Advice for NREMT-B test?

[Cookie]

Don't read more into the questions than what is written. Relax. Don't stay up all night before the test studying. Lightly review.

Keep a positive attitude, and don't second guess yourself.

Instead of picking apart a persons post, can we just answer the question and or give advise based on many a members experiences taking the NREMT? That is all the poster was asking just advise on the best way to study and take the test.

[Lone Star]

All right, obviously I didn't explain myself well in this thread, so I'm just going to clarify something important here, and then I'm done with this thread:

I absolutely know my stuff, and if I didn't, I wouldn't go into this field. That is an entirely different matter than trying to figure out obscurely designed questions on the NREMT test. I truly do not believe that the way many of the NREMT questions are worded are a test of one's knowledge; I do believe they're "multiple guess" questions. (I can only go by the questions from our classroom tests and the practice exam books, since I haven't taken the test yet. But I have been told the questions are similar to the NREMT test).

Nowhere in this thread did I say or even imply that I would go into the field, look at a patient and say, "Gee, I guess a nasal cannula...nah, maybe a nonrebreather...what the heck, a BVM! Why not!" Or, "Hmm, I guess an infant's respirations should be 25-50 a minute - or was that an adult?" What I was asking about was the NREMT-B multiple choice scenario questions where there are almost always two answers that are correct.

But again...clearly that's not how people are interpreting the question, so I shall just let it go.

First off, the questions are worded to not only test your knowledge, they're designed to measure critical thinking. That's why they give you just the barest amount of information. Your job is to sort out the 'relevant stuff' and base your treatments on that information.

Having survived more tests in 12 years of being licensed than I can count, I can only tell you what I've witnessed in all that time. Even though I just faced the NREMT for the first time at the EMT-I level (which I passed on the first shot), I can also speak with some authority on what I've noticed other people telling me about their experience.

As a reporter,you should know that if people aren't grasping the 'true meaning' of your post, then maybe you've done swomething wrong. Your choice of words (ie: 'I have to guess which one is most right'), that's going to give the wrong impression to the reader.

You came to us for help, which we're more than willing to give you. But when we draw the wrong conclusions to your post, try clarifying your initial post and then listen to what we have to say. Getting in a snit isn't going to help you find the answers you need!

[cosgrojo]

Unless you guys got 100% of your questions correct on your NR test, you probably shouldn't be so vociferous with your condemnation about floridastudents' test question observations... Did you guys get any questions wrong? I'm betting you got at least one or two... you should have guessed better, so that it would at least appear that you have KNOWLEDGE.

Floridastudent- You'll do fine, and if you have to guess on a few of them... it's OK, you don't need a 100 to pass, we all can't be perfect.

[uglyEMT]

Review the material lightly. Dont over think the question! Read the answers carefully, there IS a right answer. Dont get hung up on how far your along or that the machine went back down a notch.

When we took our test my instructor was present as we were going in and I was a little frazzeled, he grabbed me to the side and said the following...

What do you call a medical student last in his class?

Doctor

I did enquire as to his question afterwards.. he said it was to calm me down. Do your best but if you KNOW the material the score will be irrelevant. Noone asks your score when your helping them. If your a more hands on person then a testing person sometimes the score is not a reflection of the knowledge base.

Just relax and go for it. If you have been a straight A in class thus far there is no reason you shouldn't pass the NREMT.

[Floridastudent]

Unless you guys got 100% of your questions correct on your NR test, you probably shouldn't be so vociferous with your condemnation about floridastudents' test question observations... Did you guys get any questions wrong? I'm betting you got at least one or two... you should have guessed better, so that it would at least appear that you have KNOWLEDGE.

Floridastudent- You'll do fine, and if you have to guess on a few of them... it's OK, you don't need a 100 to pass, we all can't be perfect.

THANK you! I appreciate it. I'll let everyone know on Monday whether I passed or not! (This should be a fun stress-free weekend. Not.)

Review the material lightly. Dont over think the question! Read the answers carefully, there IS a right answer. Dont get hung up on how far your along or that the machine went back down a notch.

When we took our test my instructor was present as we were going in and I was a little frazzeled, he grabbed me to the side and said the following...

I did enquire as to his question afterwards.. he said it was to calm me down. Do your best but if you KNOW the material the score will be irrelevant. Noone asks your score when your helping them. If your a more hands on person then a testing person sometimes the score is not a reflection of the knowledge base.

Just relax and go for it. If you have been a straight A in class thus far there is no reason you shouldn't pass the NREMT.

Muchas Gracias! I appreciate it.

[Floridastudent]

I PASSED! It stopped at 70. Jiminy Cricket was that nerve-wracking. Okay, I passed and I STILL hate the frickin' NREMT-B questions!

[Lone Star]

I PASSED! It stopped at 70. Jiminy Cricket was that nerve-wracking. Okay, I passed and I STILL hate the frickin' NREMT-B questions!

Let me guess, you started to panic because it stopped after only 70 questions?

[Floridastudent]

Let me guess, you started to panic because it stopped after only 70 questions?

I didn't just start to panic, I spent all morning weeping and wailing about how I obviously failed, after all those weeks and weeks of studying, and all those study guides that I read, and I called up a classmate and was going on and on about how I failed and this was crazy and I NEVER fail tests and how could this be...and she was like "Where does it say you failed?" so I went on the NREMT.org website to check, and I said "Never mind then. Apparently I passed."

She promised to whack me in the head next time she sees me.

[Lone Star]

I didn't just start to panic, I spent all morning weeping and wailing about how I obviously failed, after all those weeks and weeks of studying, and all those study guides that I read, and I called up a classmate and was going on and on about how I failed and this was crazy and I NEVER fail tests and how could this be...and she was like "Where does it say you failed?" so I went on the NREMT.org website to check, and I said "Never mind then. Apparently I passed."

She promised to whack me in the head next time she sees me.

If your friend is going to start passing out 'Gibbs head slaps' she owes you two additional ones:

Another big issue with the cognitive testing is that people worry about which question number the test ends on. The test is devised in such a way that when it gathers enough information about your knowledge base, it will stop. This isn't like "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire", where you only progress to the next question by answering the previous one correctly.

Review the material lightly. Dont over think the question! Read the answers carefully, there IS a right answer. Dont get hung up on how far your along or that the machine went back down a notch.

[AnthonyM83]

I'm sorry? Did you really mean "guess"? Because if so, this is NOT the right line of work for you. Although there are two answers that seem right, one is always MORE correct than another. No guessing. Just knowledge.

They are not tricky. People that say they are tricky probably have difficulty with reading comprehension. This is exactly why there should be a minimum standard for reading comprehension before these classes are taken.

Wow, way to slam a student.

Kristina,

people often use the word "guessing" when talking about test questions with answers that both seem right. Yes, answer should be based on "best answer", but he's talking about the specific circumstance when he's stuck and both seem right based on his knowledge. It's quite a REACH to question his decision on or passion for this line of work.

EMS49393,

Actually many test questions ARE designed to be tricky. Each answer supposed to be designed to seem appealing and attractive based on the stem of the question. Way to slam the student coming here for help by implying he has difficulty with reading comprehension. Fortunately, he was confident and well-written enough to respond to you as he did, but a different student might not and instead walked away with a poorer opinion of his soon-to-be peers.

Replies like this seriously annoy me. At least draw out more info from the new guy....or be sure before you speak. You wouldn't want your supervisor, teacher, or peers talking to you that way if you went in to talk to them.

There is a difference between being blunt and slamming a student.