Transcript Test Taking Skills - Dixie State University

Test Taking Skills

Apply Critical Thinking to Multiple-choice
Questions.
– Although we want you to know as much as
possible, there is no way you can know or
experience everything.
– You can learn how to critically approach exam
questions to maximize your test-taking success.
– Knowledge+Understanding+Ability to
Approach Questions
Strategy #1 Examine, reframe, critique
and evaluate the stem of each question.

Question:
– Leg exercises after surgery are encouraged primarily to:

First, examine, critique, evaluate the stem:
– What are the key words in the question?
– What do you need to know to answer this question?

Second, construct the correct answer before
looking at the options.
– What are the possibilities for correct answer?
Leg exercises after surgery are
encouraged primarily to:
1. Promote venous return
 2. Limit joint contractures
 3. Prevent muscle atrophy
 4. Increase muscle strength

The correct answer is: 1. promote
venous return
Strategy #2: Pay careful attention to the
context or focus of the question.

Question 1: Which is
associated with a
physiological need of
a patient with a
colostomy?
– 1. Disturbance in body
image
– 2. Inadequate nutrition
– 3. Lack of knowledge
– 4. Skin breakdown

Question #2: Which is
associated with a
psychological need of
a patient with a
colostomy?
– 1. Disturbance in body
image
– 2. Inadequate nutrition
– 3. Lack of knowledge
– 4. Skin breakdown
Answer to Question #1 is: 2. Skin
breakdown.
Answer to Question #2 is: 1.
Disturbance in body image.
Strategy #3: Avoid reading into the question.
(This is also known as: “Don’t make the
patient any sicker!)

You can avoid reading
into the question by:
– Underline or note the
important words in the
question.
– Do not add information
from your mind.
– Do not read between
the lines about the
information presented.

Read all the options
before choosing the
correct answer.
– Do not add information
to an option.
– Do not focus only on
your experiences (they
my be too narrow for a
point of reference.
– Pretend you are are in
the perfect, NCLEX
hospital
Strategy #3 question: A bronchoscopy was performed on a
client at 7 AM. He returns to his room and the nurse plans to
assist the client with his AM care. What is the best nursing
action?
1. Encourage the client to take a shower
 2. Perform all his AM care
 3. Postpone the AM care until the client is
more comfortable and can participate
 4. Cancel all of the AM care since it is not
necessary to perform after a bronchoscopy

The correct answer is: 3.
Postpone the AM care until the
client is more comfortable and
can participate.
Strategy #4: Identify key words in
the question that set a priority.
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“most important”
“first”
“best”
“safest”
“most’
“priority”
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This type of question is
asking you to put a value
on each option and then
place them in rank order.
Rank the options in your
mind from 1-most
desirable option to 4-least
desirable option. The
correct answer will be the
option you ranked as 1.
Strategy #4 Question: A patient adaptation that may
first indicate internal abdominal bleeding
postoperatively would be:
1. Pain in the area of bleeding and a
decreased heart rate.
 2. Cool, clammy skin and a decreased heart
rate.
 3. Restlessness and an increased heart rate.
 4. Apathy and a decreased heart rate.

The correct answer is: #3
Restlessness and an increased
heart rate.
Strategy #4 continued:
If you are having trouble doing this,
eliminate the option you believe to be most
wrong.
 Reread the question to identify a key
word(s).

Strategy #4 Question:

A patient has significant short-term memory loss and does
not remember the primary nurse from day to day. When the
patient asks, “Who are you?” what would be the most
appropriate response?
– 1. “You know me, I take care of you every day.”
– 2. “Don’t worry. I’m the same nurse you had
yesterday.”
– 3. “My name is Sue Clark. I am the nurse caring for
you. “
– 4. Say nothing, because it would probably upset the
patient.
The correct answer is: 3. “My
name is Sue Clark. I am the nurse
caring for you.”
Strategy #4…a second question.

A patient has just returned from surgery with an
IV and does not have a gag reflex. Which planned
intervention takes priority?
–
–
–
–
1.
2.
3.
4.
Ensure adequacy of air exchange
Observe the dressing for drainage
Check for IV infiltration
Monitor vital signs
The correct answer is; 1. Ensure
adequacy of air exchange.
Strategy #4 continued:

Other tips for
prioritization questions:
– Think ABC’s: airway
comes before breathing
which comes before
circulation.
– Think of Maslow’s
hierarchy of needs:
physiologic comes before
psychological.
– Think of the nursing
process: assessment comes
before diagnosis, planning,
intervention and evaluation.
Look before you touch.
– Think of safety issues:
a first issue often is
meeting basic needs of
survival—oxygen,
nutrition, elimination,
environmental hazards.
– Hand washing is nearly
always the correct
option.
Strategy #5: Select the most
comprehensive answer.

All options may be correct but one option includes
the other three or needs to be considered first.
– The nurse is planning to teach a diabetic client about his
condition. Prior to the teaching, what is important for
the nurse to evaluate?
•
•
•
•
1. Required dietary modifications
2. Understanding of the exchange list
3. Ability to administer insulin
4. Present understanding of diabetes
The correct answer is: 4. Present
understanding of diabetes.
Strategy #6: Read the stem slowly and carefully to identify
words that indicate negative polarity. The question being
asked is probably concerned with what is false.
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Except
Never
Not
Further teaching is
needed when
Violate
Avoid
Contraindicated

Which intervention is
unrelated to the prevention
of postoperative
thrombophlebitis?
– 1. Massaging the legs
– 2. Ambulating
regularly
– 3. Increasing fluid
intake
– 4. Applying
antiembolism stockings
The correct answer is #1
Massaging the legs.