Success Strategies Part II

Test Taking Strategies

CSUCI Nursing Program
Information for Incoming & Current Nursing Students
Student Affairs Committee
2016
 The Purpose
O To prepare students for test taking
O To develop skill in applying knowledge to
practice relating to test taking
O To help reduce test anxiety
O To learn success tips from high performing
students.

Students are encouraged to view Powerpoint titled:

Success Strategies Part I on Student Success Strategies
 Preparing for an exam
O Identify important ideas in the readings/assignments
O Identify content that serves to accomplish the learning
objectives of the course
O Students should be building new information on what
they know already
O Create practice questions
O Balance study with sleep, healthy meals and exercise
O Eat before the exam (food will give you energy)
O Seek help from professors, tutors or mentor students
 Resources
O Textbook Resources:
O NCLEX Practice Questions: End of chapter & online resources
for text books

O Online Resources:
 NCLEX Tips Online at http://www.nclexonline.com/tips/
 6 Tips for Nursing Students to Pass Exams at
http://www.nursetogether.com/tips-for-nursing-students-to-pass-
the-exam
 ****Test Taking Techniques at
http://www.austincc.edu/health/ttt/ ****
 TestTakingTips.com for insights for a variety of different testing
formats (multiple choice, true-false, short answer,)
Why, Oh Why?
And What is the Purpose?

O Well designed multiple choice questions allow for

engagement and evaluation in application of
knowledge to nursing practice
O Multiple choice questions enhance and evaluate
critical thinking
O Optimal patient outcomes are effected by the ability of
nurses’ to critically think

Colleen Nevins, RN, MN, DNP, Test Taking Tips, 2014

 All in the Prep
Learn the content to understand relevancy to
practice versus memorizing, which requires:

 Reading the assigned material

 Practicing test questions
 Discussion with others, e.g., group work
 Questioning and seeking more information -
By asking why, when, where, who, how?

Colleen Nevins, RN, MN, DNP, Test Taking Tips, 2014

 The BIG Question

NCLEX Style Question Components:

1. Stem: scenario and presentation of issue (key words)

1. Question: what the question is asking

2. Distractors: incorrect but possible answers

3. Key Words: set the direction of care or response

 #2 – Sample Question
Sample NCLEX Questions
Stem: In passing the physician for your patient in the hospital hall, he
smiles and mentions he will be ordering an x-ray. You enter the
patient's room to find her crying. She states "Dr. X was so abrupt and
rude. I have never been treated so badly. I want to talk to a
supervisor.“
Question: As the nurse, your best initial response is?

Distractors:
1. “What level of supervisor do you want to talk to?”
2. “Dr. X is always rude to everyone. Don’t take it personally.”
3. “What do you want to talk to a supervisor about? Perhaps I can
help.”
4. Correct Answer: “You seem upset.”

Colleen Nevins, RN, MN, DNP, Test Taking Tips, 2014

Look #2
for- Cues in Answers
Incorrect vs. Correct
Responses
INCORRECT CORRECT

• Do not promote • Promotes open

communication communication
• Discounts patient’s feelings • Use of paraphrasing
• May make patient feel • Acknowledges patient’s
inadequate or defensive feelings

Colleen Nevins, RN, MN, DNP, Test Taking Tips, 2014

Cues in Key Words
#3 - Key Words
 Always
 Most likely or least likely
 Initial
 Priority or best
 Every
 Entire
 Only
 Never or rarely
Test Tips
#4 - Tips

 Read test question carefully.

 What is the question asking? Do not read into
the scenario or question.
 Read the responses carefully.
 Re-read the scenario, question, and responses.
 Delete the obvious incorrect responses.
 Move onto the next question, and come back to
the question if stuck.
 Tips #5 -Think
AnswerMaslow!
Options
#1. Airway
Breathing
Circulation

#2. Safety/Disability

#3. Communication

#4. Nursing Process

Colleen Nevins, RN, MN, DNP, Test Taking Tips, 2014
 Question/Answer Sample
Question: As a nurse, which of the following is your first
priority of providing care?

Answers:
1. Patient needs a dressing change
2. Patient needs suctioning
3. Patient is in pain
4. Patient is incontinent
After answering, now place each in order of priority…
Colleen Nevins, RN, MN, DNP, Test Taking Tips, 2014
 Question/Answer Sample
Question: As a nurse, which of the following is your first
priority of providing care?

Answers in order of priority:

#4. Patient needs a dressing change
#1. Patient needs suctioning
#2. Patient is in pain
#3. Patient is incontinent

Colleen Nevins, RN, MN, DNP, Test Taking Tips, 2014

Question/Answer Options
#5elements:
O Important - Answer
patient Options
(age, gender, race);
issue or medical problem (patho); details
(signs/symptoms, medications, surgery); time (early
or late, pre- or post-op surgery)

O If unsure, make an educated guess by

O Eliminating distractors, which can increase your correct
choice of options by @ 25 - 30%
O If choice is between 2 answers, choose the most logical or
common sense response; 50 – 50 chance of being correct

Colleen Nevins, RN, MN, DNP, Test Taking Tips, 2014

 Remember: Not all Exam
Questions will be NCLEX
O The following slides will provide basic
information for answering:
O Multiple Choice Questions
O True False Questions
O Short Answer Questions
O Open Book Exam Questions
 Basic Info for Answering
Multiple Choice Questions
O Go through the test once and answer all the questions
you can
O Go through test again, spend a reasonable amount of
time on each question, then move on if you get stuck
O If you are stuck, try to reason the correct answer from
general concept or theory
O Research shows that students gain more than they lose
if they change an answer (Kruger et al., 2005)
O Save time at the end to double-check answers and
ensure there are no clerical or numbering errors

TestTakingTips.com, Multiple Choice Test Tips-Help Retrieved February 2016

 Basic Information for Answering
True-False Questions
O Usually there are more true answers than false
O You have 50% chance of getting the right answer if
guessing
O Read through each statement carefully
O Pay attention to qualifiers like “never, always, and every”
mean that the statement must be true “all of the time”
O Qualifiers like “usually, sometimes and generally” mean
that the statement can be considered true or false
depending on the circumstances
O If any part of the questions is false, then the entire
statement is false
TestTakingTips.com, True-False Test Tips-Help Retrieved February 2016
 Basic Information for
Short-Answer Questions
O Use flashcards; write key terms, dates and concepts
O Try to anticipate questions that will be asked on the
test and prepare for them
O Usually what your instructor emphasizes in class will
be on the test
O Try not to leave an answer blank. Show your
work/write down your thoughts, even if you don’t get
the exact answer
O If you can think of more than one answer for a
question, ask the instructor to clarify
TestTakingTips.com, Short Answer Test Tips-Help Retrieved February 2016
 Basic Information for taking
Open-Book Tests
O Spend an equal or great amount of time preparing as you
would for a normal test.
O Open book tests are most likely to be harder
O Familiarize yourself with the book and assigned material
O Focus on learning the main ideas and get a feel for where
they are located in the book and/or your notes.
O Answer the easy questions you know off the top of your
head
O Do not expect you will have time to look up every single
answer. Most are timed and you cannot look up each in
the time allotted.

TestTakingTips.com, Open Book Test Tips-Help Retrieved February 2016

 Reduce Test Taking Anxiety
(excessive worry about doing well on a test)
O Being well prepared for the test
O Space out studying over a few days and continually
review materials
O Maintain a positive attitude while preparing
O Stress reducing activities (yoga, exercise,
meditation)
O Show up to class early to reduce worry of being late
O Read directions slowly and carefully
O If you do not understand the directions, ask
TestTakingTips.com, Test Taking Anxiety Tips-Help Retrieved February 2016
 Top Performing Students Report
the following tips:
O Regularly attend class
O Pay attention in class
O Read strategically (skim; focus on introductions,
conclusion and highlighted/boxed texts; pay
attention to readings mentioned in class
O Spread out studying, as opposed to cramming
O Seek help from campus resources

Gross Davis, B., Tools for Teaching, Second Edition, Jossey-Bass

Study Strategies (Continued)
O Study in a quiet environment (few distractions)
O Study with others who are well prepared and can
help each other
O Get enough sleep
O Vary study activities (re-read text, notes, rewrite
class notes, memorize information, pose questions
while studying

Gross Davis, B., Tools for Teaching, Second Edition, Jossey-Bass

 Focus on Success

Colleen Nevins, RN, MN, DNP, Test Taking Tips, 2014

 References
O Gross Davis, Barbara, Tools for Teaching, Second Edition, 2009,Jossey-Bass,
San Francisco, pp375-386
O Kruger,J., Wirtz, D., and Miller, D.T. “Counterfactual Thinking and First Instinct
Fallacy” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2005, 88(5), 725-735
O Nevins RN, MN, DNP, C., Test Taking Tips, 2014 ,
O Sherwood, G., Horton-Deutsch, S., Reflective Organizations on the Front lines of
QSEN & Reflective Practice implementation, 2015, Sigma Theta Tau
International, pp38-42