For a new nursing graduate, passing the board exam is the first step to real success. This is our ticket to make our goals and dreams happen. However, we are often devoured by pessimistic thoughts of “what if’s”… including “what if I fail?”. At this point, we are so anxious about knowing our chances of actually passing the exam. In fact, prior to developing our sense of confidence, we have already completely accepted the possibility of not passing all the five areas of the examination.

Get rid of these negative vibes and instead of worrying, uplift your spirit by actually learning several possible ways of determining that you are ready and eager to pass the exam.

passing-nursing-licensure-exam tip

Here are some tips in which you can learn more and also gauge the possibility of not just passing by nailing your exam!

1. Study harder and PLAY even harder

Since it is likely that you have been holding your phones or tablets at least 4 to 5 hours a day, let’s then make the most out of it. Let’s play! Yes, we will play sample exams! Don’t think that this is boring because there are enormous applications online which impeccable designs, even the question, and answer games. Answer sample board exam is one of the great means of determining if you’ve learned your lesson well and if you can answer most of the questions. This can also aid in underscoring your opportunities to help you define what areas you need to further focus on.

2. You don’t need to make it Right, it just needed to be the Best.

Licensure exam is never made simple, this is why board members would like to see examiners.  They will make our life even harder because we will encounter items in the exam which are all correct. Therefore, in this case, we need to analyze which should be our priority as a nurse. This can be gauged by taking exams that focus on hierarchy and prioritization. There could be tons of these free exams online, they are usually encapsulated with topics such as Triaging, ABCs, and Hierarchy of Needs.

3. Watch and Learn!

Learning is acquired in different approaches, and yes, even watching television can help. However, we need to consider the content which would be relevant to our need. Great examples of what we can watch are TV series such as House M.D. and Grey’s Anatomy. The story is fictional, however, the cases are bloody real. I prefer House M.D more than Grey’s Anatomy merely because every episode is jam-packed with an explanation about the pathophysiology of the case. In fact, at one point of my nursing student life, I just watch a specific episode of House M.D which contains the topics that will be included in our major examination in Medical-Surgical. I’ll be honest, that time I was just so lazy to open my 4-inch thick textbook, so I decided to just watch – I just did this once. Surprisingly I passed and got 93% on my Mid-Term Major Exam- credits to my stock knowledge as well. However, I’m not saying to merely depend on TV series such as this, but it could help because it offers visual appreciation on how the body works and responds on a vast variety of diseases.

4. Make it A Habit and You’ll Love It

Make answering examination a habit. It’s like “Practice Makes Perfect”

The more exposure we have on certain activities, the better retention we get, and answering sample examinations will profoundly aid in how we understand and correctly respond to different situations. Remember, a single case could be discussed in 10 items of your exam, but if you know this case by heart and understood clearly the fundamentals that should be conducted effectively by the nurse, it should not be hard for you to answer them correctly. It is also important to be keen on how you choose the best answer because there will be instance in which all are the best answers and the option “All of the above” would be present. Or sometimes, none is correct, so of course “None of the above” should be there as well. Take time to read on Test Taking Skills.

There are really no metrics that will indicate one’s chances of passing the exam. However, it is best to make every probability count. Treat every day as if it is the examination day because the only way to nail this exam is to be prepared. But never forget to unwind because being so tight also creates tension which may increase one’s anxiety on the day of the examination itself. Know how to balance studying and having fun.

Finally, every time you study or take a sample exam, it is very important to pray for guidance and wisdom. We may be equipped with abundant resources that would help us learn. However, without spiritual guidance from God, the Supreme Being, our anticipated success may not transpire. We must not marginalized that the power of God can help us overcome any obstacles, regardless of how difficult the questions are

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