Test-Taking Tips
Many nursing test questions are designed to give you practice for NCLEX-style questions, so learning how to be successful with them will help you tremendously when you take the test-of-all-tests to become a Registered Nurse. Here are my top 5 test-taking tips.
1. Read the question carefully.
Understand exactly what it is asking. Does it say "which of the following is NOT a symptom?" Or, "what is the FIRST thing the nurse should do?" Break the question apart and reword it in your mind. Even before looking at the answer choices, get a good grasp on the question. Figure out what material it covers: therapeutic communication, respiratory system, nurse-patient relationship, etc.
2. Look for key words.
These are words like FIRST, MOST IMPORTANT, ASSESS, OUTCOME etc. These words are the key to understanding the question. There may be more than one "correct" answer but only one "most correct" answer. Those key words are the clues in differentiating between the various "correct" answers.
3. Select all that apply.
Ah, the dreaded SATA questions. A general rule of thumb: rarely is the correct answer only one of the answer choices, and rarely is it all of the choices. Rule out the choices you are confident are incorrect, and then work through the remaining ones.
4. Beware of "never" and "always."
When I was preparing for the NCLEX, a teacher told us, "Nothing is ever always." If an answer choice has those words, beware! That is (almost) always a hint to keep looking. Of course, there are some exceptions to this, but it is a good general rule.
5. Remember the ABCs.
Airway. Breathing. Circulation. Without those, the patient dies. So look for those clues in the answers and use them when appropriate. But always remember tip #1---know what the question is asking. Don't simply pick an answer that has to do with the airway if the question is asking about therapeutic communication.
What tips would you add to this list?
Cheering you on,
Laura
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