What can I do to pass class exams?

Ayvah, RN · Feb 23, 2006

go to your teacher and

-review your prior tests(do you understand the reasons why you got those questions wrong? Is it the way the questions are asked that is confusing, or, is it that you don't understand the content?)

-ask for her suggestions (sometimes there are extra books they like or websites that really help)

crb613, BSN, RN · Feb 24, 2006

Do you think a trip to your doc might be in order, & explain the anxiety??? do you use Nclex books??? they help you learn how to take these tests & have good info in nice neat little sections.

BTW...This might help you, when you take your test...cover the answers. Read your question, think what do I know about this? Re-read the question to be sure you did not miss anything. Now uncover your answers & pick the one that matches what you were thinking! We can write on our test form so I underline key words.....write out lab values, or other info to seperate diseases ect this helps me too. Good Luck

kishah · Feb 24, 2006

Try to go with your first answer and don't over think the questions. Last semester in fundamentals I had the same problem. No matter how hard I studied I average between a 78 and 80% for the first 4 exams. Towards the end I changed my study habits from studying hours at a time and pulling all nighters and scoring far lower than my classmates who didnt read at all, to reading the book once and reading through my lecture notes daily no longer than 1hr at one time. Take your time and circle what they are asking you, and thank the lord after each page for helping you to recall the information you know. I ended up with a B. You can do it!! Dont get discouraged! One test at a time!

det01 · Feb 24, 2006

lose your pencil eraser!!! I bet if you reviewed your tests, you might find out that some of the ones you missed you originally had right and then over rationalized yourself into changing the answer! I am not saying to not review the test before you turn it in..still do that, but don't change your answer unless you are 100% sure you should!

Also are you allowed to write on the test? IF so:

-underline the main points in the question

-circle important words such as ALL BUT, NOT, BEST, things like that - it will help you focus on what the question is asking...you might be missing some because the ? said all of these but...and you end up picking the best one instead of the one you are NOT supposed to do

-Cover up the choices and try to answer the ? before you see the choices. this can help you pick the best one without the distractors messing you up

-learn to discount information in the ? that is not necessary. sometimes the question will have info in it that you really do not need to answer the question. If you get hung up on this information it might cause you to miss the question

-if your book has a CD or questions at the end of the chapter do those. it will help get you in the zone for it and sometimes those questions magically show up on the actual test!

-buy an NCLEX review book and do the ?s in it that are related to what is going to be on your test

-eat breakfast the day of the test

-do not talk to others about the test right before the test if this makes you nervous.

-get to class a little early and make yourself comfortable in the seat you are going to be sitting in.

-don't wait till the night before the test to study. study a little at a time over a week or so before the test

-when studying your notes..ask yourself WHY? WHAT? WHAT IF? SO?

Why is it this way?

What is going on here?

What is the process of the disease supposed to be?

What can be done?

What if you give the patient this?

What if you do this?

What if the patient does this?

What should you do next?

This has happened. So what does this mean?

there are other things you can ask yourself too, these are just a few examples of them...but basically my point is to understand the disease from the nurses perspective as well as the patients.

elizabells, BSN, RN · Feb 24, 2006

I definitely support covering the answers to read the question, coming up with something on your own, and then looking at the answers. I tend to go through the test quickly the first time and answer the questions I absolutely know the answer to. I don't spend any time thinking too hard. THEN I go back and work on the questions I'm having trouble with. Don't spend 20 minutes thinking about one question and run out of time...there might be five more after it that you would have gotten right.

Find a study method that works for you. Flash cards? Reading aloud? The only way I got through microbio was coming home RIGHT after class and recopying my notes, all pretty, with colors and everything, into a new notebook.