November 3, 2022
How to Pass a Nursing Test
Nursing school tests have a reputation for being tough. Learn how to not only pass but ace a nursing-style exam using nursing test strategies.
Being a good test taker is a great skill to have but while some people naturally pick up this skill, not everyone does. For some people, it takes a lot of practice and time to become a good test taker. Throw in the fact that nursing school exams are usually made to resemble the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX), which makes them much different than exams for other college majors and your head might start spinning. Don’t panic though, like building any new skill, practice and dedication will see you through.
What Makes Nursing School Tests Different?
Nursing school tests use the same format and types of questions that nursing school graduates will see on the nursing license exam. The NCLEX is the test that nursing school graduates must pass before they can start working as a nurse. Most of the questions on the NCLEX are multiple-choice. Nursing schools want to prepare their nursing students to pass the NCLEX so the nursing school tests resemble the questions you would see on the NCLEX.
If you have never taken a nursing school exam before, you may be thinking, “Aren’t multiple choice exams supposed to be easier?” Although the tests contain multiple choice questions they require critical thinking, contain several components, and can easily sway the test taker to the wrong answer.
The NCLEX and nursing exams want to see if the test taker can apply the information they have learned to real-life situations. They want to ensure the test taker can think critically and practice nursing safely. This is why nursing school tests are so challenging.
Different Parts of a Nursing Test Question
Nursing school exam questions could contain images, graphs, lab values, and more but according to the American Nurse Journal, there are three general components to multiple-choice nursing school questions.
1. The Stem
2. The Distractors
3. The Correct Answer
The stem of the question is the pertinent information stated in the question that you need to know. This could include a patient’s demographics, medical history, social history, lab values, etc.
The distractors are information or incorrect answers that are meant to distract you from the correct answer or sway you in the wrong direction. Sometimes these distractors can contain a mixture of both important and unimportant information. You may be thinking, “Why would they want to distract me from getting the correct answer?” Remember that being a nurse requires you to use your critical thinking skills every day and there are often going to be distractions or misinformation in real-life situations. Training nursing students to be able to think, avoid distractions, and focus on the problem at hand will make them better nurses.
The third component of a multiple-choice nursing school question is the correct answer. The correct answer is the one that is the most correct or totally correct choice. There may be other answers that make sense and could be correct but you have to choose the one that is the most correct.
Recognize What the Question is Asking By Reading Thoroughly, Rewording, and Identifying Key Words
One of the keys to getting a nursing test question correct is to figure out what the question is asking. Remember there are going to be distractors within the question that can lead you astray but your job is to identify what the real problem and solution are. It is crucial to not rush through questions and to read the entire question and all the answer choices carefully before selecting an answer.
Sometimes nursing test questions can be purposely written in a confusing way to sway you toward the wrong answer. If needed, reword the stem of the question so it makes more sense. If you are allowed, mark up the question by underlining, crossing out, or circling words.
One way a nursing test question can be confusing is by asking you for a wrong answer instead of a correct answer. These questions have a negative connotation to them and want you to pick the answer that contains incorrect information. For example,
The nurse is teaching a newly diagnosed diabetic patient how to check his blood glucose using a glucometer. The nurse knows that the patient needs more teaching because:
A. The patient can identify what is considered a high glucose number
B. The patient uses an alcohol pad to prepare the injection site
C. The patient says a blood sugar of 32 is a good
D. The patient can identify the signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia
This question contains three correct statements but these are incorrect answers to the question being asked. The stem of the question is asking which answer is incorrect because it states that the patient needs more teaching. This can be confusing if a student rushes through reading the question and does not identify what it is truly asking.
After practicing many nursing-style test questions you will notice that there are keywords that you see repeated. Identifying these words will help you recognize what the question is asking. These keywords can be located within the stem of the question or the answers. Some keywords to look out for include,
- Never
- Always
- Best
- First
- Most
- All
- Severe
- Acute
- Chronic
- Only
- Except
- None
- Priority
- Most Appropriate
If Possible Answer the Question Before Reading the Answers or Eliminate Wrong Answers As You Go
Now that you are carefully reading the test questions, rewording them if needed, recognizing keywords, and identifying what the question is asking, it is time to answer. If you can answer the question in your head before reading the answers you will likely get the question correct. Try this strategy with the following example question.
The nurse notices that a patient newly diagnosed with congestive heart failure is eating grilled vegetables and drinking a liter of soda for lunch. What should the nurse educate the patient on?
What is your first thought on this question? It may be “it’s great that he is eating vegetables!” Correct, the patient made a healthy food choice but that is a distractor. Focus on what the patient is drinking. A liter of soda is too much fluid for a patient with congestive heart failure to drink in one sitting. Before even looking at the answer choices to this question the test taker should realize that they should be looking for an answer related to educating the patient on fluid restriction. Try this tactic to help you avoid distractors in the answer choices.
This will also help you eliminate answer choices that you know are incorrect. Cross incorrect answers out if possible. Eliminating and narrowing down your answer choices on any question will give you a better chance of getting it correct even if you don’t know the correct answer immediately. RegisteredNurseRN recommends either writing on the test if you are allowed or having some scrap paper to help with the process of elimination.
Prioritizing is Important
As a nurse, prioritizing will be a major part of your job. The same applies to nursing school test questions. Prioritizing is key. When answering a test question that asks you to prioritize, consider the following concepts.
- ABCDE: Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure
- Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
- The Nursing Process: Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation
- Safety
- See the most unstable patient first
Know a Nurse’s Scope of Practice and How to Delegate
Remember a nurse has a scope of practice and there are certain things a nurse cannot do and certain things that a nurse can delegate to another professional working under their supervision. A nurse cannot diagnose a medical condition, write prescriptions, or write orders. These are the responsibilities of a doctor.
Nurses can oversee other staff such as nursing assistants. These staff members can assist with tasks such as hygiene care and taking vital signs. A nursing assistant cannot assess a patient or give medication. Keep this in mind when completing nursing-style questions. You will encounter questions on delegation.
Don’t Assume and Don’t Change Your Answer
Keep in mind that sometimes nursing-style test questions may be vague but know that they will always give you the information that you need to answer the question. Nurseslabs recommends not reading too much into a question and never assuming anything about a patient but remember that unless stated otherwise in the question, the healthcare facility in the question has all the necessary equipment and staff available that you may need.
It is a great idea to review your test questions and answers after completing your test if time allows, but beware of changing your original answer. Don’t second guess yourself or change your answer to a question unless you are 100% confident that your first choice is not correct. In most cases, students will often change a correct answer to an incorrect answer. It is better to trust your gut and go with your first instinct.
Be Cognizant of Time But Don’t Panic About It
Nursing school exams usually have a time limit because the NCLEX is a timed test. These strategies may seem like they take a long time to implement but with practice, they will help you answer more questions correctly in the amount of time allowed. Some students panic when they know there is only so much time allowed. This gives them anxiety and they start to rush and answer questions incorrectly. The more you practice these strategies, the easier and more natural they will become. In the end, these test strategies will not only help pass nursing school exams but also the NCLEX.
Key Takeaways
Nursing exams are hard because nursing students must learn how to think like a nurse. Thinking like a nurse needs to be practiced and it is not just about memorizing information. It’s about taking the information you have learned and being able to apply it in a real-life and sometimes critical situation. By using the nurse test strategies contained in this article you can begin training yourself to think like a nurse and ace your nursing school exams.
Resources
Hrelic, D. (2021, March 15). Test-taking tips. American Nurse. Retrieved October 18, 2022, from https://www.myamericannurse.com/test-taking-tips/
Test-taking strategies for nursing school or college. Registered Nurse RN. (2016, March 23). Retrieved October 18, 2022, from https://www.registerednursern.com/test-taking-tips/
Vera, M. (2016, January 27). 20+ NCLEX TIPS and strategies every nursing student should know. Nurseslabs. Retrieved October 18, 2022, from https://nurseslabs.com/20-nclex-tips-strategies-every-nursing-students-know/