# I think I failed  :(



## IcantThinkofAname (Jan 10, 2009)

I just got home.  Test stopped at 70.  Last question was confusing, and I think I got it wrong.


----------



## flhtci01 (Jan 10, 2009)

Wait until you get your results.  I was absolutely positive that I failed.  I walked out, called my wife and told her I failed.  :sad: The results said otherwise.


----------



## IcantThinkofAname (Jan 10, 2009)

Thanks.  I am trying to stay positive, but I know I got the last question wrong, which, as I understand it, is kind of the deciding one.

I got a ton of RIDICULOUS questions!


----------



## Scott33 (Jan 10, 2009)

IcantThinkofAname said:


> Thanks.  I am trying to stay positive, but I know I got the last question wrong, which, as I understand it, is kind of the deciding one.



Did you research your last question after the test, to come to that conclusion?



> I got a ton of RIDICULOUS questions!



That could be a good thing. When I took it, I knew I was doing well by the type of questions I was getting. If you are being asked _"what is your favorite color of ambulance"_ on the other hand, you know you are sucking.

The test is designed so that you are only able to get a certain percentage correct. There is no way to score 100%, so it will feel a lot different to all those scantron exams of the past.

Was this Basic, Intermediate, or Medic?

Be positive. Wost case scenario - you take it again.

Good luck.


----------



## IcantThinkofAname (Jan 10, 2009)

It was the Basic test.

The last question seems to be a popular one...about the preferred method of compressions on an infant - thumbs or 2-finger method.  I answered incorrectly, according to my book and multiple resources.

So yeah, I'm trying to be hopeful, but I know I got a few of them incorrect and with that small a number of questions, I just don't think I eeked out enough right ones to pass that quickly.

But like you said, I can retest in 2 weeks!


----------



## IcantThinkofAname (Jan 10, 2009)

Well, hm.  This is interesting.  I just found this post and he put the same answer as me and passed...so maybe there IS hope!

http://www.emtlife.com/showpost.php?p=73342&postcount=4


----------



## bowulf (Jan 10, 2009)

Well good luck nevertheless, and I had a similar thought this week about how well I did.  If you don't pass, just start focusing on the subjects you did weakest or most baffled.


----------



## Scott33 (Jan 11, 2009)

IcantThinkofAname said:


> Well, hm.  This is interesting.  I just found this post and he put the same answer as me and passed...so maybe there IS hope!
> 
> http://www.emtlife.com/showpost.php?p=73342&postcount=4


----------



## IcantThinkofAname (Jan 11, 2009)

LOL...can I just download that and pin it on my shirt?  :lol:

One more day to go!


----------



## rhan101277 (Jan 11, 2009)

isn't thumbs the preferred method?  Anyhow mine was tough to, I got a question about how to calculate minute volume.  It is in the basic book but mentioned once.  Mine stopped in the 70's to and I passed.


----------



## IcantThinkofAname (Jan 11, 2009)

Yes, thumbs is the preferred method, at least that's what it says in my book.  But in the link I put above, the guy put down 2 fingers and still passed, so maybe the theory that the last answer has to be right to pass is incorrect?


----------



## bowulf (Jan 11, 2009)

According to the 2005 AHA standards:
For children, use 1 or 2 hands to perform chest compressions and compress at the nipple line; for infants, compress with 2 fingers on the breastbone just below the nipple line. Instead of only one hand for child and 1 finger width below the nipple line for infant.


----------



## IcantThinkofAname (Jan 11, 2009)

> According to the 2005 AHA standards:
> For children, use 1 or 2 hands to perform chest compressions and compress at the nipple line; for infants, compress with 2 fingers on the breastbone just below the nipple line. Instead of only one hand for child and 1 finger width below the nipple line for infant.



Interesting.  I wonder if it's changed since the 2005 standards?  I do remember my instructors showing both the 2 finger and the 2 thumb encircling method.  My book (Prentice Hall, 10th edition EMS book), it says that it depends on the size of the infant, but that the 2 thumb encircling method is the preferred.

The only other weird thing in the question was that one method was used on the "lower sternum" and the other was on the "upper sternum" so that kind of threw me off.  What divides the upper and lower sternum?  To me, the nipple line, or immediately below, is the upper sternum and that was the one associated with the 2 fingers method so that's why I chose that answer.


----------



## BEorP (Jan 11, 2009)

IcantThinkofAname said:


> Interesting.  I wonder if it's changed since the 2005 standards?  I do remember my instructors showing both the 2 finger and the 2 thumb encircling method.  My book (Prentice Hall, 10th edition EMS book), it says that it depends on the size of the infant, but that the 2 thumb encircling method is the preferred



It hasn't changed since 2005. Two thumbs for HCPs is the preferred method when you have two rescuers.


----------



## Sasha (Jan 11, 2009)

I remember taking the NREMT, I went into the testing site (with all the security you'd think it was to get in to see the president!) there were a bunch of other people there, all taking tests for something or another (my testing site did a whoooole bunch. MA tests, NCLEX, Real Estate!). I sat down at my computer, started the test. When I got to the "The test is now over" part, I hadn't been in there for thirty minutes, and everyone else was still doing whatever they were doing. I was nearly crying in my chair. I thought I had just failed soooo badly there was no hope of passing and it shut off. So after getting all my IDs and stuff back, I ran down to my car, cried my eyes out, and on the drive home convinced myself why I had failed. I went over every question and talked myself into why the other answers were right and the one I chose was wrong.

BUT I passed.

So, my point is, the test is designed where you could talk yourself into thinknig you failed based on the "Two right answers, but one is more right than the other" mumbo jumbo. So don't give up hope, keep checking. Let us know.

And if you did by chance fail, chin up, love. That just means you study a little more and retake the test! :]


----------



## Hockey (Jan 11, 2009)

Just think, you have a 50/50 chance of you passing it  


Never take a test on a weekend or before a weekend


Waiting is a killer


----------



## Noctis Lucis Caelum (Jan 11, 2009)

I was totally convince and even myself got me thinking i failed once the test stop.  The minute i got home i even took out my book and started studying again thinking i failed and preparing to study already for the next test. 

If you didn't get the results yet, just think about how you're going to study for the next test and prepare yourself.  Everybody wants to pass but once they do its all good times.  Keep your head up man, and good luck


----------



## BEorP (Jan 11, 2009)

Hockey9019 said:


> Just think, you have a 50/50 chance of you passing it



Ummmmmmmmmmmm


----------



## csly27 (Jan 11, 2009)

just a quick question on thursday i am taking my final in class after that i will beable to take th n/r  providing i pass the final a little nervouse but I am carring a high B.I am sure it has been discussed elswhere but I am here. I was just wondering is the n/r timed or does it just go by the number of questions that you get right? thanx.


----------



## Noctis Lucis Caelum (Jan 11, 2009)

csly27 said:


> just a quick question on thursday i am taking my final in class after that i will beable to take th n/r  providing i pass the final a little nervouse but I am carring a high B.I am sure it has been discussed elswhere but I am here. I was just wondering is the n/r timed or does it just go by the number of questions that you get right? thanx.



The time is just how long you have for the whole test.
The test # is random, depending on how you do it can go high or low.
I remember someone saying "the more you answer correctly, the more harder it gets" And vice versa.  From what i've read, many stopped at 70's, few in the 50-60's and few in the 120's.  Its all random on how you do.

Having a B in class doesn't mean nothing in the NREMT.  Study all the topics even that weren't covered in your class cause the NREMT questions are random and there were few question i was completely clueless on.  Good luck


----------



## silver (Jan 11, 2009)

Noctis Lucis Caelum said:


> I remember someone saying "the more you answer correctly, the more harder it gets" And vice versa.



So if you get the answer right, it gets harder. Wrong, it gets easier. So the questions might get harder and harder until it finds your point and then you might get like one wrong, then the next right, and the next wrong, and etc...So that it is 95% sure you will pass.

So a lot of people leave the test and get nearly half of the questions wrong, but still pass. There is a whole video out there explaining it with graphs and such.


----------



## IcantThinkofAname (Jan 11, 2009)

I don't even know how I would study better if I fail.  Honestly, the questions I was getting weren't really covered in my class or my book.  I was getting off-the-wall scenarios and things that we just didn't cover.  For instance, we always just learned to hold c-spine and manually stabilize, etc., but I got a scenario where the pt.'s breathing difficulty increased when manual stabilization was attempted.  That kind of situation was never covered in my class, and yes, I'm sure it should have been.  But it's not like it's covered in my book, either, so if I go back to try to study, I'm not going to be studying what's on the test, I'm going to be studying what I already know, which apparently isn't sufficient!

This is very frustrating.


----------



## rhan101277 (Jan 11, 2009)

Breathing comes first, what were the choices.  I know you can use pillows and things if you need to instead of a cervical collar.


----------



## Noctis Lucis Caelum (Jan 11, 2009)

Studying what you already know won't get you far on the NREMT.  NREMT questions are based on everything that you didn't even cover in class.  I was asked about cribbing on a stabilize vehicle.  Such a random question i was clueless on but i related it back to lifting and mechanics.  I studied my whole workbook even on the topics that weren't covered in class.


----------



## IcantThinkofAname (Jan 11, 2009)

> Breathing comes first, what were the choices. I know you can use pillows and things if you need to instead of a cervical collar.



I can't remember all 4 choices, but I know 1 involved trying to manually stabilize anyway and one involved securing to a long board.  I think the other 2 were just crazy answers so I don't remember them.



> Studying what you already know won't get you far on the NREMT. NREMT questions are based on everything that you didn't even cover in class. I was asked about cribbing on a stabilize vehicle. Such a random question i was clueless on but i related it back to lifting and mechanics. I studied my whole workbook even on the topics that weren't covered in class.



Yeah, see, I obviously am not going to study what I already know, but how do I go about studying what I don't know if I don't know that I don't know it?  LOL, figure that one out!  Seriously, though, I guess what I'm saying is that I read my whole book cover to cover, did the workbook for each chapter, and some of the stuff on my NREMT was just out there and I felt like I didn't have enough information to answer the question.  I tried to use what I knew to apply it, but when they say that there is more than 1 right answer, they're not kidding!  I feel like some of it is a "guess-which-answer-NREMTboardmember-felt-was-right" kind of thing.

Man, the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that I answered a WHOLE LOT of questions wrong.


----------



## ffemt8978 (Jan 11, 2009)

rhan101277 said:


> Breathing comes first, what were the choices.  I know you can use pillows and things if you need to instead of a cervical collar.



Sorry...we don't allow NREMT exam questions to be posted here.


----------



## IcantThinkofAname (Jan 11, 2009)

Oh man, I'm sorry, I thought it was okay to post ABOUT the questions if you just didn't post the exact question and answers.  I will definitely go back and edit my posts.  Thank you!

ETA:  Oh shoot, I thought I could back and edit my posts, but I guess I can't.  I will refrain from posting anything else about the test.


----------



## ffemt8978 (Jan 11, 2009)

IcantThinkofAname said:


> Oh man, I'm sorry, I thought it was okay to post ABOUT the questions if you just didn't post the exact question and answers.  I will definitely go back and edit my posts.  Thank you!
> 
> ETA:  Oh shoot, I thought I could back and edit my posts, but I guess I can't.  I will refrain from posting anything else about the test.



I don't have a problem with paraphrasing the question and listing the two options you were confused about, but I don't think it would be appropriate to list all four possible answers from the test.  Perhaps Rid could offer further clarification on this one.


----------



## marineman (Jan 11, 2009)

Most of the NREMT questions are not written so that you can memorize an answer from the book. By going through the test once you should have picked up on their way of thinking and understand what they're really looking for. A majority of the questions from what I remember were written in a way that you had to put the puzzle pieces together and use your critical thinking to determine what would lead to the best outcome of the patient. Honestly I think if you don't pass the test and have to retake you should try to get some more ride time in on the ambulance to really get the feel for how things work and to train yourself to use the thought process they're looking for. As I'm sure you know things are not always done the way NREMT wants them on the ambulance so watch out for that but the general thought process of the questions tries to put you in charge of pt. care on a scene and see how you act.


----------



## IcantThinkofAname (Jan 12, 2009)

Monday at 8:02am and no results yet, lol.  Oh man, I'm going to be a basket case all day long if they don't post this morning!!!!

Just to make sure, all I have to do is log onto my account and click "check application status," right?


----------



## Bosco578 (Jan 12, 2009)

IcantThinkofAname said:


> Monday at 8:02am and no results yet, lol. Oh man, I'm going to be a basket case all day long if they don't post this morning!!!!
> 
> Just to make sure, all I have to do is log onto my account and click "check application status," right?


 
Hang in there! You'll be fine....^_^


----------



## IcantThinkofAname (Jan 12, 2009)

I PASSED!!!!!!  I am completely shocked but super happy!!


----------



## silver (Jan 12, 2009)

IcantThinkofAname said:


> I PASSED!!!!!!  I am completely shocked but super happy!!



hmm you got all worked up, and what you ended up passing anyway...

Congrats!


----------



## IcantThinkofAname (Jan 12, 2009)

LOL, I know...just goes to show how the NREMT messes with your head!


----------



## Shishkabob (Jan 12, 2009)

Congrats!!!!


----------



## bstone (Jan 12, 2009)

icantthinkofaname said:


> i passed!!!!!!  I am completely shocked but super happy!!



mazel tov!!!


----------



## bowulf (Jan 12, 2009)

Congrats on passing.


----------



## csly27 (Jan 12, 2009)

Congrats on passing your test. where do you plan to go from there? I will be taking the n/r soon and I am not sure what the next step will be.


----------



## Noctis Lucis Caelum (Jan 12, 2009)

csly27 said:


> Congrats on passing your test. where do you plan to go from there? I will be taking the n/r soon and I am not sure what the next step will be.



Getting Ambulance Certs, than Live Scan for background checks for both EMT and Ambulance Cert.  Start applying and hope to get in, that's how it is in CA after passing the NREMT.


----------



## Airwaygoddess (Jan 12, 2009)

*There ya go!!!*

YEA!!!!!!!!  Congrats!!!


----------



## Scott33 (Jan 12, 2009)

I thought you would.

It seemed more like a case of test anxiety, than lack of knowledge in subject matter.

The fact it cut off so early shows you did very well.


----------



## csly27 (Jan 12, 2009)

Noctis Lucis Caelum said:


> Getting Ambulance Certs, than Live Scan for background checks for both EMT and Ambulance Cert.  Start applying and hope to get in, that's how it is in CA after passing the NREMT.



Thanks for that the only thing is in the next month or so we are getting relocated. My husband is in the army and sometime in the next week we will be getting our new duty station. And I can not even start researching untill I know where we are going. If I get the certs that I need here if I can get them done that fast are they transferable or should I just wait untill we get to where we are going? Any thoughts on that would be great thanks.


----------



## jochi1543 (Jan 12, 2009)

LOL, classic.


----------



## IcantThinkofAname (Jan 12, 2009)

> Congrats on passing your test. where do you plan to go from there? I will be taking the n/r soon and I am not sure what the next step will be.



Sending in my stuff (once I get it) to the state, getting my license and applying to a few places here.  Most likely I'll work for a private company (i.e. transfers) but I hope to get some paid per diem work at a fire department.  My end goal is to work full-time at a fire station, which will mean I'll have to pass the firefighter physical.  If I can't get the paid per diem work, I'll try to do volunteer EMS in between shifts for the private company.


----------



## Tincanfireman (Jan 12, 2009)

IcantThinkofAname said:


> I PASSED!!!!!! I am completely shocked but super happy!!


 
Congratulations!!


----------



## flhtci01 (Jan 12, 2009)

*Way to Go!*

Congrats!!:beerchug:


----------



## Ethereal (Jan 17, 2009)

There is absolutely no way on earth I passed.  Test went to about 120 questions and I felt really frustrated because I just kept getting questions that I felt I was throwing out a guess on.  I got a TON of questions related to OB/Childbirth, and those definitely hurt me.  Will have to relearn all that material because I didn't cover much of that in my class.  

Have to wait and see for sure, but I think it's going to be time to hit the books a little harder this time around =/


----------



## Ethereal (Jan 19, 2009)

Ethereal said:


> There is absolutely no way on earth I passed.  Test went to about 120 questions and I felt really frustrated because I just kept getting questions that I felt I was throwing out a guess on.  I got a TON of questions related to OB/Childbirth, and those definitely hurt me.  Will have to relearn all that material because I didn't cover much of that in my class.
> 
> Have to wait and see for sure, but I think it's going to be time to hit the books a little harder this time around =/



For all of those absolutely convinced you did not pass, try and ignore it and wait until you get the official results.  I was absolutely positive I would need to retake, but as it turns out, I passed!


----------



## Scott33 (Jan 19, 2009)

Everybody passes...



...




... eventually B)


----------



## csly27 (Jan 19, 2009)

IcantThinkofAname said:


> Sending in my stuff (once I get it) to the state, getting my license and applying to a few places here.  Most likely I'll work for a private company (i.e. transfers) but I hope to get some paid per diem work at a fire department.  My end goal is to work full-time at a fire station, which will mean I'll have to pass the firefighter physical.  If I can't get the paid per diem work, I'll try to do volunteer EMS in between shifts for the private company.



Right on that seems like a plan. I would like to join the fire acadamy and then medic school. First though I just wanna get passed the NREMT. Guess I will go from there I am trying to get it done before we move of course it would be nice to know where we are going so I can do research. But I suppose that the army way lol.


----------



## Froggynoch (May 10, 2020)

I just took it yesterday and I'm fairly certain I failed. I know everyone says they felt the same way, but I still think I failed, lol. I don't remember the last question, but I looked up several of the ones I did remember, and I definitely got a few wrong. These were questions that I know I should have known, yet I answered incorrectly. For me, the test started out difficult and I was pretty much guessing on all of the answers. I was only able to narrow it down to three or maybe two answers. After about 5-10 questions it got easier and then it went on to a different topic. I definitely think I failed at least the first subject because of that. Anyway, I'm hoping to find out tomorrow whether I passed, but I'm still worried about it. I'm already making plans to retest in case I fail.


----------



## NomadicMedic (May 10, 2020)

Froggynoch said:


> I just took it yesterday and I'm fairly certain I failed. I know everyone says they felt the same way, but I still think I failed, lol. I don't remember the last question, but I looked up several of the ones I did remember, and I definitely got a few wrong. These were questions that I know I should have known, yet I answered incorrectly. For me, the test started out difficult and I was pretty much guessing on all of the answers. I was only able to narrow it down to three or maybe two answers. After about 5-10 questions it got easier and then it went on to a different topic. I definitely think I failed at least the first subject because of that. Anyway, I'm hoping to find out tomorrow whether I passed, but I'm still worried about it. I'm already making plans to retest in case I fail.



You'll know tomorrow morning.


----------



## Froggynoch (May 11, 2020)

NomadicMedic said:


> You'll know tomorrow morning.


Just checked, and I passed. I guess everyone was right about thinking they failed...


----------



## Scott33 (May 11, 2020)

Congratulations... on reviving an 11 year old thread.

...


And of course, passing


----------



## PotatoMedic (May 11, 2020)

Least they didn't make a new one.


----------

