Life Span 1 Exam ... Anyone take this recently?

[Nurse Blondie, RN]

Hi! I just finished taking my first 5 Excelsior Exams - got an A on Reproductive Health the other day.

I am moving on to the Health Differences Across the Life Span (1-2-3) exams. I have read posts that state these exams are much more difficult than the others. Also, I read that the Life Span Practice Exams are really nothing like the actual thing. I am nervous, since I was able to gauge most of my studying for the first group of exams based on how I did on the respective practice exams (and many exam questions were similar to the practice tests).

Can anyone who's taken the Life Span exams comment on whether they were actually similar to the first 5 tests or if the approach to studying should be different (if in fact the practice exams were not that helpful).

Any advice will be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks!!!

[Nervous1]

Hi! I just finished taking my first 5 Excelsior Exams - got an A on Reproductive Health the other day.

I am moving on to the Health Differences Across the Life Span (1-2-3) exams. I have read posts that state these exams are much more difficult than the others. Also, I read that the Life Span Practice Exams are really nothing like the actual thing. I am nervous, since I was able to gauge most of my studying for the first group of exams based on how I did on the respective practice exams (and many exam questions were similar to the practice tests).

Can anyone who's taken the Life Span exams comment on whether they were actually similar to the first 5 tests or if the approach to studying should be different (if in fact the practice exams were not that helpful).

Any advice will be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks!!!

They are helpful - I just took LS1 a few weeks back and I remember seeing several questions that looked familiar although not as many as I had seen on Repro last week but I didn't study the practice exams for LS1 as intensively as I did with Repro, I had a good grasp on LS1. HTH!

[royalboys43]

I passed this exam yesterday barley. I did see alot of questions on the exam that Ive seen before but, Im not sure if they were from the practice exam from excelsior or from practice exams from study guide 101.. I got Bs's on my first two exam Transitions and health and safety. And I barley passed LS1. I have been using study guide 101 the practice test and the Rn Bridge program. I think Im going to replace The Rn bridge program with Saunders. Its so expensive and plus Ive heard nothing but good things about Saunders.

[Nurse Blondie, RN]

Thanks Nervous1 and royalboys43 for your replies and congratulations on passing! I can't wait to be done with thus exam. Its encouraging to hear your thoughts on the exam.

I haven't tried Saunders myself. I've just been using Studyguide 101 and the practice tests...

good luck finishing the rest of your exams!

[LPNcindylouwho]

The LS exams are similar to the practice exams so they are definitely worth the $$. I used studygroup 101, Saunders and the med surg book. I think the most helpful was just to read through the med surg book and make sure you know most of the material. The LS tests are harder than the others but I managed to get B's on all 3 of the LS tests. Good luck!!!

[Nurse Blondie, RN]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I took the LS1 test last Saturday and passed with a B. Phew! I thought LS1 was the hardest I've taken so far. Some of the questions were similar to the practice exams (about 20 that I counted) but the rest of the questions were really difficult. More so than the other exams. I was lucky to pass. On to LS2!

[BLAKEY2005]

Congrats n good luck on LS2. Know your psych, i found this exam to be more difficult than LS1 which i pass with a B n a C on LS2. Studying for LS3 now.

[smith24]

I am taking LS1 Saturday and I have been using StudyGroup101 and practice exams from Excelsior. Does anyone have any advice on what to focus on the most? I am nervous about this test!