With nursing school around the corner, you might be wondering how to prepare for nursing exam. Nursing exams can be daunting, but with the right preparation they can be conquered.
You should start by studying the material covered in the course, and then practice answering questions related to that material. You should also get plenty of rest and eat a healthy diet in order to stay alert and focused during the exam. Finally, try to stay calm and relaxed while taking the test, as this will help you think more clearly.
There are many more things to think about – where to go, what to bring, and how to study effectively. And it can be overwhelming!
That's why we've put together this blog post with tips on how to study for your nursing exams.
You've got the facts; you know the material. You've even come up with a few study hacks to make sure you're hitting those high marks. But let's be honest—all of that might not be enough if you're still feeling stressed about what's coming up on your nursing exam.
Now don't get nervous because we're here to help! We've got a method for studying that will make you feel more prepared to take on your nursing exam, and it doesn't involve any of those magic tricks or crystal balls you've seen advertised online. It's real advice from real people who have seen the system in action.
This guide is going to walk you through everything you need to do before, during, and after your test so that you can have all your hard work pay off.
Follow these simple tips and tricks to help hone your skills and ensure success on test day, but before practicing for your nursing school exam, you will need to have an idea on what to study before nursing school. Check out our blog on this to prep yourself!
#1. Prepare yourself mentally
Before you even start studying, it's essential to get yourself in the right frame of mind. Nursing exams can be long and complicated, so you must be mentally and physically prepared to take on the challenge.
According to a study, music therapy is very effective before exams to dissolve any stress. Find your stress-release outlet. Is it going for a run? Meditating or listening to music? A couple of rounds of Madden NFL?
Any (legal and ethical) activity that relieves the pressures you're facing will help you cope with your anxiety as you prepare for your exam.
#2. Get enough sleep and eat well
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You may be tempted to stay up late binging Netflix or partying with friends—or burning the midnight oil studying—but sleep deprivation does more harm than good when it comes to memory retention, and retention is one of the keys to success on this test.
Try taking a power nap instead of pulling an all-nighter or getting some fresh air instead of cramming in another lecture review session before bedtime.
#3. Start practicing
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The best way to prepare for an exam is by practicing. A good score on your exam will prove that you have the skills to become a nurse, which will open up many opportunities for your career.
You can practice as much as you want at home or hire a professional to help you with your test preparation.
#4. Find a studying partner
When preparing for the nursing exam, you must find a good study partner who will help keep you motivated. Remember that studying alone is not always practical, and it can be challenging to stay positive if there are no other people around who want to help.
Find someone who has experience preparing for the same type of tests and ask them how they managed their time while studying.
As well as studying hard, it is also essential that you learn how to relax when taking an exam so that your mind doesn't get too stressed out during the process.
#5. Take a practice test
Even if you're pretty sure you ace these tests, it's essential to take a couple of practice exams prior to the real thing.
Not only should this give you a good gauge of how much more studying you need (or how much you already know), but it will also help prepare your brain for the format of the exam and give you an idea of what it will feel like to sit through that long testing session.
You'll get used to answering multiple-choice questions and will be able to get comfortable with filling in bubbles with your number 2 pencil—you may even discover some patterns between questions that hint at the exam's layout, themes, or overall difficulty level.
If there are certain subjects or types of questions that trip you up more than others, this is your opportunity to tackle those weak spots by focusing on them during extra study sessions.
This step alone can save you from significant stress, giving you a chance to get used to all things related to taking this particular test before doing so under time pressure or other constraints imposed by testing facilities.
You can find practice tests online through various organizations that have included them as part of their preparation content.
#6. Utilize the resources
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Consider tapping into resources outside the exam itself, such as books, blog posts, and podcasts that can help expand your knowledge base so that when questions come upon what seems like random topics.
They'll seem less random because your brain has been exposed to those ideas before through outside sources!
#7. Create a study schedule
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Even if you don't feel like sitting down to study, making yourself do it anyway is the best way to get through this process without losing your mind. Give yourself weekly and daily study goals, then mark off the achievements on your calendar.
Looking back at how much progress you've made will motivate you to keep moving forward. This can be difficult because so many distractions keep us from getting our work done.
#8. Take short breaks
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The best thing you can do is stay away from your cell phone and computer, but make sure you take breaks from studying every once in a while to relax and rest your mind.
You also need time for leisure activities such as playing sports or going out with friends so that you don't feel like all you're doing is working hard at school.
Because nursing exams cover so much material, you need to be able to break your study sessions into small chunks. This is more effective than trying to cram it all in at once.
Make sure you understand one section before moving on to the next. If you're struggling with something, take a short break, go back and review that section, or ask someone for help.
Also, don't worry about studying too much! You can never hurt your score by being over-prepared.
How To Use Practice Questions To Prepare For Your Nursing Exam
During your NCLEX review and nursing entrance exam practice test, practice questions are a precious resource. In fact, they can play a vital role in your study plan and help you pass the test on the first try.
1. Study With Practice Questions
The best way to study for the NCLEX and your entrance exam is by answering a lot of practice questions. The more practice questions you answer, the better prepared you'll be for the exam. Plus, each time you answer a question correctly, you'll increase your confidence level — and that alone can make all the difference on test day.
Nursing school entrance exam questions and answers will help you get comfortable with the format and question types, so take advantage of them!
Don't just answer questions — analyze them. In addition to getting the correct answer, it's crucial that you understand why the other answers are wrong. This way, you can avoid making the same mistakes on the actual exam.
2. Identify And Improve Your Weak Spots
Another significant benefit of practicing with questions is identifying which subjects you need to study more. For example, let's say you're having difficulty answering cardiovascular system questions correctly. That's an area that needs further attention.
Go back to your review materials and spend more time studying those subjects until you feel more confident going into the exam.
3. Build Better Test-Taking Strategies
Many individuals who take their first nursing exam wind up failing because they don't know how to take standardized tests effectively. Answering practice questions help you learn how to approach different types of questions in order to save time on test day.
You'll also learn how to use the process of elimination and read each question carefully before selecting an answer.
By following these tips, you can make the most of practice questions and put yourself in a much better position to succeed on the NCLEX and nursing entrance exam tests.
Tips To Make A Nursing School Study Plan
Nursing school is hard, but it's not impossible. The trick is to create a study plan and stick with it. Here are some tips for making a study schedule that works:
1. Figure out your learning style
Some people learn best by sitting down and reading a textbook. Others know better from videos and watching demonstrations.
There's no right or wrong answer, but if you're more of a visual learner and you're spending hours every day just reading, you might want to look for other ways to present the material to yourself.
2. Set up your study environment
In an ideal world, you would study in a quiet library cubicle or a silent room in your house. But most of us don't live in an ideal world; we have roommates, spouses, kids, and pets who will make noise at the worst possible time.
If that's the case, look for ways to eliminate distractions — headphones can be a good start — or find quiet places like libraries where you can do your studying.
3. Make realistic goals for yourself.
When you write down your schedule, don't try to pack too much in one day; instead, spread out your work over several days, so you have time to review what you've learned before moving on to new material.
And most importantly, stick to your schedule! It's easy to get sidetracked and push off studying for another day, but you'll never get ahead if you do that too often.
4. Take notes in class and review them afterward
Taking notes in class is one of the most valuable ways for students to prepare for tests and quizzes. Students should always write down any important points made by the professor, as well as any critical ideas discussed in class.
After each class, students should review their notes and look for any concepts they do not understand. If any concepts are unclear, students should ask the professor for clarification or look up the information in a textbook or other resource.
In addition to taking notes and reviewing them, students should also make sure to study any handouts or other materials given out in class. These materials can often contain important information covered on tests and quizzes.
Watch Youtube videos on topics you are struggling with; there are so many awesome ones out there that can explain concepts in different ways if you're struggling with something. You can easily deal with nursing school with these tips.
5. Get plenty of rest
This might seem obvious, but it's worth repeating: make sure you're getting enough sleep. Studying when you're exhausted will only make things harder.
6. Take breaks
Just like with rest, it's important to take breaks while you're studying. You can't focus for hours on end without a break, so make sure to schedule some time for yourself every day — even if it's just 15 minutes. During that time, you can do something utterly unrelated to studying, like reading for pleasure, going for a walk, or watching TV.
Summary: How To Pass Nursing School Exams, You Got This!
You asked for some tips on how to prepare for nursing exam. So, there you have it—everything you need to know about preparing for the nursing exam.
We've covered the basics that we wish we'd had access to when we were prepping for our exam, and we hope that it's helpful for you too!
Check out our blog on how to study for the first semester of nursing school since you are ready to get into the nursing school.
If you liked this post, give us a follow on Facebook or Instagram to keep up with new posts and our adventures in health care education.
If you have any suggestions for what else we should include in this series of posts, let us know via email or social media! Thanks for reading, and good luck with your studies!
FAQs
What should I do if I'm struggling with a concept?
If you're struggling with a concept, you should do "debugging." When you are stuck on a problem, it can help to talk through the concept with someone else or write out an explanation of the concept in your own words.
Once you identify what is giving you trouble, you can look for resources that address that issue.
Whether it's Googling for specific tutorials or rewatching a lecture, taking the time to understand the concepts will pay off in the long run!
What should I do if I'm not sure how to study for an exam?
If you're not sure how to study for an exam, the best thing to do is ask your teacher or professor. They can give you some tips on the best preparation for the material covered in the exam. Additionally, you can look at our amazing study tips that can help you be successful.
How can I make sure I'm getting enough rest?
To ensure you're getting enough rest, try setting your sleep timer on your phone or computer to your desired nap length. You won't have to worry about waking up before hitting the snooze button because the device will do that for you!
When is the best time to take breaks?
First of all, try to break up your studying into chunks. Don't try to study for 5 hours straight—that's just going to make your eyes glaze over and your brain turns to mush. Instead, try breaking up your studying time into 2-hour chunks. After each chunk, take a 15-minute break. This will help you focus on what you're doing without getting overwhelmed or distracted.
Second, it's important to remember that breaks are just as important as the work itself! So if you're feeling tired or worn out, give yourself permission to take a break!
Maybe go for a walk around the block, do some jumping jacks in your room, or call a friend and chat for a bit—anything that will get your blood flowing again to return to studying with a fresh mind and renewed energy.
Finally, always take breaks at regular intervals (even if they're not 15 minutes long), and don't let yourself get too stressed or burnt out while studying. Try not to cram the night before an exam—instead, leave yourself enough time to rest and recuperate after you've reviewed all your notes and
How can I make sure I'm focusing when I study?
There are many things you can do to improve your focus when you study! Try setting a timer for 20 minutes and taking a break after that, or keeping a piece of paper with you and writing down what's distracting you. You could also try turning on classical music or a soothing playlist to help you focus.
What should I do if I get distracted while studying?
If you're getting distracted, you're probably not in the right frame of mind to study. Try listening to some music that calms your nerves. Maybe stare at the wall for a bit and let your mind wander.
Maybe put on a pair of those noise-canceling headphones to drown out everything else. Maybe you could make yourself a cup of coffee or tea. Don't force yourself to start studying until you're ready to sit down and focus.
