How not to fail the CPNRE

Published Apr 4, 2016

31 Posts

Hi Everyone, just thought I would share my thoughts on how not to fail the CPNRE.

Failing is not fun. No one plans or sets out to fail their nursing exam. I remember when I was preparing for my nursing exam I did a predictor type of test with a very well known and popular exam prep company. I will not name them for obvious reasons. The long and short of the story is that I failed it. I scored below what was considered a passing score or an acceptable standard.

I was devastated. I thought I had no chance of passing my nursing exam.

After I got over my initial shock and devastation I decided that I was not going to let some lousy predictor test determine whether I would pass my exam or not. I was determined not to fail my exam.

Here's what I did to not fail my exam:

1. I reviewed my result from the predictor test and used this to identify my gaps. From there I made a study plan (aka a success plan) to address those areas I performed really badly in. My attitude was to leave no stone unturned. I was going to do what ever it took.

2. I researched the common mistakes people make on the exam and came up with a plan and strategy to avoid these mistakes. By educating myself as to the reasons people fail the exam and the common mistakes they make on the exam I was able to arm myself with very valuable information and strategies to not get caught by those very same mistakes and traps. This was absolutely invaluable to me.

Some of the common mistakes people make on multiple-choice exams like the CPNRE are:

Not knowing the content well enough.
Relying a lot on memorization.
Not reading the question carefully and completely.
Reading into the question or misreading the question.
Drawing the wrong conclusion about what the question is asking.
Changing answers.
Guessing answers.

3. I was consistent with my studying. I studied every day. I made studying a habit like brushing my teeth. I had a plan and I stuck to it. I wanted to give myself the best chances of passing my first time. In my mind it was my first and last time. That was the mentality I went into the exam with. I gave it my all...my best effort.

4. I used the prep guide as my primary study resource. A lot of my school mates at the then time said they did not find it helpful. I figured it was written by the same authority who wrote the actual exam so in my mind it had to be a whole lot useful. I studied the prep guide in detail. Not only did I focus on the questions, but I spent a considerable amount of time learning and studying the "language of the exam and the questions". I paid attention to the words used in the questions, what they meant, how they were used in the questions. I studied the topics that were in the questions. So when I saw certain words or topics on the day of the exam I already knew how to approach and answer the question because I understood the language of the question.

5. I spent time mastering the concepts and principles commonly tested on the exam. Instead of memorizing a lot of material and questions. I took my time to really learn and master the content. So when I got into the exam I knew how to apply the knowledge I had. My exam was too important to leave anything to chance or to rely on my own memory. I really put in the time to learn the material deeply. This helped me

to feel confident with the questions. It did not matter what question came on the exam. I knew I would be able to answer it, because I knew the principles and rationales behind every answer I chose and I knew why the other answers were incorrect. So you want to focus on deep learning and content mastery. To this day I can still recall some information from my exam.

6. I went back to basics. I spent a lot of time studying and reviewing my anatomy and physiology. Here is my thinking behind this. If you know your A&P (normal structure and function of the body), you can figure out your pathophysiology (mechanism of disease) and if you know your pathophysiology you can figure out your clinical manifestations, your nursing process and your pharmacology (the mechanism of action of the medications) etc.. This was a big light bulb moment for me. Just think A&P is the one course you study in school that you use everyday at the bedside. All other courses you learn and study in school all hinge on A&P.

7. I learned test-taking strategies and critical thinking techniques. These really helped me to problem solve and think my way through the questions. Especially when I encountered 2 options that were very similar. It also reduced the amount of guessing I did on the questions. The more you have to guess the more your chances of passing is compromised. Guessing means you are not sure of the answer. When you are not sure it means that you have not fully mastered that content well enough. I found when I knew the material well I did not have to guess. Yes there were a few questions that I did guess on, but it was few in comparison.

8. I realized I had to take better care of myself. Self-care is the first thing that you start to neglect when you are studying for such a high stakes exam. Initially, I was not sleeping, I was studying late into the early hours of the morning, I was constantly tired, my diet was terrible, I was eating all the wrong foods, I was not exercising as I needed to, I started drinking coffee (the funny thing was I was never a coffee drinker until then), I stopped hanging out with my friends, I would skip family functions and get-togethers...you get the picture. I realized I was not good to myself if I was not taking care of myself. So make sure to take care of yourself. You should not be an after thought. You want to be in your best shape not just mentally, but physically, emotionally and spiritually. So you are in tip top shape the day of your exam.

Hope you found these strategies helpful. If you have any questions feel free to ask. Would love to hear from you. Always Happy to Help. :yes: