I passed my exam this morning and wanted to give some suggestions to everyone who has yet to take it. The last thing I did before I left the house this morning was to review the last 10 minutes of the test taking techniques, where the presenter talks about breaking down the question to figure out the answer. I opened my test, read the first question and I panicked right out of the starting gate. I would read the question and feel so confident I knew the answer, and then the answer I knew would not be one of the choices!The first 5 questions were the same, so I paused, participated in some negative self talk and then wrote down the test taking techniques I could remember and used them as a guide every time I got stuck- which felt like almost all the questions!. The techniques helped me answer questions I would not have answered correctly otherwise!
I would also recommend taking brain breaks. I left the room for 5 minutes every 50 questions. I did some deep breathing, moved around a bit and just cleared my mind, and each time felt so refocused when I sat back down. I also took one deep breath every time I submitted an answer before I moved on to the next one. I really do feel like these strategies helped me be successful today as much as the studying I have been doing. Be patient with yourself. This exam is VERY challenging!
Be well,
Valerie Natoli BA, BSN, RN NCSN
Newburyport Public Schools
Newburyport, Ma
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valerie natoli
Newburyport, MA United States
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