# NREMT Study Methods...Any ideas?



## highvelocity84 (Dec 22, 2008)

Alright sports fans (well I hope most are),

I ended up passing my EMT-Basic course!  Yay!  After long hours of studying and my dreams being all outta whack, I got the first hurdle done.

Now I'm planning on taking National Registry on January 10th.  Stupid holidays just throws me off.

How many chapters a night should I study?  I am going to review my final as well to see if there are any concepts that I need to get in my brain.

I know to study my skills b/c the order of doing things is based off those.

I have flashcards, but how can you make a study session productive if you just read off cards?  I made cards for every chapter and those bundles start to get thick.

Someone please help me!  Thank you.


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## CO'B (Dec 22, 2008)

*How to pass the NREMT*

I also need some advise on how to pass the NREMT - B. 

I finished a four week Wilderness EMT/ NREMT-B course through SOLO Dec 12, working hands on from 8AM to 6PM daily.  I passed all the tests, practice tests and practical but when I took the NREMT 4 days later I failed.  I took the same EMT-B course while in college a year before and failed the NREMT that time to.  I figured spending $3000.00 to go to SOLO, which I heard was supposed to be good would help me pass.  I worked hard.  I really felt like I was going to do well.

I am going to Cali to go to the Cal-Fire wildfire academy Jan 3rd for three weeks and when I get back I want to try the NREMT again one more time.  I am getting really discouraged and ready to give up. All I want to do is work as a firefighter.  I have tried to find a tutor in my area in Ma. but have had no luck.

Any ideas or any magic study materials would be helpful!


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## Shishkabob (Dec 23, 2008)

The amount of study time varies from each person.  I didn't look at a book in the week and a half I passed the class, and the day I took the NREMT and passed.



All I can really say is remember the simple things like scene safety and BSI.  Won't hurt to go to Barnes and Nobles and buy a NREMT prep book.


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## emt83 (Dec 28, 2008)

I am planning on taking my NREMT test in Jan. 2009 here is how I am preparing:

At work I read my text book, and take online exams:
www.emtb.com
www.rescueexams.com
At night my wife goes over what I read.
I have also even went as far as to making flashcards with vocabulary words.

I also had a 4.0 in emt class, but I have noticed all programs and schools are different, I had to re-teach myself somethings. Well, goodluck!!

Hope this helps!!


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## brice (Dec 29, 2008)

well i went to college for my fire rescue degree graduated, now im working on getting my basic it has been a struggle i have taken the national twice and failed so i decided to re-take the class passed it and the practicals now im off to my registry so we will see how i fair, im still a little bit nervous but i hope re-taking the coarse will have paid off.


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## Bmelanson (Dec 29, 2008)

I bought this book right after emt school ( I took the solo course too, Bill is a fun instructor) EMT-Basic Flashcards, the ISBN number is 0738601233. It help me start thinking in the frame of deal with scenario based questions and go with your gut choice, don't 2nd guess yourself.


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## Noctis Lucis Caelum (Dec 29, 2008)

I reviewed my workbook for 2 hours every night before my NREMT test.  It help but i also studies my notes.  There's really good website that you don't have to pay.  I don't know if i'm allowed to give the website but its www.emtb.com  It has flash cards, quizzes, exams, anatomy and pictures.  They're all FREE.  Good luck


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## brice (Dec 30, 2008)

ya that emtb website is a great site i have used it quite a bit it is very helpful.


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## NorthCoastChick (Dec 30, 2008)

*Passing National Registry*

When I went to take it I spent about three weeks heavily preparing for it, and something paid off, passed it on the first try. Just like Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy: Don't Panic. 

I read and re-read my book every day. I would read in line at the grocery store and post office, I took my book in the car with me whenever I went anywhere, I took it to work in case I had a minute between meetings and phone calls to study a chapter. By the time I was about two weeks out, I knew what I needed to brush up on, and so focused on those chapters mostly.

I took as many online tests as I possibly could. I used a pay study site (emt-national-training.com) because I figure "you get what you pay for." I took as many of those practice tests as I could in a day. I also used every free study site I could find, including some links posted in other NREMT threads. There is a ton of great information on this site, this thread especially. 

I also used the CD in the back of my textbook, although I realized early on that doing identify the traumatic injury puzzles was an amusing distraction at best. I also made flashcards, half sheet, so I could put signs and symptoms on them, especially illustrations. Mind you now, I can't even draw stick figures to save my life, so having to come up with a way to illustrate obstructive bowel syndrome was challenging in a good way. I will always remember what side appendicitis hits on (RLQ) because I was stumped trying to figure out a way to represent a bursting appendix. 

One really big thing I also did that I noticed you said you were doing was getting somebody to help quiz you. My emt-student friends and I played a flip the page game. One of us would flip to a random page in the book and devise a test question based on the information there. It ended up being really good for all of us, because the person having to think up a coherent question is having to work just as hard as those trying to answer the questions. 

A big thing to remember is when you're tired of studying: STOP studying for that day. Don't pummel your brain to try to remember algorithms for chest pain...whatevers... all you'll end up doing is wasting time and feeling guilty without the benefit of retaining any of that knowledge. I definitely didn't study 8 hours every day, but on the days I did, it wasn't a sprint. I studied for a while, then stopped, got food, studied some more, took walks, etc. I even managed to squeeze in beating a video game with my boyfriend during the week before I took registry, and I still managed to get studying done efficiently.  

Don't be surprised if the info you get from study sites is subtly different from your book/other sites/etc. A lot of the pediatric vitals quoted on the sites didn't match other sites/books, and sometimes it was hard to tell just whose claim of "the latest AHA method for CPR" really was the latest. I spent a significant amount of time on the AHA website to learn just what they thought was the best way to deliver CPR, especially for pediatrics.


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## brice (Dec 30, 2008)

thanks for the information i have been studying alot, thanks for taking the time to post some good information-


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## highvelocity84 (Jan 5, 2009)

*I just took National Registry....*

Go through the chapters of OBGYN, TRAUMA, AIRWAY, PED'S, ENVIRONMENTAL, CARDIAC.

Know when to use the auto-injector and when not to.

Did they suffer an allergic reaction yet they aren't showing signs of respiratory distress?  If that's the case, continue focused assessment, contact medical control (while having O2 on them, of course)

Really look at their vitals...know your vitals for each age range (child, infant, adult).  You will know if they are going into shock or not.

Study the signs of shock....what happens...the physiological changes...

Know when you can assist w/ nitroglycerin and when you can't.

Know the flow chart for Cardiac AED machine...what happens if you get a NSI message the first time?  What if you deliver a shock and you get a pulse, then what?

I got asked a question on how do you prioritize a priority 3 (green tag) patient....they are the walking wounded...tell them to go to a different location if they have that ability.

I used "EMT Basic Exam" by Learning Express and the REA Interactive Flashcard books.  They have scenarios, which is what you'll get on NREMT, and you will know the rationale if you get it wrong.  "EMT BASIC EXAM" will show you your weak areas.

I had 78 minutes to spare and I answered between 60-70 questions. I remembered the time more than my number, lol.  Then the computer shut off.  I have access to recertification options on NREMT, but I haven't seen the official pass


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## Noctis Lucis Caelum (Jan 5, 2009)

I went through my whole workbook from chapter 1-34
Thats *every* single chapter including ones that weren't used in lecture.
I also used www.emtb.com, website that gave lots of flash cards, test questions, practice quizes, and anatomy and physiology diagrams.


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## brice (Jan 5, 2009)

well im getting closer to my registry test and hopefully ill pass i have been studying a couple hours a day plus just finished up with my class so im going to be as refreshed as i will ever be-


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## rchristi (Jan 5, 2009)

This might sound a little unconventional, but it worked for me. Find a really good paramedic and spend time with them. Get them to talk about their experiences and especially how they arrive at their decisions. When I took my test it seemed to me that the test was not looking for facts as much as it was looking for a way of looking at information and using that information to make sound decisions.
This may sound a little out there, but as I said, it worked for me.


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## brice (Jan 5, 2009)

hey thanks for the good information, making the the sound decision on the registry is the tough part, pick the best of the best answer, been there done that, hopefully this time i pick the best answer-


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## brice (Jan 8, 2009)

well all that studying payed off i took my registry and passed it. i only had 85 questions, they were not that easy but i studied like no other and i guess that is what it took so thanks to everybody with all the great information and study ideas- brice


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## bowulf (Jan 9, 2009)

You might also check _**removed**_ as another study site.  I just passed, but I am not sure any one thing can point you to a single source.  What was different about this test than the prior class exams was it forced logical guesses or diagnosis on what was actually be asked.  Know you stuff both the positive indicators as well as the negative or contra-indications as much or more.  Part of the exam is simply knowing what NOT to do as that eliminated most of the answers.


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## rjddvm (Jan 10, 2009)

*know your anatomy*

I took the EMT-B test Thursday and was cut off at 60-something questions after 25 minutes, and was convinced I'd failed.  But I passed.  To the above advice I'd add:  know your anatomy cold.   Know which vessels go where, which organs are in which abdominal quadrants, and what the heart chambers are doing and how that translates into blood pressure readings.  

Also know your ventilation methods--O2 flow rates, airway adjuncts, preferred type of mask, etc.  Know the differences between respiration, ventilation, and oxygenation.  

Know CPR really well, and know the differences between doing CPR on adults, children, and infants--it's something we all had to take before the EMT-B class, but it's amazing how some of those details can slip your mind. 

Know when each of the stages of labor begins and ends.  Know when the expectant mother will probably make it to the hospital before birth and when you'd better prepare to deliver the baby yourself. 

Know diabetes physiology and the difference between DKA and hypoglycemia, and what clinical signs and symptoms to expect for each.

I know the above may sound simple--but most of the questions are scenario-based, not cookie-cutter book questions, and you'll have to think and apply your knowledge.  If your scenario is a child with a certain type of injury and a certain respiratory rate and pattern, you don't want to be racking your brain to try to remember what the normal respiratory rate is so you can decide whether just to put a nasal cannula on them or whether you'd better be providing some form of positive pressure ventilation.  Or if the scenario involves an injury to a certain part of the torso, you'd better know what's in that area to get damaged and what the clinical signs might be.

Almost every test question I got had at least two plausible answers, and you don't want to be sitting there trying to remember exactly when stage two of labor begins, or what type of respirations a DKA patient will have, or what type of chest compression technique is appropriate for infants.  Because believe me, all of the answer options will sound plausible, and if you don't know the subjects cold, there will be a plausible but wrong answer there for you to choose.

The night before the exam I went through every chapter on emtb.com and did all of the "assessment in action" quizzes (not all chapters have them).  I'd previously done the quiz for every chapter and the registry review test. These helped not so much for the knowledge review as for getting in the swing of answering multiple-choice, scenario-based questions on a computer.

At my testing site, they gave me a dry-erase sheet and marker when I went in.  You can only write on it after the exam itself starts on the computer.   I didn't use it, but if you have trouble remembering something in particular, like normal pulse rates or the various types of shock, you can stuff the info in your short-term memory just before you go in, and once the test starts, you can write it down on the sheet.   Might help if you have some test anxiety and are worried that you might space out on something.

Don't forget about things like BSI, scene safety, and airway airway airway.   Know which BSI to use when and don't skip scene safety and jump in to treat the patient.  

Read EVERY question and EVERY answer choice very carefully--even if you're convinced A is the best answer that was ever written, don't skim B, C, and D--read them very carefully to be sure that A really IS the best answer.

Finally, don't rush--I've only been reading these boards for a few days, but so far I haven't heard of anyone coming close to the time limit, and of course you can't go back and change your answers.  So take your time and try not to get flustered.


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## rjddvm (Jan 11, 2009)

*Mnemonic for heart valves*

I thought this up to help remember heart valves between the atria and ventricles.  LAB RAT.  Left Atrium Bicuspid (mitral), Right Atrium Tricuspid.   

Know the blood flow through the heart, all the way from vena cava emptying into right atrium through aorta leaving the left ventricle--know the valves, the blood vessels, and the heart chambers and what each does.

And remember Arteries Always carry blood Away from the heart.


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## ffemt8978 (Jan 11, 2009)

rjddvm said:


> I thought this up to help remember heart valves between the atria and ventricles.  LAB RAT.  Left Atrium Bicuspid (mitral), Right Atrium Tricuspid.
> 
> Know the blood flow through the heart, all the way from vena cava emptying into right atrium through aorta leaving the left ventricle--know the valves, the blood vessels, and the heart chambers and what each does.
> 
> And remember Arteries Always carry blood Away from the heart.



Funny, I was actually taught "Toilet Paper My A.."  Tricuspid, Pulmonary, Mitral (Bicuspid), Aortic


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## brice (Jan 11, 2009)

For sure looks like everybody is also doing pretty well on there registry test its nice to see!B)


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## SNARK (Jan 13, 2009)

rjddvm said:


> I thought this up to help remember heart valves between the atria and ventricles.  LAB RAT.  Left Atrium Bicuspid (mitral), Right Atrium Tricuspid.
> 
> Know the blood flow through the heart, all the way from vena cava emptying into right atrium through aorta leaving the left ventricle--know the valves, the blood vessels, and the heart chambers and what each does.
> 
> And remember Arteries Always carry blood Away from the heart.



I am taking my test Wednesday and I feel very confident, but the only thing I struggled with the entire class was the heart & blood flow.

My teacher really never went very detailed about this & I don't think the picture in the book is very easy to understand.

Just so I am studying right is this correct:

Superior vena cava (body)
Right Atrium
Tricuspid valve
Right Ventricle
Lungs
Left Atrium
Bicuspid valve
Left Ventricle
Aorta


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## rjddvm (Jan 13, 2009)

You've got it!  Just for a bit more detail:

Superior and inferior vena cavae
Right atrium
Tricuspid valve
Right ventricle
Pulmonic valve
Pulmonary artery (the ONLY major artery to carry deoxygenated blood)
Pulmonary arteries (small), arterioles, capillaries, venules, and small veins
Pulmonary vein (the ONLY major vein to carry oxygenated blood)
Left atrium
Biscuspid (mitral) valve
Left ventricle
Aortic valve
Aorta

Good luck!


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## Shishkabob (Jan 13, 2009)

rjddvm said:


> Superior and inferior vena cavae
> Right atrium
> Tricuspid valve
> Right ventricle
> ...





And just a bit more---

Aorta
Arteries
Arterioles
Capillaries
Veinoles 
Veins
Superior and inferior vena cavae


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## brice (Jan 13, 2009)

when i took my test i had alot of cardiac question, it is something i think that is under taught is the class, so before i tested i really focused on that portion of the book.


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## McLovin05 (Jan 30, 2009)

These are all great suggestions and I will definitely review them in my book and use them towards my upcoming test in Feb


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## cali4niagirl (Feb 2, 2009)

My teacher taught us the blood flow differently-

RaT in an Rv
LaMB in Las vegas

Right atrium
Tricuspid valve
Right ventricle

Left atrium
Mitral (bicuspid valve)
Left ventricle

I know there are other things in between but it really helped me to remember the valve names.


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## lightsandsirens5 (Feb 2, 2009)

Kind of off topic here, but what would it benefit me to take the NREMT test? Should I? Or is it oly a good idea under certain conditions?


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## Ridryder911 (Feb 2, 2009)

lightsandsirens5 said:


> Kind of off topic here, but what would it benefit me to take the NREMT test? Should I? Or is it oly a good idea under certain conditions?



Well professionalism, demonstrating you have the minimal knowledge under the national standards. You ever have to move or plan on moving to another state, repreciosity is nice instead of going back through school again. 

R/r911


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## Ridryder911 (Feb 2, 2009)

cali4niagirl said:


> My teacher taught us the blood flow differently-
> 
> RaT in an Rv
> LaMB in Las vegas
> ...




In order : 
Toilet- Tricuspid 
Paper- Pulmonary 
My -    Mitral
Arse-   Aorta


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## ams (Jun 27, 2018)

soo no one's answered this in a while but this still comes up when i google "how should i study for the nremt exam" so i thought i'd contribute! 
as a college student I definitely skipped out on/skimmed a lot of the readings rather than properly learning them. my course was hybrid so we didn't really have lecture in class to solidify most of our knowledge except with really confusing topics (like the different kinds of shock), otherwise we focused on the practical part in class
that being said, i luckily passed the course and after passing the practical i had two weeks to study for the written portion. 

I already had the Crash Course EMT book which I read before my in-class final and it helped a lot so I studied that more thoroughly for the NREMT exam (took written notes, made flashcards, basically memorized the entirety of the book which was like 380 pages compared to our infinity-paged textbook). Then I used quizlets for practice - if u google "emt chapter ___ quizlet", the chapters correlate to the orange book so you can pick chapters that you have trouble with (or do all of them!), I haven't had any luck finding one that is a mix of all the chapters but you could potentially create your own. You have to click around a bit but you can find a few for each chapter that have questions, the multiple choices, and answers rather than just the questions and the answers. These are pretty representative of the actual exam because they are a nice mix of general knowledge and scenario based questions. 


I had 70 questions on my exam, thought I had bombed it, but ended up passing! Good luck!!


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