First Responder: Division One Exam.

[NorCal]

So I got my butt kicked yesterday.

I made flash cards from the chapter tests in the book, studied as much as I could, and I still got my butt kicked.:sad:

Out of the three division tests in the first responder, you have to obtain an overall average of 80% to pass the course. I took the division one exam yesterday, and I got a 70%. Some of the questions I missed were, "Duh, I knew that, why did I choose that answer" but a seven of the questions I generally had no idea.

I'm not complaining, I accept the grade I got, because I deserved it. But I was wondering how some of you folks were able to hone in on specific material that you knew would be asked on the test. I guess I was overwhelmed regarding the amount of material covered before the exam and I studied the wrong things.

It sucks because I've been in school for a while, so it not like I'm out of practice, so I was wondering what you folks think. Any suggestions?

 

[Jay]

NorCal,

I sounds like you are motivated which means that the issue could have been your instructor. A good instructor makes or breaks the whole deal, aside from your instructor there are a few things that will determine the outcome of the test, such as:

1. Getting a hold of some national registry style practice exams and going over them again and again. This should be for at least the two weeks prior to taking your state exam.

2. When taking your exam, do the whole exam once and then go back over your answers again and even a third time if need be. You will notice that the questions, though dispersed throughout the exam are grouped into sets and you will actually figure out the answers to questions in other parts of the test by seeing this pattern. For example, you may be asked what the "A" in "AVPU" means when you get to question 12 but if you did a "once over" through the whole test you may be asked what 'Alert & Oriented x3 means' at question 67. It is kind of a cheesy example but you get the point. Just don't discount it.

3. The night before your test, do all or as many of the chapter reviews as you can in your First Responder or EMT course book and see why the answers are the way they are. You should have been doing this throughout the course as well; and a good instructor will drill you at the end of every unit and Approx. 50% and 80% of the way through the course.

4. Go with your gut, the first answer is usually right.

5. Get enough sleep before the test, use the bathroom and try to get a coffee if your drink it prior to stepping in the room to take your exam.

6. If your going with a group, have someone do drills on the way to the testing location.

7. If your doing practicals as well, make sure you and your partner are compatible, meaning one should be a little better on one practical than the other so you compensate for each others weakness. You should also work well as a team. It will make that section go by a lot faster. You will also want to review your BLS algorithms inside and out because (at least in PA) the CPR and/or choking follows them very closely with the addition of O2 and airway adjuncts. You should have been drilled per these checklists in class and warned of the points that will fail you immediately, e.g. BSI and Scene Safety issues.

I hope this helps!!! Feel free to reply or PM me if you have any other questions.

 

[danlimmer]

A few more ideas

NorCal,

One question that comes to mind is to see if the cards you made matched the content on the quiz. You said that you haven't been a student in a while so it may take you an exam or two to get in the swing.

Now that you have taken one exam you may have a better idea of what type of questions your instructor asks. I would ask your instructor to go over the test with you and maybe even look at your cards to see if he/she has any suggestions. This will also show your instructor that you are trying. As an instructor I always appreciate students that have put in an effort.

You also sound like you went back and saw a few things you knew but chose wrong. I'd bet some of those would have gotten you close to 80%--and you will be less nervous next time.

Most importantly don't be discouraged. The study cards are a great way to prepare. I recommend them to all my students.

Good luck.
Dan Limmer

 

[LucidResq]

Definitely check in with other students, even if just to ask what their techniques or what material they are studying. Sometimes they'll pick up subtle hints that "this will be on the test" that you miss. Sometimes they have really good studying tricks.

I'd also strongly suggest being upfront with your instructor. You said that you studied the wrong things, so let them know. "Hey, I'm not sure why, but it seems like on this last test I studied the wrong material and missed some of the important stuff that was actually tested on. What can I do in the future?"

I know that if any of my students came to me as above, I'd first sit down with them and the test and try to figure out a pattern - like did they miss a bunch of the terminology stuff but have the numbers stuff down pat? I'd definitely want to go over the test with them in detail and clear up any misunderstandings or confusions immediately. I'd want to know what they spent their time on studying and weed out what they should focus on in the future.

Then I'd want to make sure the entire class isn't having the same problem. It could be just one student, but it also could be several people or even the entire class - which could mean I did something wrong. In my opinion that doesn't necessarily mean someone is a poor instructor... we're all human and sometimes make mistakes, I need feedback almost as much as the students do to make sure I'm doing a good job and meeting everyone's needs. In this situation I'd also make sure to somehow rectify the problem in the future... whether that's in how the material is being presented, how my expectations are being conveyed, etc etc.

So all I'm saying is please consider talking to your instructor. If you studied your butt off and can't identify exactly what you did wrong, it's a very good idea. You might not be the only one in your class. I know I would greatly appreciate it if you were my student.

 

[NorCal]

I studied the chapter test questions so hard that I could answer all of them correctly without missing a single one. But when it came down to the test itself, most of the questions were items in the book that weren't touched upon on the chapter tests.

I'll speak to the instructor and see what solutions he may have for me. I haven't meet with my squad since the exam, but two of them scored 90%, and one scored 44%, but I'm not sure about the other 2 people and what they got. . .