1. Test-taking Strategies
Success!!

2. Reduce Anxiety Challenge negative thoughts Controlled breathing
Desensitize yourself to the fear response
Muscle relaxation
Imagery
Over prepare
Exercise

3. Test Prep… the most important step
Read the material prior to lecture
This is essential to know what the instructor is going to talk about
Tape lecture – listen and
Star concepts on power points you don’t understand for further study
Listen to taped lecture with open book and class notes
Flag or Tab your notes – stay organized

4. continued Organize study with pathophysiology of disease/system
Signs and symptoms (including labs)
Nursing Diagnosis
Goals
Specific Implementation plans
Patient teaching

5. Techniques Concentrate on the simple before the complex.
Make educated guesses.
Never leave a question blank.
Maintain a positive attitude.
Check your answers and answer sheets.

6. The Multiple Choice Question
Has 2 parts
1st part: stem – the statement that asks a question.
2 parts: 1) information about a clinical event, topic, concept, or theory; 2) asks for a response
2nd part: possible responses called options

7. Information part – bold response part - italicized
When walking, a patient becomes weak and the patient’s knees begin to buckle. What should the nurse do?
Which is an example of a patient goal?
Before administering medication for pain, what should the nurse do first?

8. When reading the stem: Underline the important words
Do not add information from your own mind
Do not make assumptions (read between the lines) about the information present in the stem

9. When reading the options:
Read all the options before choosing the correct answer
Refer back only to the words that you underlines as being important in the stem
Do not add information to an option
Relate an option to just what is being asked in the response part of the stem
Do not focus only on your experiences, which may be too narrow for a point of reference

10. RACE MODEL
Recognize
Ask
Critically analyze
Eliminate

11. RACE MODEL RECOGNIZE Recognize key words in the stem.
what information is in the stem.
Recognize key words in the stem.
Recognize who the client is in the stem.
Recognize what the topic is about.

12. RACE MODEL ASK what is the question asking?
Ask what are the key words in the stem that indicate the need for a response.
Ask what the question is asking me to do.

13. RACE MODEL
CRITICALLY
analyze the options in relation to the question asked in the stem.
Critically scrutinize each option in relation to the information in the stem.
Critically identify a rationale for each option.
Critically compare and contrast the option in relation to the information in the stem and their relationships to one another

14. RACE MODEL ELIMINATE Eliminate one option at a time.
as many options as possible.
Eliminate one option at a time.
If any part of the distracter is wrong it is all wrong.

15. Suggestions for success
RULES FOR TEST TAKING

16. Rule #1 Know the parts of a test question. Multiple choice questions.
Item: the entire question
Stem: the statement that asks the question
Options: possible responses
Options: one is correct, the remaining are distracters.
Part of the distracters may be correct.

17. Rule #2 Read the question carefully before looking at the options:
Identify Key Words in the Stem

18. Sample (Stem) Mr. Jones blood pressure is
240/120. The nurse would recognize he is:
A. hypertensive
B. hypotensive
C. normal
D. likely to have orthostatic hypotension

19. Rule #3 Don’t assume information that is not given.
Identify the Theme of the Item,
and base it on information provided in the stem.
Don’t assume information that is
not given.

20. Rule #4
Answer difficult questions by eliminating the obviously incorrect responses first;
Select the BEST of the remaining options.
Cross out incorrect pieces of the distracters
Write rationales

21. Rule #5 Select Responses that are: Eliminate Responses that:
Therapeutic
Show respect
Communicate acceptance
Eliminate Responses that:
Are bizarre
Inappropriate
Punitive

22. Rule #6 Know the Basic Principles that Guide the practice of Nursing.
Nursing Process
Assessment, analysis/Nursing Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation
Maslow’s Hierarchy
Physiological needs first: Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability
Safety second
Prioritization

23. Rule #7
Look for patterns in Your Performance and Flaws in Your Thinking.
Analyze your test-taking behaviors, then establish strategies to correct these problem.

24. Common Errors Did not recognize or remember information
Did not understand subject matter
Did not recognize item idea
Did not recognize principle or rationale for correct answer
Missed key word

25. continued Did not read all distracters carefully
Did not understand question
Read into question
Used incorrect rationale for selecting response
Changed the answer

26. Rule #8
Manage your time effectively during Test-taking.

27. Rule #9
Do not change answers without
Good reason
Sound rationale

28. Rule #10 Choose options that are within the realm of nursing.
Be able to differentiate the need for nursing judgment from the need for physician judgment.

29. Techniques
Identify key words in the stem that indicate negative polarity: except, not, never, contraindicated, unacceptable, least, avoid
Identify key words in the stem that
set a priority: best, first

30. continues Identify clues in the stem (extra explanations)
Identify patient-centered options
Identify specific determiners in options (increased in 2 options, decreased in 2 options)

31. Some Words to Know erroneously indicate contraindicate anticipate
violate strategies
ensure perception
rationale determine
mandatory disrupted
appropriate reveal

32. SPECIFIC TEST-TAKING TECHNIQUES
Identify opposites in options (hypotensive, hypertensive)
Identify equally plausible or unique options
Identify duplicate facts in the options (some options have one part that is true and another that is false)
IF ANY PART IS WRONG IT IS ALL WRONG!!!!!!

33. continued Identify options that Use multiple test-taking techniques
deny patient feelings,
concerns
needs
Use multiple test-taking techniques

34. COGNITIVE LEVELS OF NURSING QUESTIONS
KNOWLEDGE
COMPREHENSION
APPLICATION
ANALYSIS

35. KNOWLEDGE QUESTIONS
Require you to recall and/or remember

36. What is the normal range of a radial pulse in an adult?
a. 50 to 65
b. 70 to 85
c. 90 to 105
d. 110 to 125
to answer this question correctly, you have to know the normal range of a radial pulse

37. COMPRENHENSIVE QUESTIONS
Require you to understand information

38. Which of the following demonstrates wheelchair safety?
a. pushes the client face forward, ahead of him into the elevator
b. raises the footplate before transferring the client into the wheelchair
c. positions the client as far forward as possible in the wheelchair seat
d. positions the chair ahead of him when going down an inclined ramp

39. APPLICATION QUESTIONS
Require you to use information

40. To prevent self-injury when lifting a heavy patient higher in bed, the nurse should:
a. keep the knees and ankles straight
b. strengthen the knees and bend at the waist
c. place the feet together with the knees bent
d. position the feet apart with one placed forward

41. ANALYSIS QUESTIONS
Require you to interpret a variety of data and recognize the commonalties, differences and interrelationships among presented ideas

42. A patient has dependent edema of the ankles and feet and is overweight
A patient has dependent edema of the ankles and feet and is overweight. Which diet should the nurse expect the doctor to order?
a. low salt and high in fat
b. low in salt and low in calories
c. high in salt and high in protein
d. high in salt and low in carbohydrates

43. You Can Do It! HAVE CONFIDENCE KNOW THAT YOU CAN BE SUCCESSFUL RELAX
YOU MADE IT THIS FAR.
RELAX
ASK FOR ASSISTANCE WHEN YOU NEED IT
AND SOMETIMES WHEN YOU DON’T.