Giving an exam is a stressful event. You experience immense pressure, especially when appearing for a medical or nursing school exam. Passing a nursing exam requires extra effort and sleepless nights. A nursing student needs to go through dozens of CNA practice tests before appearing for the final exam.
It is a long journey with loads of hurdles, but you can get help. There are hundreds of professionals who have gone through this phase. Here are some tips shared by these ex-students as to how they aced their CNA exam.
What Does a CNA do?
Before moving forward, let us understand what a CNA does in a hospital. Certified nursing assistants provide care to patients. They are part of the hospital care team and look after several needs of a person. They shoulder responsibilities such as:
- Providing food.
- Helping patients move around.
- Caring for every need of patients.
Once you clear your exam, you can work in a hospital, a nursing home, or a care center.
Expert Tips From Professionals Living a Life as a CNA
When it comes to preparing for a nursing exam, no one can guide you better than individuals who have had their CNA exams. Here we have some of the best tips on how you can succeed in your upcoming CNA exam.
1. Opt for a Free CNA Practice Exam
If there is one thing that can improve your chances of becoming a CNA, it is a certified nursing assistant practice test. Like in any other field, you will find free CNA practice tests with answers online and offline. Every expert recommends students to avail themselves of these free CNA practice tests.
Practicing helps increase your speed. You feel more familiar with the pattern and become more confident in answering questions.
2. Manage Your Time
Another expert tip is to manage your time. Your exam will be lengthy, and you might not be able to complete it in time. So, learn to manage your time.
For example, you could start with a CNA written test practice to increase your speed. When you manage your time, you answer more questions and secure higher marks.
It’s better to start with the easier questions and then move to the difficult ones. If you go for the tough questions first, you might get stuck and waste time thinking too much. So avoid committing such blunders.
3. Make a Timetable
You should make a timetable for your studies so that you can allocate equal time to each topic. It is an important strategy that will help you pass a practice CNA test and the exam. Timetables prove to be of great help to every student.
You have to cover multiple topics, so divide your time. Assign equal hours to every chapter. When you study regularly, your chances of passing improve significantly. You even retain more information because you frequently review what you learned.
4. Maintain Your Mental and Physical Health
Never forget to care for your health. Don’t let the pressure affect your mental or physical health. Some kids starve themselves, which adversely affects their health. Try your best to always have a balanced diet. Moreover, find time to do things that you genuinely enjoy and love.
If you feel stressed or worried, try to indulge yourself in any activity to take your mind off the problem. You will do much better when your mind and body are at peace.
5. Follow Nursing Exam Study Guides
A great way to achieve a decent score on your exam is by focusing on the study guides designed for a certified nursing assistant career. These guides reveal which subjects have more weightage and what areas you will need to pay attention to.
Every person who has gone through this series of tests knows that a study guide always comes in handy. Most study guides have tips and tricks which help in your exam.
6. Think Practically
Since you will be interacting with patients, think about them. Learning about facts and theories is important but it takes a different kind of skill to be able to apply what you’ve learned. Aside from being book smart, you’ll also need to be street smart to better take care of your patients. This means that you’ll need to think fast and think critically.
With practical knowledge, you’ll be able to apply what you’ve learned and at the same time, think outside the box. It helps you find new solutions aside that are more effective in the current situation. Overall, it helps you become a better nursing assistant.
7. Focus on Concepts
Instead of memorizing every word from the book, you should focus on learning concepts. Many students like cramming facts, but it is not a healthy practice. Break your course material into smaller sections and learn the concept behind a process. It helps you fully understand the process compared to just memorizing it.
Students with a clear understanding of concepts always perform better in an exam. After all, it’s not possible to memorize every detail and definition.
8. Skip Less Important Topics
Prioritize the topics you think are more important or have more weightage in the paper. Every exam has a specific course. There are always topics from which hardly any questions are asked. For example, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs or the nursing process are topics that you should study first.
Once you are done with all the major topics and have extra time, you can focus on minor lessons. However, going through unimportant definitions will cause you to lose time and energy. You could go through a free CNA practice exam to get a better idea of frequently asked questions.
9. Focus in Class
Paying attention in class is crucial. People who have gotten their nursing licenses know that missing out on class lectures can be harmful. If you want to excel in your practice test or any exam, you must listen to your instructors in class.
When you pay attention in class and revise your notes, your brain absorbs more information. Moreover, you can understand tough topics. Instead of learning everything yourself, you can use the guidance of your experienced instructor.
10. Join Study Groups
Last but not least, involve yourself in study groups. Sometimes, you might not understand a particular topic. In such circumstances, your peers’ notes could come into use, or you could ask your friend to explain them in detail.
Study groups help you remain focused on your goal. You get to learn new facts that you might have skipped.
Conclusion
These are some tips to remember while preparing for your nursing practice tests or other exams. It is a strenuous time, and you might feel anxious, nervous, and worried. However, worrying won’t make things better.
Start following these steps to improve your chances of passing the exam. Free CNA practice tests to joining study groups, all these points make your life easier.
