Strategies for Test-Taking
As you begin the exam, structure your testing time.
Develop check points to stay on schedule. Answer easy questions first. If you are unsure of an answer, either give it your best shot and move on or skip it and make a mark so you are sure to go back to it.
Understand what the question is asking.
When you are down to two choices…
Re-read the stem. Read the stem with each of the two remaining choices. Ask yourself how these two choices are similar or different. Use your hunches. Come back to it for later because other questions in the test may give clues about the answer.
When two choices seem true…
Ask yourself what the relationship is between the two choices. If the relationship is “set to subset” then one option is an umbrella response. If this is the case, pick the umbrella, because it includes the other answer. If the relationship isn’t “set to subset”, ask yourself which option is most important in that situation. What is the question really asking?
Answer the condition in the stem.
Is the question asking for a general or a specific answer? The phase, “Which one of the following?” asks for a specific answer. “In general…” is asking for a broad overview or a general response.
Use deductive reasoning.
Eliminate the choices that you know are incorrect.
Relate each option to the stem.
Each option (a,b,c,d) should be grammatically correct and consistent. Your choice should “make sense” to you. Read the question and answer as a complete sentence.
Focus your reading.
Read carefully. Don’t be distracted by irrelevant or extraneous words or phrases. Re-phrase stem into your own words. Break the stem into critical elements and attack them separately. Ask: What is this really asking? How would you paraphrase this question to explain it to someone else?
Try not to over think or out guess the instructor.
Read the question as it is actually written. If you know the answer, choose it. Don’t think “It can’t be that—that’s too easy.”
Don’t be distracted by poorly written test items.
Give it your best guess and forget it. The greatest danger of a poorly written item is that it will cause you to miss the next 3 or 5 questions because you are so angry or upset over one item. PLAN not to get upset over poorly written items during the test.
Use “educated guessing” as a last resort.
Patterns may provide clues in the options. If two options say the same thing, then choose either both or neither. Look closely at the longest option. Cues in the stem can be helpful occasionally. Clues in earlier questions can be helpful, but don’t get confused.
DON’T CHANGE YOUR ANSWERS (usually)!
Go with your first hunch. Don’t change you answer unless you have a good reason to do so.
Avoid “nursing student paranoia”.
If you see an unfamiliar term, don’t assume it must be the correct answer. Students often think, “I don’t know what that term means, so it must be the right answer”. Learn all new terms to avoid this!
Remember the saying: “Practice Makes Perfect”.
As you are studying, do as many practice questions as possible. Use the nonproctored online exams from ATI, ATI review books, sample tests, NCLEX review books, etc. Get an NCLEX review book as soon as you can. You will use it throughout the program.
