Written JCAHPO Exam Test Taking Tips

Many of my students ask me for test taking tips.  Here are those which my students say they have found most helpful:

• Sleep well, eat well the night before. Get up very early morning of test and do your last minute memorizations.

• Schedule your test on a Monday afternoon.  Take the day off work.  Cram Saturday. Take Sunday off…. no really .. don’t study.  Instead nurture yourself. Exercise, watch a movie, get a mani/pedi, do anything to relax your mind.  At this point you’ve got all the knowledge. So, Sunday is the day to dis-engage and relax your mind.  Monday morning get up early and cram.  Then, see next tip…

• Go to area where the test sight is located early so you don’t worry about traffic.  Consider finding a coffee shop nearby and studying there. Then, go to test sight 1 hour or more before your exam. Sit in parking lot as you re-memorize things i.e. formulas, muscles, innervation or anything else you know you won’t be able to keep in your head for long.

• When you go in to take the exam, write down those formulas and other information you studied in the parking lot.

• Read each question twice and read each answer once before you even consider an answer.

• If two answers seem to be correct, re-read the question.

• If the two answers still seem correct one is 'more correct' than the other, so apply that to your decision.

• If you have no idea of what the answer is, try to eliminate at least 2 of the possible answers and guess, then you have a 50/50 chance of getting it correct..

• Flag questions you are concerned about. Your answer may be in an upcoming question.

• Don't second guess too many of your answers. This is a pitfall many people fall into and it causes doubt about all your answers, so it's okay to change an answer but make sure you're thinking very thoughtfully before you change an answer.

• Watch your time (at top left of test screen)

Don’t be afraid of taking a test. It’s not a matter of not having butterflies, it’s a matter of getting your butterflies to fly in formation for you so you succeed!