What's up with these test grades?? :/

Published

Hey guys... Looking for some helpful tips or study strategy you may have used that were successful. I always attend class, follow along, often volunteer to read and give answers, I do all of the outline work prior to coming to class, I read the chapter and review notes and some how ALWAYS test between 70-75% which is always surprising for me. I always feel prepared and then don't end up doing as well as I expect to... What I'm finding is I always know what things are and how they work but with some of the scenario type questions I have a hard time coming up with the right answer. If the tests were definitions, I'd get 100% every time. I can always eliminate 2 of the answers for sure... And then feel stuck. Any advice for better test taking strategies or a diff way of thinking or studying?? I have the time, energy and drive and just want to do better. I am half way through my PN program. Just passed Pharm, starting disorders which is where most people fail out :/ that's also scaring me.

Any advice helps! Thank you so much :)

Heather - yogiPNtoRN

Sent from my iPad using allnurses

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Med surg was by far my favorite subject. Best way to study for med surg is knowing what the disease is. What's the cause of it, how is it dx, what is the treatment, s/s of the disease (subjective and objective)

nutritions for that specific disease, interventions, contraindications, and pt teaching. I would also recommend using nclex book to study for med surg too.

Make up questions and have yourself answer it or even have your classmate come up with them.

Use other books for resource. Form a study group. Go tutoring if your school offer it.

And when your answering questions remember to prioritize, use your ABC's, what do you think is best for the pt, and look for any tricky words or clues.

Hope that helps! Good luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks Cathy! :)

Heather - yogiPNtoRN

Sent from my iPad using allnurses

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Does your books have an online resource? If so they have study questions, if your teachers are like mine they pull questions from end of chapter reviews online resource and NCLEX study books. Our tests are nclex style so I use my review books for help.

I have the lippincott nclex review book which also has an online resource with tons of extra questions which really help.

I tend to get stuck with two answers as well and I look for what is the most important, which one covers both answers, or which one has a definitive( always, every) those may not always be right.

I wish you all the luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.

I usually scored around the same percentages -- 70-75%. It hurt at first. But I quickly realized that I was usually the top score in the class. The instructors were forced to throw out a few questions because if they didn't, the entire class would have failed. So my grade usually ended up being an A.

If I were to find out that other students scored higher than me, I would ask them about their study strategies and then implement them.

My motto was: if someone else can do it, so can I!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

If we make below a 80% we fail the test so I find all possible questions to study :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I have to pay extremely close attention to the wording of the test questions and answers. I have found that what trips me up the most is the extra unneeded information in the questions. If u can write on or tests, mark out the distracting info, underline important key words. Analyze that test!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion