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?