THANK YOU! No one and I mean no one is talking about the test taking strategies for being successful. They just reinforce studying by your learning style. But overlook the fact that up until now your entire education has consisted of non-critical thinking tests and exams!
After watching your videos, I feel so much more confident to take my test today! I have test anxiety really bad, and tend to panic. The tips you offered really helped me focus, and prepare for my critical thinking questions so much better! Thank you. My practice exam scores went from really low scores to passing scores! I appreciate you taking the time to help!
This is great. We need more Nursing teachers like yourself. Many of my teacher can care less about your grades, you hear more of are you reading everything and taking notes. Please keep making videos.
Most exams are now computerized and do not offer an option to underline, erase, or start at the end of an exam. I think these videos while good, need to be updated.
This is a good reinforcement for me to bring back my confidence psychologically. I didn't get any support from the people around me bec i didn't passed my first board exam. Thanks for bringing it back to me!!!
These were great test taking tips and I found my particular problem of narrowing down to 2 and picking the wrong one. I do think its a little difficult to bounce around on a computer based test (working backwards, skipping questions, leaving questions blank and going back to them). I think if the tests that we take were paper and pencil that would work great, but not so much on the computer based tests. However, the tips themselves were very helpful. I will watch more of your videos and hope that I can get through this semester with improved critical thinking skills. Thank you!
Emily Ski try to get key words by memory and then re read the question again. This is the alternative because nowadays you can't bring extra paper inside the test area
You are such a great instructor! I just want to say thank you. I have learned a LOT about what I do wrong when it comes to nursing exams. At our school, we have a 78% cumulative test average that we need to surpass in order to even pass the class. If we get anything wrong such as our labs, clinicals, tests, or homework, we fail the class. I am going to take this with me into my final tomorrow and I hope that I can pass!!
I failed my exam today. Failed the 3rd exam of this semester & I needed these tips. I swear I studied & knew my stuff yet failed. This video really helps.
I would definitely ask about getting a little bit of extra time to take the exam. Not all programs require that you have a learning disability to get this extra time. It's always No until you ask!!! If you get some extra time use that time to improve your test-taking skills because you won't have extra time on NCLEX. If you keep getting distracted, wear earplugs. Can make a huge difference!
That's a great idea and is exactly what my research found too. Try to think of it as just 5 or 6 different questions instead of freaking out about it being a multi-answer question. Answer each choice as true or false in relation to what the question was asking.
This is a great resource. Thank you. I would like to see videos about how to define;"what should the nurse for FIRST?""What intervention should be implemented?""What is the first priority? "What should the nurse do?""What should be the first action?"
Thank you for this video. I just did much worse than I thought I had on a test I took today and can see how some of these tips, especially the underlining key words and answering the questions myself then choosing the correct one, will help me. I'm looking forward to using these techniques on my next test.
I just found your page and OMG, THANK YOU!! You are great this is so verty helpful all instructors should teach like you. I'm in school now and my first exam is 9/20/17 I'm going to apply what I've learned from your page!
Wow, that was an amazing again. In the morning I'll have a midterm on a medsurg 6th last semester, I'll try this tips(some), will update later with the results. Thanks again, for sure I'll sate this video with others.
Just posted it, but this won't let me add the link (let me know if you can't find it). Sorry it wasn't available like I said :) Also, sorry these tips were too late to help you, but I would love for you to share my website and these videos with others at your nursing school so we can spread the information. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
I answer game show questions using, "I don't even know what that is." Admittedly, I've done this in school, too. If 3/4 choices have something in common to me, I always pick the remaining answer. I figure this has to be the right one (like a potential trick answer).
I have been having d's lately. mostly cos I don't read carefully enough. This video is really helpful. I will let you know when I get a 90 in my next exam. :) Thanks a lot.
I wish I had found this video at the beginning of my class! My teacher was very little help when I'd ask her where I was going wrong on my tests. She'd just tell me to go back and study on the NCLEX site we used for homework.
I love your videos so far, but what do you do when your professor does not really pay attention when you meet with her or him to review your exam questions and is always rushed? It just frustrates me even more.
Just took my first 2 exams in semester 1 of Nursing school. I rly need test taking skills and this was very helpful. Thank u. Hope I don’t fail the next😭😭😭
if you could go through specific questions and go through the logic of why each is right and wiring that would be great … I like the videos with the actual process of what you do and talking through the questions .. thanks
Unfortunately I have no advice for those. I hate those type of questions myself, but I know they are on NCLEX. I'll do some research and see if I can find anything.
I am glad that I listened to this video. Wished I have this advice last year I might have passed my exams. But I have another chance so I would definitely try your strategy.
depending on the question I have been guilty of all of these at least once. my test are computerized and we are not allowed to go back to questions (to simulate the NCLEX). I study enough I do know that, I never get the knowledge base questions wrong and I can always narrow it down to two. In lab and clinical I excel. I usually pass my exams but not by much. Sometimes as soon as I click next I instantly know I should of picked the other one. literally, the moment I click it. I have a medical background in nuclear medicine that does get me into trouble as well, then again sometimes it helps. My class has had a few exam questions from portions of our book that our instructor specifically said to omit (but I wont go there). I am passing right now but I want to be more confident and comfortable with exams. All of my classmates always compliment me and say they are impressed with how knowledgeable I am because I put in the time and effort to know the material and apply it. In clinical its as if I have more clarity, the patient is in front of me... I see it I'm not just reading exam questions in front of a computer screen. A girl who would have made a wonderful nurse just recent failed out. She knows it, she's was amazing with patients but the exams got her and not by much. I know regardless, I need to refocus and get better at taking exams because this is the way things are done right now. Its all about the NCLEX exam. If only the exam was someone texting you on your application in front of a mannequin or actual patient. Obviously if I have a patient in front of me having severe chest pain and other stressors I'm going to administer their prescribed pain med then call the doc. But in a test with your mind going a million miles a minute your not thinking as clearly and practically your thinking well wait their blood pressure is low, their respiration are high maybe they are going into shock and you grab that exam phone and call the doctor while your patient is sitting there cussing you out because their chest still hurts lol. but you dont care you just want that exam question gone... let the doctor take that exam question away from me lol. be gone you evil tricky question. Then your confronted with your 50th exam question, your 50th patient that you just mentally pictured in your mind, your mentally drained this hypothetically hospital has 11 dead patients already and you just need to get that last question right to pass.. to not get fired... if nursing were like these exams and we saw 50 patients in a day without a formulary or google lets face it a lot more than 11 would be dead. You finish your exam and realise pt 12 should of gotten O2, question 40 you should of turned the patient on the other side, that patient needed to ambulate, this patient hasn't peed after surgery so what I should just keep monitoring... what am I so quick to touch peoples privates in an exam when in real life id be assessing and avoiding those privates for a long as possible. lol I could go on for days.
This was very helpful. Love the video as well as the test taking tips. I do have some concern on how to read my text book. Some instructors states to read it all and others states just read the bold, tables, boxes, and/or figures. I have tried both and don't think is helping. I tend to read into the not so important info. Any tip on that? Thanks.
This was an awesome video!!!! Wish I would have been given this link earlier in the semester!!!! If your teacher gave you this link....please listen to the whole thing!!! I think these suggestions will really help me in the future!
I really enjoyed listening to your video. I really believe it will help me in the future. I look forward for my scores to go up higher.... I'm glad your reaching out...:) I WANT to SURPASS...
Hi. You're videos are more than helpful. I'm learning and connecting stuff I learned in 1st semester, and I'm in fifth!Would you post one educating nursing students about ICP, Neurological alterations and organ donation, and cardiopulmonary alterations??? I deeply appreciate your work.
You talk about a learning styles video, but I'm not sure where that is. I really love your tips! Wish I would have found them before Med Surg II, though! LOL
I do not have any videos on Mental Health or Pharm. Right now my focus is on getting all of Med Surg I and II out there and then I'll branch out. Sorry I can't help you right now :(
Thank you for your help. I knew what my problem was but didn't know how to fix it. Your video shows me exactly what I need to do. Do you have any tips on how to answer "select all" questions. This one is truly a challenge for me. I always manage to leave out one answer choice. Please help.
I really liked your rationales for this video, I will make sure to practice (it's usually choosing the wrong one out of the 2 for me). Anyway, we're getting a lot of select all that apply on our test bc the NCLEX is going crazy with those style of questions. Can you create a video for test taking strategies for that? Also could you do a video shock/mods, rhythm strips, cancer, end of life? Thanks
excellent tips ! these test taking strategies are helping me with my test anxiety as now I have a technique to answer nclex test questions. Thank you ! =)
Great job Megan! These tips are helpful. I will play this again and again to master the tips. Please is there any tips you can offer per "select all that applies" and "arrangement of procedures" as well as "hot spots" questions in nclex. I really need help in those areas.
I want to focus more on the key words, but the problem is I take computer tests. So how would i circle key words to focus me? i think this will benefit me for my final on Thursday. (In neuro)
depending on the question I have been guilty of all of these at least once. my test are computerized and we are not allowed to go back to questions (to simulate the NCLEX). I study enough I do know that, I never get the knowledge base questions wrong and I can always narrow it down to two. In lab and clinical I excel. I usually pass my exams but not by much. Sometimes as soon as I click next I instantly know I should of picked the other one. literally, the moment I click it. I have a medical background in nuclear medicine that does get me into trouble as well, then again sometimes it helps. My class has had a few exam questions from portions of our book that our instructor specifically said to omit (but I wont go there). I am passing right now but I want to be more confident and comfortable with exams. All of my classmates always compliment me and say they are impressed with how knowledgeable I am because I put in the time and effort to know the material and apply it. In clinical its as if I have more clarity, the patient is in front of me... I see it I'm not just reading exam questions in front of a computer screen. A girl who would have made a wonderful nurse just recent failed out. She knows it, she's was amazing with patients but the exams got her and not by much. I know regardless, I need to refocus and get better at taking exams because this is the way things are done right now. Its all about the NCLEX exam. If only the exam was someone texting you on your application in front of a mannequin or actual patient. Obviously if I have a patient in front of me having severe chest pain and other stressors I'm going to administer their prescribed pain med then call the doc. But in a test with your mind going a million miles a minute your not thinking as clearly and practically your thinking well wait their blood pressure is low, their respiration are high maybe they are going into shock and you grab that exam phone and call the doctor while your patient is sitting there cussing you out because their chest still hurts lol. but you dont care you just want that exam question gone... let the doctor take that exam question away from me lol. be gone you evil tricky question. Then your confronted with your 50th exam question, your 50th patient that you just mentally pictured in your mind, your mentally drained this hypothetically hospital has 11 dead patients already and you just need to get that last question right to pass.. to not get fired... if nursing were like these exams and we saw 50 patients in a day without a formulary or google lets face it a lot more than 11 would be dead. You finish your exam and realise pt 12 should of gotten O2, question 40 you should of turned the patient on the other side, that patient needed to ambulate, this patient hasn't peed after surgery so what I should just keep monitoring... what am I so quick to touch peoples privates in an exam when in real life id be assessing and avoiding those privates for a long as possible. lol I could go on for days.
