Passed EMT in May havent taken NREMT. I Need help to Study and Pass.

Matt45

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I passed my course in May, and didn't take after because of money issues. I need to pass this test. Its a matter of my own confidence in the information and the information itself. I would greatly appreciate any tips to help me pass!!!
 

DesertMedic66

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Use the search function on the forum and you will find 1,000,000,000,000 threads asking this same exact question that has been answered many many times before.
 

B100

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It's likely you forgot the details of the concepts you learned in your EMT course; do you remember what the normal BP/Respiration/HR is for adults/child/toddler? The abnormal? Signs of hyperglycemia and what causes it? Stuff like that. I would go over and spend a few weeks reviewing and studying these things. All the while go over and take practice tests so you can familiarize yourself with the questions and also get the basics down.
 

EcstaticEMT

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Fair warning, this is super long (sorry.) Here's what I did. I passed my first time with 70 questions just a week ago:

1) First off, give yourself at least one month (at the absolute minimum) to study, especially since you have been out of class for a while. Since my course only covered the hands-on stuff (for the practical), I wasn't able to read the book and do the exams seriously. So, I essentially started from scratch. I made my own EMT course at home haha. When I had the time this summer, I read my book, cover to cover, all 40 chapters (I had the Orange Book, 10th ed. by JBLearning) didn't leave anything out besides what I felt was unimportant (ex: extra case-studies, scenarios, etc.) I did however read every page with actual info on it, underlined important details, and did the review multiple choice at the end of each chapter to lock in my knowledge. I also redid all my tests online (my tests were online) from class (that I didn't even do correctly the first time around anyways) to help with the knowledge, not so much with the exam. I'll talk about exam practice in a minute. And if need be, I went back and re-read whatever I had felt I was weak on. Your textbook is key. I read it all the way through once, and that was honestly enough. Your textbook can definitely be overkill on some things (ex: for the chapter on legality in EMS in my book, they went over a bunch of legal terms which I didn't bother to remember and still don't remember haha.) Which is why I recommend...

2) REA's EMT Crash Course. https://www.amazon.com/Crash-Course-Book-Online-Preparation/dp/0738610062

No need to get the latest edition that's being released in December. This one is perfectly fine, and at a cheap price (bought mine for $18 just a few months ago). Only use this after you're done with the book. This gives all the essentials you must know for the NREMT, but certainly not everything--that's what your book is for. Again, this locks everything in and gives it in a friendly, concise format. I wouldn't have passed without this honestly. The fact that it's an easy to go to guide, has all the essentials, and gives excellent tips and hints makes this a very helpful resource. It's obviously not perfect, but it has the essentials like I said. i.e., if you don't know something in that book (the basics), go back and read your text. It definitely isn't a replacement for your textbook!! Making that clear right now. Read it after the textbook. This book emphasizes using flashcards a lot, but I hate them with a burning passion because they waste time and don't help. But that's just me--do what works for you of course.

3) JB Learning Navigate TestPrep EMT. https://www.psglearning.com/catalog/productdetails/9781284075243
Or, you can get the app on the AppStore: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/navigate-testprep-ems/id606535337?mt=8

Definitely 100% recommend. If there is one thing you want to get, this should be it as it triumphs over every resource out there (right @NomadicMedic?). The app and computer version are the same, except the app is obviously much cheaper. I would've hated to practice on my phone, as I want to sit on my desk, practice, and read if need be all at once. Again, that's just me. Do what works for you! If you do a lot stuff on your phone or are tight on cash, get the app instead. There are a ton (and I mean a ton) of coupon codes out there for the desktop one, to the point where you can save $25+. They're super generous with discounts if you're frugal when it comes to coupons and savings. Super simple to find.

Anyways, it's a 599 question bank with questions literally from every category (definitely go to https://www.nremt.org/rwd/public/document/cognitive-exam and check out the format of the exam and the percentages of each category. The percentages listed in Crash Course are outdated!). Read more about the exam before starting anything via the nremt.org link. From there, you can tailor your studying. Navigate has two "forms". You can either pick and choose several questions from different categories to practice off of, or make a final exam with 120 questions and a timer (with no going back!) like the real deal. You can read more about Navigate TestPrep both on this site (still under the NREMT forum here) or on their website which I linked earlier. It is THE BEST resource you could use, and I couldn't have passed without it either. The questions mimick the format you'll see on the exam (which definitely helped me calm my nerves on test day during the exam) and will give immediate feedback on whether your answer is right/wrong with explanations. The explanations are absolutely ESSENTIAL to learn with. There were a bunch of things I missed from my readings that Navigate helped reinforce with their explanations.

It's legit, and I couldn't have asked for a better experience with it. One question on there even came up in stark similarity on the exam--needless to say, I was a bit stunned. You could do the questions per each category after you finish the respective reading in your textbook, or do everything at the end. This also is not a replacement for reading your textbook. Alone, it is useless. But with reading, it's excellent practice (because that's what it is--a practice tool! Somewhat for learning too.)

And that's all. Sorry this is a bit of an eyesore but I wanted to be as helpful as possible. I passed with 70 questions my first time, 40 minutes, and I can't thank God enough for all of it.

This is all I did, and it took me from July 7th of this year to the day of my exam on August 14th. However, I sorta felt like l was cramming in the end, as I only finished my book the week before my test. That's why I said 1 month should be your absolute minimum time allotted to study and practice (I wanted to practice for two weeks, but the time just wasn't there.) Give yourself 90 days (or more!) to feel fully comfortable with everything. That's my opinion. I went in stressed, feeling I knew jack, and came out feeling like I bombed. Badly. The fact that it ended at 70 was an insult to injury because I thought I bombed so bad it ended me that early. I thought "wow lol, if I ended at 70 questions that must've gone horribly. looks like my summer was wasted. Yay." But two hours later, I got that coveted "Congratulations" message.

My course ended January 7th and I took the psychomotor right after (had to wait till the summer to do all the real prep for the National since I am a college student, and cannot balance an EMT courseload with a 1500 page book with my college work.) I did, however, read Crash Course in my down time and sometimes in between textbook readings to reinforce the material, so that helped me speed through CC. You'll find that you can get through CC (the small book) very quickly if you're pressed for time. Again, the golden prep time is 90 days in my opinion.

Best of luck and feel free to ask any of us here anything--you're in the right place. And if you do end early, don't freak out like I did, because you just might pass by the narrowest odds ;)
 

NomadicMedic

I know a guy who knows a guy.
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Not for nothing, but your experience is purely anecdotal and frankly, overkill.

As we've all said, over and over, the EMT basic curriculum is quite simple. If you performed well in school, a couple of weeks with JB learning is all you'll need to identify your weak areas and brush up for the test.

If you slacked off in class, didn't read the textbook or have comprehension issues, all bets are off.

Remember, the NREMT is designed to use the information you learned in class to answer questions. There will NOT be any of the same questions on the test as in the test prep, but there will be similar questions.

Good luck.



Fair warning, this is super long (sorry.) Here's what I did. I passed my first time with 70 questions just a week ago:

1) First off, give yourself at least one month (at the absolute minimum) to study, especially since you have been out of class for a while. Since my course only covered the hands-on stuff (for the practical), I wasn't able to read the book and do the exams seriously. So, I essentially started from scratch. I made my own EMT course at home haha. When I had the time this summer, I read my book, cover to cover, all 40 chapters (I had the Orange Book, 10th ed. by JBLearning) didn't leave anything out besides what I felt was unimportant (ex: extra case-studies, scenarios, etc.) I did however read every page with actual info on it, underlined important details, and did the review multiple choice at the end of each chapter to lock in my knowledge. I also redid all my tests online (my tests were online) from class (that I didn't even do correctly the first time around anyways) to help with the knowledge, not so much with the exam. I'll talk about exam practice in a minute. And if need be, I went back and re-read whatever I had felt I was weak on. Your textbook is key. I read it all the way through once, and that was honestly enough. Your textbook can definitely be overkill on some things (ex: for the chapter on legality in EMS in my book, they went over a bunch of legal terms which I didn't bother to remember and still don't remember haha.) Which is why I recommend...

2) REA's EMT Crash Course. https://www.amazon.com/Crash-Course-Book-Online-Preparation/dp/0738610062

No need to get the latest edition that's being released in December. This one is perfectly fine, and at a cheap price (bought mine for $18 just a few months ago). Only use this after you're done with the book. This gives all the essentials you must know for the NREMT, but certainly not everything--that's what your book is for. Again, this locks everything in and gives it in a friendly, concise format. I wouldn't have passed without this honestly. The fact that it's an easy to go to guide, has all the essentials, and gives excellent tips and hints makes this a very helpful resource. It's obviously not perfect, but it has the essentials like I said. i.e., if you don't know something in that book (the basics), go back and read your text. It definitely isn't a replacement for your textbook!! Making that clear right now. Read it after the textbook. This book emphasizes using flashcards a lot, but I hate them with a burning passion because they waste time and don't help. But that's just me--do what works for you of course.

3) JB Learning Navigate TestPrep EMT. https://www.psglearning.com/catalog/productdetails/9781284075243
Or, you can get the app on the AppStore: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/navigate-testprep-ems/id606535337?mt=8

Definitely 100% recommend. If there is one thing you want to get, this should be it as it triumphs over every resource out there (right @NomadicMedic?). The app and computer version are the same, except the app is obviously much cheaper. I would've hated to practice on my phone, as I want to sit on my desk, practice, and read if need be all at once. Again, that's just me. Do what works for you! If you do a lot stuff on your phone or are tight on cash, get the app instead. There are a ton (and I mean a ton) of coupon codes out there for the desktop one, to the point where you can save $25+. They're super generous with discounts if you're frugal when it comes to coupons and savings. Super simple to find.

Anyways, it's a 599 question bank with questions literally from every category (definitely go to https://www.nremt.org/rwd/public/document/cognitive-exam and check out the format of the exam and the percentages of each category. The percentages listed in Crash Course are outdated!). Read more about the exam before starting anything via the nremt.org link. From there, you can tailor your studying. Navigate has two "forms". You can either pick and choose several questions from different categories to practice off of, or make a final exam with 120 questions and a timer (with no going back!) like the real deal. You can read more about Navigate TestPrep both on this site (still under the NREMT forum here) or on their website which I linked earlier. It is THE BEST resource you could use, and I couldn't have passed without it either. The questions mimick the format you'll see on the exam (which definitely helped me calm my nerves on test day during the exam) and will give immediate feedback on whether your answer is right/wrong with explanations. The explanations are absolutely ESSENTIAL to learn with. There were a bunch of things I missed from my readings that Navigate helped reinforce with their explanations.

It's legit, and I couldn't have asked for a better experience with it. One question on there even came up in stark similarity on the exam--needless to say, I was a bit stunned. You could do the questions per each category after you finish the respective reading in your textbook, or do everything at the end. This also is not a replacement for reading your textbook. Alone, it is useless. But with reading, it's excellent practice (because that's what it is--a practice tool! Somewhat for learning too.)

And that's all. Sorry this is a bit of an eyesore but I wanted to be as helpful as possible. I passed with 70 questions my first time, 40 minutes, and I can't thank God enough for all of it.

This is all I did, and it took me from July 7th of this year to the day of my exam on August 14th. However, I sorta felt like l was cramming in the end, as I only finished my book the week before my test. That's why I said 1 month should be your absolute minimum time allotted to study and practice (I wanted to practice for two weeks, but the time just wasn't there.) Give yourself 90 days (or more!) to feel fully comfortable with everything. That's my opinion. I went in stressed, feeling I knew jack, and came out feeling like I bombed. Badly. The fact that it ended at 70 was an insult to injury because I thought I bombed so bad it ended me that early. I thought "wow lol, if I ended at 70 questions that must've gone horribly. looks like my summer was wasted. Yay." But two hours later, I got that coveted "Congratulations" message.

My course ended January 7th and I took the psychomotor right after (had to wait till the summer to do all the real prep for the National since I am a college student, and cannot balance an EMT courseload with a 1500 page book with my college work.) I did, however, read Crash Course in my down time and sometimes in between textbook readings to reinforce the material, so that helped me speed through CC. You'll find that you can get through CC (the small book) very quickly if you're pressed for time. Again, the golden prep time is 90 days in my opinion.

Best of luck and feel free to ask any of us here anything--you're in the right place. And if you do end early, don't freak out like I did, because you just might pass by the narrowest odds ;)
 
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