Questions about the exam

[tjvoll86]

Hey guys, i am taking the NREMT this monday and currently studying. I was wondering if anyone could tell me whether I really need to bother studying much on some of the following topics :

Pharmacology, Anatomy, and Communication devices such as base stations an frequency's and should i know specifics like the watts things operate at etc?

I also was wondering how many definitions there are on the exam. Whether I should spend my time studying exact definitions to things or not. I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed, I mean i know my stuff but I don't really know what to focus on with 2,000 pages of text! Any advice you can give me would be great!
I know I should know everything but some things go very in depth and I was wondering how in depth the test really is.

thanks again

Thomas

[Linuss]

The whole point OF computer adaptive testing is to find your weakness and drill it home. If we tell you to study section A, and not section B, the test will question you extensively on section B.


My advice? You passed the class. You know your strengths and weaknesses, so it might pay to spend a bit more attention on your crappy areas.

But no matter what we tell you to study, the exam will quiz you on something you didn't study.

[thegreypilgrim]

Like Linuss said, there's no way to truly "study" for the NREMT. It's not that sort of test.

The computer generates randomized questions from a bank of questions (I think there are like 1800 last I heard) categorized in the major subheadings the NREMT Curriculum is structured in (Anatomy & Physiology, Pharmacology, Medical Emergencies, Traumatic Emergencies, Operations, etc.).

If you demonstrate weakness in any category that's where the computer will start to slam you. There are no "main areas" that the test will touch on, it's just everything. Since only you know yourself and where you're at, only you can know what your weaknesses are. So, what I would do is I would review everything you're weak on so as to prepare for those questions.

Also, when you actually take the test READ THE QUESTION. When I took the test, there were a lot of questions that seemed like they had an "obvious" answer that I would've gone for if I hadn't really read the question carefully only to discover information that changed my answer. For example, you may get a scenario that leads you to thinking you have to give a certain medication, but when you look at the available answers the drug you want to give has the incorrect dose. So, just be aware of that sort of thing.

[Lifeguards For Life]

A bit of advice I received, that i believe helps is this. within a week or so before the test, schedule yourself enough time to read (skim) your entire emt book. this should take no more than 8 hours, i can "read" my entire emt book in this manner in about 2.5 hours, because i've already read it. After you've skimmed through the entire book cover to cover review any material that you felt shaky about, the day before the test put the book under your bed and relax.

At this point you've learned all you can learn. you can memorize more stuff at this point but your window to actually learn and retain new material has closed. good luck on your test.
the areas I would recommend you become intimately familiar with are scenarios(CVA, overdoses, MI, trauma, respiratory), medicolegal, o2 administration.
all and all its a fairly simple examination. good luck

[tjvoll86]

thanks for the advice guys! I'll def do all of that!