just got back 1st exam

[TamTam23]

Hey everyone! I am currently in fundamentals of nursing. There is no clinical yet, its just a 3 hr lecture and 1 hr lab once a week. I got back my 1st test and I got a 75. The passing grade is a 70. There were 40 questions so that means I got 10 wrong. Anyways, I am a little nervous because I want to do well in fundamentals! I want to atleast hit the 80's range. I studied a lot of what we talked about in class and used flashcards and wrote out outlines to help me study. When I was taking the test I was suprised because a lot of the stuff we talked about in class was not on the exam. This gets me confused because I am never sure where to gear my studying towards. The professors tell us to just understand the concepts of everything. She makes very basic powerpoints and goes into more detail in class. I have basically been taking the main topics from the powerpoint and then going home and reading the book in detail about those topics. Does anyone have tips on how to study for fundamentals? I am a visual learner and have tried a lot of things to help study but I want to do better on my next exam. Help!

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

sometimes it is not a lack of subject knowledge as much as a lack of test-taking skills. It is important to learn why one answer was better than the others (not wrong, just better). If you have a computer lab that allows you to practice tests I recommend you do that. Learning how to take a test is very important.

[edatri]

Speak with your instructor to see what he/she thinks you need help on - if it's a matter of test taking strategies or basic understanding of the material. Know why each question you got wrong is wrong and why the correct answer is the correct answer.

Are the tests NCLEX style multiple choice? Underline or circle all key words in the questions and answers. Jot down next to each answer WHY you think it is wrong or right.

[jandm855]

Once you have your first test out of the way, so know what to expect. I would definitely recommend getting an NCLEX book and doing questions one the chapter you are working on. It gives you the rational so you can understand why THAT answer was correct, but THIS answer was more correct. Good luck!