How do I stop over-analyzing?

bekindtokittens · Sep 24, 2008

I do a lot of practice questions and read the rationales.

I cover the answers while I read the question and try to think of my answer before I see the choices. This helps with my second-guessing.

If I'm having trouble with the question, I go through and underline what I think are key words, as in, what exactly is the question asking.

I know, none of this is stuff that hasn't been said before, but I haven't failed a test yet using these methods.

nurz2be · Sep 24, 2008

I am really frustrated after taking my last exam.
:smackingf
I am finding that I totally over analyze the question and when I try to answer it I completely miss the answer!
:hdvwl:
I really need help to figure out how to change the way I am thinking about the test questions.
Do any of you guys have some advice for me?
:thankya:

Guilty of the same sins..... Listen my instructor told me that at the first sound of me saying in my head, "Well if" to STOP! The well if is what gets us in trouble. The question has ALL the information you need in it to answer the way the instructor is looking for it to be answered. As you read underline a few things that stand out. BEFORE you look at the answers anticipate what you will be looking for as the answer, 9:10 it will be there, unless it is something you are having to take a guess at.

My grades went up after this.

GOOD LUCK

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Sep 24, 2008

If you find yourself asking questions in your head after you read the test question..you are over analyzing. all the info you need is in the question. If they wanted you to have more (which might/could change the answer) they would do it.

I would listen as people in my class gave their reasons for picking B instead of A..both were correct but A was more correct. They would always start with "well what if.." (just like nurz2b said) and the teacher would always say "well IF..wasn't in the question". Sadly even to the end of schooling they were STILL overreading/overanalyzing the question.

I remember one particular question that a few students argued and fought about. The question was straight forward but these students added "what if" into it in their heads, no matter what the teacher and the other students did to explain, the students would argue, with the sentence "well what if" and "but what about"..there were no ifs, ands or buts about it.

Try to just read what the question is asking. Don't add your opinion or other questions into it. If the info isn't in the question..don't add it in, in your head. Read the question and without looking at your options for answers, give your gut reaction answer..is it in the options? if it is, you are probably correct in selecting it. My instructors always said, go with your gut answer, its more often correct that not.

jjjoy, LPN · Sep 24, 2008

For me, trying to guess the answer before reading the choices didn't usually work. The choices usually weren't ANY thing I was thinking and that would throw me off in a wrong direction.

The advice to avoid exploring "what if" scenarios is good. No matter how incomplete the question may feel, it's all that the instructor gave you so it's all the information you need to answer THAT test question in the manner the instructor intended.

If I tried to think about the real world application of knowledge and the type of questions and answers I would usually expect to test comprehension and retentions, I'd end up frustrated. Instead of looking for the "best answer", it helped me to think of looking for the "best test answer." That's not even the ideal world answer, it's the NCLEX style test question answer.

Regardless, I don't think there's a foolproof way to get 100% on every test. Because of the way questions are written, there are always some that could be interpretted different ways and different answers could be argued as correct. I think some instructors figure that real world practice isn't always clear cut and you still have to make decisions. Sometimes you will be wrong. Sometimes you will be right but others will still disagree with you. So if you have a good rationale for the wrong answer, that's great, but you don't get any extra points. Life's not fair, get used it. I agree to a point, but I lean more towards giving credit for applied good thinking even if it leads to the "wrong" answer, given that oftentimes the other answers aren't totally wrong and the "best" answer might not be ideal.