The exams in nursing school can be very challenging and require good test taking skills as well as a great deal of knowledge regarding the material that you are being tested over. Before I get started, I want to clarify that I am by no means an expert, but I would like to share my advice as it has helped many people that I have tutored.
First things first; have a good understanding of the material and be well prepared for the exam. DoNOT procrastinate and try to cram at the last minute.. This method may have worked for you in your pre-requisites, but it would not be wise for you to do this in nursing school. The material you are learning is not only important for your exam, but it will also be important during your clinical's or when you get out of school and work as a RN.
Secondly, once you think you've mastered the material go to your textbook's online resource and do practice quizzes. This allows you to see where you need to review more and gives you a feel for how you may see it presented on the exam. When you are reviewing the questions that you miss, be sure to read the rationales and really understand why you miss the question. If your textbook does not have an online resource, then do practice questions on Kaplan or whichever program your nursing school uses.
If you still feel uneasy after doing practice quizzes and reviewing your notes, go to YouTube and search for the topic you need help with. I have found numerous YouTube videos that are amazing. Khan Academy and Med Cram are two of my favorite YouTube Channels for reviewing troubling material.
During the exam.. Before I start my exam, I always ask my professor for a blank piece of paper. I use this piece of paper for two things; to "brain-dump" all the values/or helpful sayings I've came up with to use during my exam and to cover the answer choices on the exam. Covering the answer choices/ distractors while you are reading the question is by far one of the best things you can do. This will not work for every question, but for the majority it will. By covering the answer choices, you can read the question and write out beside the question what you think the answer is (without looking at the choices before). This allows you to answer without being influenced by anything and once you uncover the answer choices, if you see an answer that is similar to what you wrote then chances are that answer is correct.
Bring a highlighter to your exam. I like to highlight what I believe to be "key words" in the question, this helps me focus on what the question is asking without being distracted by irrelevant information in the question
Do NOT, change your answer once you've bubbled in on the scantron!!! Unless you are 100% sure the answer you are changing it to is correct, do not fall in this trap! I have seen a lot of my friends fail because they go back and change answers. The solution to their problem was, golfing pencils (no eraser).
Most importantly believe in yourself and don't second guess yourself. If you are in the middle of the exam and get tore up because you are stressed out, just pray to God or whomever you claim as your higher power to relieve your anxiety/stress.
I realize these tips are not going to help everyone, but I do hope they help some of you. These are just tips and tricks that I have found to contribute to my exam taking skills. Please, if you have any questions let me know.
I agree. I used to brain dump before exams (not in nursing school) and it was totally an anxiety thing for me. I knew all those things, but writing them down in the beginning of the exam gave me peace of mind that I wouldn't just blank out on something during the exam! Truth be told though, I haven't had any issues since I stopped doing it. It really is just a mind thing I think.
Exactly, my first semester I did it on a lot of tests, but as I've studied the same topics over and over again it gets easier and now a lot of it is almost second nature. I also highly recommend (if you aren't already) becoming a tutor. I tutor for Pathophysiology and Nursing Foundations, I must admit that it has benefited me just as much as it has the people I tutor. Every session, it gets easier to explain things in "simple" terms and it also helps me keep fresh on material that I may not see for a while otherwise.
Is brain dumping only when you write down all the info at the beginning?
Or at any point during the exam? We have math questions on every exam. Whenever we have conversions like teaspoon to ounces, etc., I work it out by jotting down 5 mL to 1 tsp and so on since it's easier for me to work the problem out. Also sometimes when I come across a question, regardless of where it's at, I start jotting down what I know about what they are asking in the question and then look at the answers.
Is that considered brain dumping as well?
I'm just curious so that I can start doing away with that if that is the case.
Yes. That is brain dumping. Writing down say the conversions or all of your lab values somewhere on the test is exactly what it is. So on NCLEX when you get that white board, you cannot write anything on it other than what you are working on with that problem. Then you turn that white board in and get another. Lab values and conversions also neumonics need to stay in your head. We were all debating even the point of the white board. ATI told really to not even use one unless we really needed to and then to only use it for the question we were working on. Then turn it in and get a new one.
Yes. That is brain dumping. Writing down say the conversions or all of your lab values somewhere on the test is exactly what it is. So on NCLEX when you get that white board, you cannot write anything on it other than what you are working on with that problem. Then you turn that white board in and get another. Lab values and conversions also neumonics need to stay in your head. We were all debating even the point of the white board. ATI told really to not even use one unless we really needed to and then to only use it for the question we were working on. Then turn it in and get a new one.
Thank you! That's very helpful. I'll definitely try to avoid doing that from now on as I'd rather not be in the habit of needing to do it, and then finding myself in that position for the NCLEX. :)
2bNurseDR.T
58 Posts
Exactly, my first semester I did it on a lot of tests, but as I've studied the same topics over and over again it gets easier and now a lot of it is almost second nature. I also highly recommend (if you aren't already) becoming a tutor. I tutor for Pathophysiology and Nursing Foundations, I must admit that it has benefited me just as much as it has the people I tutor. Every session, it gets easier to explain things in "simple" terms and it also helps me keep fresh on material that I may not see for a while otherwise.