tips for tests...my first one is coming up!

RNCEN · Jan 24, 2011

Learn how to analyze situational questions. Learn how to choose the BEST answer....there will always be more than one correct answer, nursing school tests are not knowledge based. Understand the concepts, and be able to apply them. Be confident, and don't change your answers! Lastly, get a good night sleep the day before a test....and do not cram. Good luck!

brittanywatson · Jan 24, 2011

Everything the previous poster said! Cramming is a HUGE no-no in nursing school. It's critical thinking and applying your knowledge to any given situation successfully, making sure to choose the best answer, because there will be more than one "right" answer. I definitely agree with not changing your answer unless you are 1000% sure you were wrong. I have already witnessed several students failing a test because they second-guessed their instincts. When you study, ask why something is done, how it works, where it comes from, where it goes, when you would utilize that skill or intervention.

Reading and studying lecture material is very important, but only look at that as an outline to what you need to know. Everything else is up to you. When I get overwhelmed with all the information, I look at lecture notes first and make sure I know everything about it. Then, I go back to things in the book that might not have been covered in lecture and study that. Remember that anything is fair game in nursing school!

I know it's another book and more stuff to read, but Test Success by Nugent and Vitale is a lifesaver when it comes to having the right mindset to remain confident in your testing abilities, and it teaches you how to choose the best answer when faced with more than one right answer. It's specifically geared toward nursing students and it also gives sample NCLEX questions with rationales for each right and wrong answer. It's a great resource. Good luck!

myty23 · Jan 24, 2011

Get a good NCLEX book with practice questions (fundamentals success is good for 1st semester). After you've read and studied your lecture notes, practice lots of questions on the subjects that your test will be on and make sure to read the rationales. This way you can learn to apply the information you are learning out of the book, see where your weaknesses are, and also (for me) helps you to remember the info better because you are thinking of it a different way, applying it to a situation rather than just reading it out of the book. Also, like the others said, don't cram. Study a little every day, not just right before the test. Here's some tips from when you are actually taking the test:

Make sure to read the question fully and understand what it is asking, don't assume anything

Don't add anything to the question, take only the info that is offered and use that to find your answer. A lot of people add to the questions and say "well, what if...." don't do that!

Go with your first instinct on an answer unless you know without a doubt that something else is correct. DO NOT GO BACK AND CHANGE YOUR ANSWERS UNLESS YOU KNOW FOR SURE IT'S WRONG!! I'm in my last semester and I have friends that still do that to this day and still regret it every single time!

If your teacher lets you write on tests, this is what I do:

I hide the answers when reading the question, then off to the side I will write down things I remember that are important about the question, then I look at the answers offered and sometimes that helps to find the right answer.

I also underline the parts of the question that are important and cross out answers that you know are incorrect to narrow down the choices.

Don't study into the night before the test. I usually study the day before then stop and have a relaxing evening and go to bed early and I never study the morning before the test either, I find it boggles your mind up with extra info that probably won't help you on the test. Have a good breakfast and go in confident!

Oh and if you are using a scantron for your answers, make sure to go back through and check that you've marked your answers right on the scantron, I made this mistake once! :eek:

Hopeful3 · Jan 24, 2011

>>Don't study into the night before the test. I usually study the day before then stop and have a relaxing evening and go to bed early and I never study the morning before the test either>>

My friend gave me this advice and it does work! I now do it this way. Much more confident too!