Scrubs readers share their test taking tricks

Test Preparation Courses
You don’t necessarily have to pay a lot of money to prepare yourself. George-Ann Wood talks about her low-cost strategy: “One classmate and I just kept doing the study practice tests (provided by our school for free) over and over…reading the rationales for every question, every time. We both thought boards were easy!”

Day of the Test
Getting ready for the big day means preparing yourself both mentally and physically. Jeannie Hall reminds us that you don’t have complete privacy and quiet to take the test. This can rattle you if you aren’t used to distractions. She suggests, “Buy ear plugs and go to the public library. Take the practice tests there on their computers, which are usually in cubicles. That is the way the exam is and you will be used to it by the time it’s for real.”

Leah Spear has this advice to offer to make sure you have the attention span needed for a full test: “During spring break and starting the day after graduation, review 100 questions a day. If you can sit and answer 100 questions in one sitting, you can be fairly sure that you have enough stamina for the NCLEX.”

Jennifer Haynes Woodworth stresses the importance of being well rested before any exam. “I had to travel a little way to get to the testing center. So, I booked a room in a hotel near the testing center and stayed there the day before the test. That way I was not stressed about getting there on time or worried about getting lost.”

Laura Bond has additional tips for getting things right. “Always remember when answering questions: ‘Which would I do first, or which is the most important?’ Remember your ABCs—airway, breathing, circulation. Pay special attention to possible answers that are longer and more detailed than others.”

Finally, remember these words from Carol Campbell: “Eliminate what you know cannot be the answers and then go with your gut. Do not sit and belabor a question. You know more than you realize!”