Kaplan Test-Taking Strategies

KAPLAN TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES

STEP 1  FIGURE OUT WHAT THE QUESTION IS ASKING

• COVER ALL THE ANSWERS.
• READ ONLY THE STEAM OF THE QUESTION
• ID WHAT THE QUESTION IS ASKING BY REWORDING THE QUESTION IN YOUR OWN WORDS. REWORD USING TWO OR THREE WORDS.  PRIORTY, TOXIC SHOCK
• IF YOU ID TOPIC OF THE QUESTION GO TO STEP 2

IF YOU CAN’T ID TOPIC OF THE QUESTION:

• UNCOVER THE ANSWER CHOICES
• READ THE ANSWER CHOICES FOR CLUES ABOUT THE TOPIC OF QUESTION. DON’T TRY TO ANSWER THE QUESTION AT THIS POINT BECAUSE U DON’T KNOW THE TOPIC.
• AFTER ID THE TOPIC OF THE QUESTION FROM CLUES CONTAINED IN THE ANSWER, REPHRASE THE QUESTION IN YOUR OWN WORDS AND PROCEED TO STEP 2.

STEP 2 ASSESSMENT VS IMPLEMENTATION

• READ EACH ANSWER CHOICE TO DETERMINE IF IT IS AN ASSESSMENT OR IMPLEMENTATION.
• IF ANSWERS ARE A MIX OF ASSESSMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION, GO BACK TO THE STEM OF THE QUESTION IF ASSESSMENT OR VALIDATION IS REQUIRED.
• IF ANSWERS ARE ALL ASSESSMENTS OR ALL, IMPLEMENTATIONS, PROCEED TO STEP 3.

TRAP:

• IF THERE’S NO NURSING ASSESSMENT IN THE QUESTION’S STEM, DOES THE SITUATION REQUIRE ASSESSMENT? OBJECTIVE NURSE DATA.
• IF NURSING ASSESSMENT IS INCLUDED IN THE STEM OF THE QUESTION, DETERMINE IS VALIDATION IS REQUIRED. IF SO, CONTINUE THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS.
• IF THE NURSE DETERMINES ASSESSMENT OR VALIDATION IS REQUIRED BUT THERE’S NO CORRECT ASSESSMENT, EVALUATE THE IMPLEMENTATION ANSWERS.

STEP 3:  DOES MASLOW FIT?

• DETERMINE IF ANSWERS ARE A MIX OF PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL.
• IF ANSWERS ARE ALL PHYSICAL, PROCEED TO STEP 4
• IF ANSWERS ARE ALL PSYCHOSOCIAL, PROCEED TO STEP 5
• ANSWERS ARE A MIX OF PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL
• ELIMINATE ANSWERS CHOICES THAT ARE PSYCHOSOCIAL (PHYSICAL NEEDS FIRST)
• FOR THE LICENSURE EXAM…CONSIDER PAIN AS PSYCHOSOCIAL NEED
• LOOK AT THE REMAINING ANSWERS CHOICES AND ASK YOURSELF, “DOES IT MAKE SENSE?”
• IF MORE THAN ONE ANSWER REMAINS USE ABCs.

TRAP:  DON’T ALWAYS SELECT THE RESPIRATION ANSWER.

STEP 4:

• ARE ALL ANSWERS PHYSICAL? YES!!!
• THEN USE ABCS

STEP 5 DETERMINE THE OUTCOME OF THE ANSWER

TRAP:  DON’T SELECT ANSER THAT SOUND “RIGHT”

WHAT IS THE OUTCOME OF EACH REMAINING ANSWER:  DESIRED OUTCOME?

ANSWER ALL ASSESSMENT:

• ID WHY EACH ASSESSMENT IS PERFORMED
• DETERMINE OUTCOME OF EACH ASSESSMENT
• IS IT DESIRED FOR THE SITUATION?

ANSWERS ARE ALL IMPLEMENTATION:

• ID WHY EACH IMPLEMENTATION IS PERFORMED
• DETERMINE THE OUTCOME OF EACH ANSWER
• IS IT DESIRED?