Slay Nursing Exams: 5 Strategies for Rockstar Confidence

Imagine your best self preparing for a nursing exam and be mindful of how you are choosing to be that person in your everyday studying. When you come from a place of confidence about who you are, you position yourself to better succeed. This identity will enable you to give your best face during your exams. It will also help you rebound quickly from pre-exam stresses or any poorly answered questions on the exam. 

Building rockstar confidence means that you have prepared yourself for the exam in focused ways, without any shortcuts. When it comes time to put pencil to paper, you come with the confidence only best efforts preparation can give. 

Here are 5 rockstar strategies to champion your confidence for nursing school exams:

Conquer Exam Prep with Active Learning Techniques

The secret to passing your nursing school exams is to ensure you have actively learned the materials. Active learning puts you at the heart of your learning experience by engaging you with the subject matter. It nurtures your autonomy and control over the process of learning. It thereby enables you to have the confident ability to master the material. 

Three active learning techniques to help you gain more self-confidence for nursing exam preparation include:

Make It Flashcard Memorable

Flashcards are a testing student’s best friend when it comes to knowing the subjects by heart. It is one of the most effective ways to actively learn because you’re fully engaged in the process. Make your own flashcards. 

Remember to use pictures and words, vivid imagery, mind maps, and creative prompts to light up your learning. Break complex topics into more than one card and remember to say your answers aloud. 

And don’t forget to study your flashcards both ways. Mnemonic devices can help to trigger your memory and true recall for more involved topics. Use flashcards as a powerful technique, but not the only source, of mastering your exam preparation. 

Teach-Back Like a Boss

The teach-back method has you recall your summary understanding of a subject aloud or with an accountability partner. It confirms that you have fully learned the course work. In the future, you also likely will utilize this show-me method of active learning with your patients. It verifies that they understand discharge instructions for taking a given medication or self-care modality. 

But it also proves useful for your exam studies. It ensures that you know by heart the materials because you can teach it to someone else. As Albert Einstein said, “if you can’t explain it simply, then you don’t understand it well enough.” Break down complex concepts using the teach-back technique so that when it’s time for your exam, you can retrieve it more easily.  

Get Active and Social

Studying doesn’t have to be a solitary journey. Get social by forming a study group that compliments your learning style. Actively engage with them by brainstorming case study discussions, group quizzes, or even role-playing activities. Do this to ensure that your studying doesn’t get dry, rote or boring. Nursing is a hands-on, social career so make sure your study habits reflect that as well.  

Master Time Management 

Time management is a critical skill to have when you prepare for your nursing school exams. Without it, you’d be left cramming, fueled by stress and anxiety. Here are three strategies to better manage your study time:

Craft a Killer Study Plan

To truly slay your nursing exam, you need a solid study plan that guides you through your exam preparation. Define how you want to prioritize your study schedule and how much time you want to invest into each nursing school subject. 

Consult your nursing syllabus, exam schedule and learning materials. Assess the difficulty level for each subject and prioritize high-yield topics first. These are the ones that are most frequently tested on the exam. Answer prior year nursing exam questions so you’re on point for your own exam.  

Pomodoro Power

This “tomato technique” is a smart time-management method that optimizes your study intervals. It’s magic because of its structure. Italian for the tomato timer the founder used, in the Pomodoro method, you study for 25 minutes and then take a 5-minute “tomato break.” After 4 studying sets, you earn a 15-30 minute break. 

When applied, this technique boosts concentration and focus, while giving you a break for stretching or grabbing a drink. It also helps reduce burnout and stress. 

Embrace Technology

Technology can be such a benefit when it comes to nursing exam preparation. Here are a few ways it can help you:

• Question Bank Apps: Thousands of exam questions are accessible for areas you need a refresher through these apps.
• Educational Videos and Animations: Visual learners can master complex topics through such online videos and featured animations. 
• Online Study Communities: Connect with other nursing students who are also preparing for their exams by asking community questions, sharing study tips and encouraging each other.

Sharpen Your Note-Taking Skills

Notes are one of the best active learning tools you have. Here are three ways you can be your own nursing school rockstar when it comes to note-taking:

Colorful Creativity Boosts Recall

Embrace your inner Picasso with vibrant colors when you study. Studies show that using a color palette to take notes boosts your memory and recall. Master complex exam concepts while stimulating your creative right brain. Get creative with color to help you reimagine your study notes. 

Here’s how best to use color in your own notes:

• Use different colors for specific topics or concepts;
• Create mind maps and flowcharts to organize and enhance your understanding; and
• Use diagrams and illustrations for anatomical structures and medical administration techniques.

Remember to create exciting and inspiring notes so that you can illustrate complex topics and stimulate your recall come exam time.

Master Summarization

Summarization is another active learning tool that rocks! This powerful technique helps you zero in on key concepts and themes in your exam study. It is so beneficial because you actively process and distill volumes of information. You therefore solidify crucial terms and concepts as you prepare. 

Here’s how you make masterful summaries:

• Read study passages carefully, underlining or highlighting key concepts as you go;
• Write down essential takeaways with your book closed;
• Compare your summary to the book’s explanation; and
• Revise your summary to ensure you’ve mastered core concepts.

Bulletproof Your Notes

Your notes are not a one-and-done experience. They are a living document that you return to again and again to ensure your recall is on point. You’ll also confer with your notes to make sure they are as accurate and complete as possible. 

The best way to bulletproof your notes for exam time is:

• Schedule time to regularly review them;
• Turn your notes into flashcards to review key concepts and identify knowledge gaps;
• Connect core themes across learnings for holistic, real-world applications.

When you apply the effort to maintaining your notes, you will prime your familiarity for recall.

Fuel Your Focus: Self-Care For Peak Performance

If you want to perform at your best, you have to attend to your daily refresh through healthy self-care. Here are three strategies to help you ensure you are caring for yourself in the best possible way:

Prioritize Sleep

Studies abound about how crucial sleep is for restorative daily care. When you get a proper 7-8 hours of sleep daily, your body and mind can function optimally. Prioritize your sleep and your memory, recall and brain function will thank you. Ensure that your weekends are also primed for good sleep quality to maintain a healthy routine.

Nourish Your Brain and Body FTW

Brain food is real! Nourish your body and mind with essential nutrients. Don’t forget to take care of your eating regimen for optimal exam preparation success. Meals rich in these ingredients can help:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Whole grains
• Lean protein
• Healthy fats

Remember, give your brain and body the best nutrition you can so it can give you its best in terms of focus and recall. 

Make Time For Activities You Love

All work and no play is a bad situation. Make time for going out with friends, nature walks, listening to music or podcasts, or reading a favorite book. Finding your own personal zen will help you get through the tough exam preparation times. 

When you make time for activities you enjoy, you can build a sanctuary away from the grind. Prioritize your well-being so that you can give your all to nursing exams. Remember to care for yourself like you do so many others.  

Practice Makes Perfect: Conquer Exam Anxiety With Practice Tests

It’s almost go time! With your nursing exam approaching, best your anxiety and nervousness with practice tests, learning from your mistakes and embracing positive self-talk. Overcome exam day jitters by focusing directly on timed tests and practical wins. Here’s how:

Take Timed Practice Exams Under Pressure

Simulate exam-taking conditions by actually testing yourself under similar timed, full-length circumstances. Set aside devoted time, silence your phone, and find a quiet space to test yourself for real. 

Once you start the timer, go the length of the exam to see how you respond under the pressure. By stress-testing your abilities, you see how you hold up with anxiety and determine what subject areas that need help.

Learn From Your Mistakes

Once you’ve taken timed tests, analyze your knowledge gaps and where you may have fallen short. Consult your notes, study guides, study companions and teachers to gain better insight into areas of weakness. See this as a learning opportunity that you can make right before the real exam. 

Embrace Positive Self-Talk: You’ve Got This!

Inner negativity can be your worst critic come exam day. But remind yourself how much you’ve prepared for the big day. Focus on your study strengths to get you through. Boost your confidence with a positive mindset so you can handle your anxiety. 

Encourage yourself well and sit for the exam knowing that you’ve done your best to prepare. Believe in yourself in this way and you’ll be sure to answer exam questions like a rockstar so rock on!

Ready to Make Achieve Test Prep Your Go-to Nursing Exam Partner?

‍Achieve Test Prep is here when you need us! We can help you with your nursing exams, be it TEAS, HESI PAX, KAPLAN, NCLEX-PN or NCLEX-RN. Hear what our clients who have aced their exams are saying as well. Call on us to give you rockstar support for your exams