# Struggling Miserably throughMy EMT-B/EMT course



## futureemtbasic (Dec 19, 2012)

Hi, I am currently down to my last 2 weeks of EMT-B or known now by NREMT as EMT training. It looks like Im going to pass the course but barely, and its so deflating to me because i was 110 percent committed to passing the class comfortably and learning alot in this class. The way our class was set up was the we would take all online quizes and test through the Online textbook websites test generator and course compass. I read the whole chapter then feel very comfortable about the chapter, then take my quiz and quickly flunk it or barely pass it. My highest score in this class is an 85 percent. The online quizes and tests are scenario/situational based where every answer is correct, two are more correct, and one is SLIGHLTY by a microscope more correct than the other. I am just deflated because no matter how hard i try to take it in and i feel i have it, when i take the quizes and tests it just doesnt connect. I am just wondering if the national registry multiple choice test is equally as hard as these test and quizes, because if they are, My dream of working in EMS might be over!!:unsure:


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## TheLocalMedic (Dec 19, 2012)

To be honest you sound like you're a crappy test taker...  You can be as smart as anybody and want to be the best, but if you can't pass the test then you're out of luck.  My sister has the same problem, and she always hated me because I'm one of those shmucks that doesn't need to study to pass a test.  

All I can recommend to you is a private tutor who can teach you how best to take these multiple choice exams.  Chances are you're over thinking the questions, because I can tell you as a "master test taker" that the right answers practically jump off the page at you as long as you're properly prepared.  I was lucky because I was enrolled in a pilot program to test the SATs and had to take standardized tests multiple times every year starting in the 2nd grade, so I'm used to the format and easily see through the questions.  But to get good at test taking requires lots of practice.  

Get a tutor, study the material.  There's nothing more I can give you other than the pat response of "relax, read it through, go with your gut, and don't look back!"


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## mycrofft (Dec 19, 2012)

I am prejudiced against online instruction except as an adjunct to many real in-person classes with lots of time to talk to Teacher.


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## VFlutter (Dec 19, 2012)

I am not sure if they make anything for the NREMT but go to a book store and look through the NCLEX-RN/PN study books. The first few chapters go over test taking strategies which may be helpful. 

You can usually get the right answer even without knowing any about what the questions is asking.


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## Agent Cooper (Dec 19, 2012)

Those scenario questions can throw you off...My instructor told us to underline the key information in the scenario (vitals, MOI/NOI, etc.) and also what the question is specifically asking for. At least in our class, questions that ended in "what would you do next?" or something like that were usually coming right from skill sheets, so it's important to memorize those.
I think the most important thing is to try and relax - anxiety can make things seem a lot more complicated than they really are (I speak from experience). Just take the questions one step at a time.
Hope this helps, and good luck!

EDIT: Also, I remember that the instructor would throw in some information that wasn't relevant to the question. This can make you think that the question is asking something completely different. Always pay attention to direct question the scenario is asking.


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## WolfmanHarris (Dec 20, 2012)

That question is ridiculous. Sounds like you may be thinking at a level above what is expected at the level of your course. Encouraging overall but discouraging within the confines of your exams. Good advice has been provide so far; I don't have much more to add. Good luck.


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## JPINFV (Dec 20, 2012)

No, the two questions that got posted were bad questions... and based off the second one (everyone gets 15 l/min via NRB), who ever wrote it is an idiot.


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## futureemtbasic (Dec 20, 2012)

JPINFV said:


> No, the two questions that got posted were bad questions... and based off the second one (everyone gets 15 l/min via NRB), who ever wrote it is an idiot.



They may be bad questions but those are exact questions that I pulled from one of the quizes, from the book Pre hospital care 9/e, wich is supposed to closely follow registry standards, Our instructor told us yes in the field everyone gets O2 for CYA measures, but he book does say O2 is not needed for every patient, but O2 should always be "Considered", and these questions are not instructor made they are generated from the books website


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## futureemtbasic (Dec 20, 2012)

And my aplologies for Violating the rules, I thought the rule was dont post any NREMT questions, i didnt know the rule applied to all questions from clasess and quizes, etc., just trying to answer the posters question from up top about how the questions looked, my apologies


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## hogwiley (Dec 21, 2012)

Just out of curiousity, what percentage on the tests are you getting? If you are doing so poorly , how come you are sure you are going to pass the class? Have you failed any of the tests? If so how many are you allowed to fail?

The NREMT exam is not a big deal because of the fact you can fail it up to 3 times. For my class the practical exam and our final exam were bigger hurdles to pass, because we only had one shot and our school was perfectly willing to fail people who didnt do well. Sounds like some schools just let anyone pass and just leaves it up to the NREMT to sort em out, which I think is a big mistake.

Anyway, I think its normal to be stressed out the last 2 weeks of class. I remember EMT class being relatively easy, even fun, up until the final couple weeks.


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## NYMedic828 (Dec 21, 2012)

futureemtbasic said:


> And my aplologies for Violating the rules, I thought the rule was dont post any NREMT questions, i didnt know the rule applied to all questions from clasess and quizes, etc., just trying to answer the posters question from up top about how the questions looked, my apologies



If the class expects you to answer the question with every patient receiving O2, then unfortunately every patient recieves O2. You have to play by their rules no matter how ridiculous until you are in the clear.

In the real world, this is a medication error and should be a punishable offense.


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