Tips On Taking The Board Exams

veetoy · May 1, 2007

1. test yourself constantly so your mind will be used to the way the test questions are asked.

2. organize your materials. decide which reviewers to use and stick to them.

3. strategize. review centers often give their own strategies and techniques on how you can answer questions.

4. trust yourself. you probably know more than you think you do.

5. pray. really, really pray.

good luck!

PINOY-NURSE · May 2, 2007

Update yourself with current health information, like the newest DOH programs and health statistics.. Who knows, it may come out again just like in the June 06 exam.. Purchase books only from credible authors for other books/handouts may mislead you.. Practice answering questions everyday.. Practice makes perfect! Pray and wish for the best.. Good luck..

bhevy, LPN, LVN · Feb 16, 2008

review only if u want but set an study plans..dont force your self its only waste of time when you dont absorb what is your studying..rest your mind,set goals and inspirations like I will make it to the boards because,.,,,lastly pray,pray, and pray...Jesus Loves us and gave us things that we desires..

spongebob6286, BSN, RN · Feb 16, 2008

these were my strategies before I took june07 nle.by the way,I did not enrol in a review center due to financial constraint.I only reviewed for 2mo.the 1st mo.was self review then the remaining mo.,we reviewed in school.1st,I made my own study plan(e.g. mon-fri.:fundamentals of nursing,sat.-fri.:maternal&child).it depends how much time you will a lot for each concept.but make sure you will be able to cover all the nsg. concepts(you will never know what will be asked in the exam,in june07,they were so many questions about CHN,but few were asked in dec.07).I have rest periods,for atleast 1hr.do not exhaust yourself,if you're tired,rest.its difficult to memorize&analyze if you feel restless.our professors told us to always find answers&rationalizations in the book(not all the skills practiced in the clinical wards were correct,sometimes we tend to do shortcuts).when it comes to pathophysiology of diseases,don't memorize,analyze!but when it comes to lab. values,conversion,drug&ivf computations,there is no way that you'll be able to remember it with just one glance.I also answered practice questions in nclex rn books&study the rationalizations.you should also be aware of the current situations r/t health in the country(e.g.dengue,SARS,meningo./common errors committed -medication errors,illegal detention in hosp.etc)concentrate more in your weaknesses(mine is pharmacology)

lastly,pray for god's guidance. :)

exam day/during the exam:

1.follow the instructions very carefully.if it says strictly no erasures,then don't erase.you really have to make sure that it is your best&final answer(i used process of elimination).do not be in a hurry,you'll be given 2hrs. to finish the exam.manage your time,don't be stucked in 1 item.try answering those you know.

2.if you have any concerns,ask the proctors(teacher).don't ask your seatmate.floor supervisors might think you're cheating.

3.you will be given 1hr. break every other exam.do what you have to do:bladder break,eat snacks,sharpen pencils etc.

applemae · Feb 17, 2008

im going to take the board this coming june and the tips were great! thanks to them...i hope we make it! God bless!

rainbowcak3 · Apr 5, 2008

you got to spend more time in answering questions... as many as you can per day... don't buy any books if you can't finish one book! Not yet, ok? COLLECTING BOOKS FOR THE NURSING BOARD EXAM indicates you're anxious! the problem is purely psychological...

i had a review class from 7 to 5Pm. I practice anwering questions everyday. If i encounter a topic in my questions i did not know, or knew little about, i answer the question first, then i tried to read about that topic in my SAUNDER'S BOOK. I bought the newest CHN book (it was new at that time). Read all of it, but later regretted it... Very few questions came out of CHN. most are IMCI questions... also try to study Research... In june 2007 board exam, there were 50 reasearch questions... 10 questions per exam.

don't try to get obssessive about the tiniest details when you're studying... just simply understand what you're studying. try ro study the complications of diseases, the commonly used drugs, common diseases. Try to get your hands on previous board exam questions... chances are, same topics (not necessarily the same questions) would be coming up on board exams...

A few days before the board exam....

Try to get info about where you're going to take the board exam, and in what room. If you have the time, you can go and check out the place so that you'll not be spending time trying to find it on the day of the board exam...

The night before the board exam

Sleep earlier... In our place (i don't know about yours), the PRC required us to be there at our testing site at 6:30 AM... Try to prepare what you're going to bring tomorrow... Try to get ready on a hanger (ironed and all) the clothes you're going to use...

The BIG DAY!

Try to bring these things...

candies, food

water bottle (peel the label off)

necessary documents for test

medicine for headaches, allergy, etc...

and whatever things u think are necessary like rosary, luck charm, etc...

Listen to the proctor. Do not start unless you are told so.

Read the instructions carefully.

Avoid erasures... But if you cannot help it and you really need to erase --> try erasing carefully without pressing too hard. AFter that, try also to erase at the back of the paper... i think it works...

TRY NOT TO GET DISTRACTED BY OTHER TEST TAKERS... Other test takers would finish very early. Do not let this bother you... You still have time...

If you do not know the answer, move to the next one!!! But do not let this become a habit...

hmmm.... what else?

That's all i wanna say... hehehehe.... :nurse:

Well, good luck with your board exam... Be confident...

kiki_me · Apr 5, 2008

manage you time well when you review.. stay focused and motivate yourself so you won't get off track.. GOOD LUCK TO ALL JUNE 2008 NLE TAKERS!!! :)

spongebob6286, BSN, RN · Apr 6, 2008

you got to spend more time in answering questions... as many as you can per day... don't buy any books if you can't finish one book! Not yet, ok? COLLECTING BOOKS FOR THE NURSING BOARD EXAM indicates you're anxious! the problem is purely psychological...
i had a review class from 7 to 5Pm. I practice anwering questions everyday. If i encounter a topic in my questions i did not know, or knew little about, i answer the question first, then i tried to read about that topic in my SAUNDER'S BOOK. I bought the newest CHN book (it was new at that time). Read all of it, but later regretted it... Very few questions came out of CHN. most are IMCI questions... also try to study Research... In june 2007 board exam, there were 50 reasearch questions... 10 questions per exam.
don't try to get obssessive about the tiniest details when you're studying... just simply understand what you're studying. try ro study the complications of diseases, the commonly used drugs, common diseases. Try to get your hands on previous board exam questions... chances are, same topics (not necessarily the same questions) would be coming up on board exams...
A few days before the board exam....
Try to get info about where you're going to take the board exam, and in what room. If you have the time, you can go and check out the place so that you'll not be spending time trying to find it on the day of the board exam...
The night before the board exam
Sleep earlier... In our place (i don't know about yours), the PRC required us to be there at our testing site at 6:30 AM... Try to prepare what you're going to bring tomorrow... Try to get ready on a hanger (ironed and all) the clothes you're going to use...
The BIG DAY!
Try to bring these things...
candies, food
water bottle (peel the label off)
necessary documents for test
medicine for headaches, allergy, etc...
and whatever things u think are necessary like rosary, luck charm, etc...
Listen to the proctor. Do not start unless you are told so.
Read the instructions carefully.
Avoid erasures... But if you cannot help it and you really need to erase --> try erasing carefully without pressing too hard. AFter that, try also to erase at the back of the paper... i think it works...
TRY NOT TO GET DISTRACTED BY OTHER TEST TAKERS... Other test takers would finish very early. Do not let this bother you... You still have time...
If you do not know the answer, move to the next one!!! But do not let this become a habit...
hmmm.... what else?
That's all i wanna say... hehehehe....
Well, good luck with your board exam... Be confident...

it is not advisable to erase.. our profs told us that erasing the back of the exam paper wont work either. it mat screw up the entire paper..remember the optical machines that would be checking the papers are very senstive. why do you think they would give the examinees that kind of intruction?? i did not erasure during my time. i answered first the questions that i know..and do not shade unless your 101% sure of your answer:bow:

rainbowcak3 · Apr 6, 2008

it is not advisable to erase.. our profs told us that erasing the back of the exam paper wont work either. it mat screw up the entire paper..remember the optical machines that would be checking the papers are very senstive. why do you think they would give the examinees that kind of intruction?? i did not erasure during my time. i answered first the questions that i know..and do not shade unless your 101% sure of your answer:bow:

yeah, the prc told us that... but our review center told us a trick or two... :nuke: i must have erased at least 5 answers there... and it did not totally screwed up my paper... :nuke: as i've placed in my post, you've got to be careful in erasing by not pressing too hard... :yeah: hahahaha...

rainbowcak3 · Apr 6, 2008

it is not advisable to erase.. our profs told us that erasing the back of the exam paper wont work either. it mat screw up the entire paper..remember the optical machines that would be checking the papers are very senstive. why do you think they would give the examinees that kind of intruction?? i did not erasure during my time. i answered first the questions that i know..and do not shade unless your 101% sure of your answer:bow:

that don't totally depends on the person if they wanna risk it... :chuckle

butterflyC · Apr 6, 2008

it is not advisable to erase.. our profs told us that erasing the back of the exam paper wont work either. it mat screw up the entire paper..remember the optical machines that would be checking the papers are very senstive. why do you think they would give the examinees that kind of intruction?? i did not erasure during my time. i answered first the questions that i know..and do not shade unless your 101% sure of your answer:bow:

hey there! people just don't talk about that if they think they're giving someone a good advice. I graduated june 2007, and i got more than 25 erasures in the board exam... and i later learned that i got an execptionally OK score in the board exam... yeah, we're told it's not really advisable to have erasures but sometimes there are flaws in the system... any kind of system. Review centers have their own tricks up their sleeves (i'm not talking about the 2006 issue here ok)... :saint: They know the trade. Whereas, the Commission would really stick to the rules they had established, and appear strict and foreboding to someone who would take the board exam. This is to avoid further complaints regarding the rules.

She's right. That totally depends whom you're talking to. Besides, if you have done the erasures, the computer would only read those ones... not the other test items... so, it's a risk that other people might take, and other people might not take... :redpinkhe:redpinkhe:redpinkhe