be credited for all our studying. We have to study our butts off, juggling all these classes, and making nursing our life to Fail a Test!!!!! I feel so bumbed like why did I choose a program that does not always credit you for the hard work you put in. Im so disillusionized. I need someone to lift me up and say you can do this. Is this program really in ones hands?

Yes, nursing tests are like that. They're not like tests you've taken before, where you can just memorize all of the material and then get an A on the test. I know they seem like stupid, frustrating questions, but they're just trying to get you to critically think.

Have you checked out the student forums here? Look around on those forums, as there are some great tips on studying and test taking. Here are some tips I posted in the past that helped when I was in school:

Before reading the question, cover up the answers. Just read the question. Think about it. What comes to your mind? Think about what you know. Even write some things down there on the test (if you're allowed to write on the test). Then look at the answers and see what's there that fits with what first came to your mind. A lot of those answers could very well apply, but it might not apply to that certain situation in the question, therefore the distractors will throw you off. Cover the answers first!

Secondly, look at what the question is asking. A lot of times there are two correct answers, that's why you need to look at the question and see what it's actually ASKING. The answer is sometimes in the question. If it's a priority question, it's asking what the nurse would do first. These used to throw me off at first because they are all correct answers, in that they are all interventions that the nurse would do, BUT, it's asking which ONE of those would the nurse do first. When you get these questions, remember your ABCs. Which is the most critical? Which is top priority over all the others?

And I know this is said so often, but read the question carefully! I have made so many mistakes on simple questions because I missed a simple part of the question. Make sure you know what the question is asking. Choose the best answer you think fits, then read the question again carefully, just to make sure.

Don't read too much into a question. If a lot of information isn't given, then don't sit there and try to come up with more information, more than likely they're just looking for a simple answer. So many times we read the question, then start thinking of other information that could/would/maybe fit in there, and we tend going off track, therefore missing what the question is even asking! Just keep it simple. Look at what it's asking, don't go off track and look for something that's not there.

If you read the question and just don't know it, then cross out the choices that you know for sure aren't correct. This way it eliminates your choices, and gives you a better chance in guessing correctly.

Get a good night's sleep! I know people say that all the time, but it's so important! I used to try taking tests after staying up all night, it's just not a good thing. I know getting a full 8 hours of sleep the night before a test isn't plausible, but I always made sure I got about 4-6 hours of sleep the night before, then I wake up 2-3 hours before the test and go over my notecards again. Eat a good breakfast and walk into that test with CONFIDENCE! That's so important .... go in there with the attitude that you will do well!

Good luck to you :)

I love that "cover your answers first."

Specializes in Psychiatry.
I find that it helps when studying, to make up my own questions on the material, and try to anticipate the kinds of questions that they might create.

:yeahthat:

Specializes in ob/gyn med /surg.
Welcome to nursing school.

sister mike you said it perfectly. but all this stress, exhaustion is all worth it. it is heck .. but when you graduate and pass boards.. you know you did good. so hang in there.. and never give up... please keep me updated on your schooling.

Specializes in NICU.
You been reading Kaplan..huh? Same here

Nope, can't say I've ever read Kaplan. Those were just things that helped me back when I was in school ...... some things that my professors taught me and some things that I learned on my own during my 2 years of nursing school.

I hear's ya homeslice! Failed my first exam in...

in...

wow...now that I think about it I don't think I've ever failed an exam before. I mean ever. All the way back to kindergarten. I've been Mr. Straight A. Student forever.

Till now. My advise (which is untested, check back with me after my next exam) is to get some nursing test books from the library. After taking several practice tests I'm beginning to draw relations.

>>Don't read too much into a question. If a lot of information isn't given, then don't sit there and try to come up with more information, more than likely they're just looking for a simple answer.

That's a spectacular nugget of info right there, thanks!

I've spent a lot of time trying to differentiate what the instructors mean when they say "Use critical thinking" and also say "Don't overthink things".

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