NREMT Testing Day
I wanted to report back to you guys and gals about my experience with the National Registry test for EMT-B at Pearson Vue center.
I finished my final test for the EMT-B class approximatly 2 weeks ago. I took a few days off before I began reviewing for the National Registry.
Basically I was going to have a 1 week gap from the time that I finished school, to the time that I was going to take the National Registry. I wanted to take it sooner than later due too all the info would be fresh in my mind.
My tactic for studying 4 days prior to the test was as follows.
Night #1....I reviewed a flash card book that I purchased at the bookstore of the university that covered NREMT-B questions. Approximatley 500 test prep questions reviewed. I spent approximatley 5 hours reviewing.
Night #2...I reviewed the coarse book by Brady that was used in class for the past 3 months. I reviewed all highlighted areas. I also attempted to cover any areas that I felt I was still not fully confident in. I spent approximatley 5 hours reviewing.
Night #3...I found a website that had 37 Chapters of review questions.
http://wps.prenhall.com/chet_limmer_emergencycare_10/0,9043,1281453-,00.html
Above is the site that I used. This Web site was nice due to it would allow you to select your answers, and then it would grade your answers and tell you the logic behind the correct answers. I spent approximatley 5 hours on this.
Night #4....I reviewed the workbook that came with the Brady pack that I got from the university. This workbook is what we used in class. We would review a chapter, and then in the evening it was the students responsibility to do the workbook. I spent approximatley 2 hours skimming the workbook.
DAY OF TEST!!!!
I got good sleep the night before, as I wasn't worried about the test at the time I went to bed. I felt confident that I studied the best I knew how and covered alot of material in the 4 days that I set alot of time aside for.
I had to go to my normal job on test day. Being a software engineer, your brain gets tired after a day of work. So I just planned on taking it easy at the office.
My scheduled test time was 3:15pm. I left my office at Noon to head up to the testing center, find it, then go for a quick bite to eat prior to my test.
During my Taco Bell lunch in my truck, I pulled out my Patient Assessment forms for both Medical and Trauma. I just basically wanted to get my brain in EMS mode, since I really wasn't in EMS mode yet.
I walked into the testing center 1 hour and 30 minutes early. After getting my finger printed, and getting a pic taken of me, I provided the center with 2 forms of ID.
After it was verified I was whom I said I was, I then was ready to go to the testing room. I walked around the corner, and was again asked to be electronically finger printed prior to walking into the testing room.
FINALLY, I was in the testing room sitting in front of a computer waiting for it to give me my first question.
And we are off to the races!!!
I don't remember all the exact questions that I answered while taking the test, but I do remember feeling a bit uncomfortable for some reason. From my experience taking the test, it seemed very very challenging for me. I remember 1 test question in paticular that I had never even heard any of the answers that went with that question before.
Patients foot has been cut off. Where is the pressure point to stop the bleeding. Before I even looked at the answers, in my mind it was the femoral artery. Unfortunatley that was not one of the answers given. Only answer that I knew wasn't it was the pedal something or another. Couldn't have been pedal if the foot was cut off. There was another answer that was tibial something or another, and thats the one that I chose.
As I kept answering questions, there were some that I knew 100% that the answer I selected was correct, and yet others I had to do the process of elimination. 2 answers were obviously not the correct choice, and the remaining answers were possible.
I did notice ALOT of pregnancy/OB questions, as well as alot of splinting questions. There were alot less Airway questions that I had expected.
I just kept my head on straight and did the best I could do, eliminating answers that were obviously not right, and then re-reading the scenario question and selecting the best possible answer that I could.
I have heard stories of the Adaptive Test stopping at question 33, 37, and in the 40's somewhere, and those that had the test stop at that point did pass the test.
As I got into questions 60+, in my mind I began to get worried. I was thinking that I must not have been doing so good. I am not up to speed on all this adaptive testing, and how it truly works. I would assume that if you were below the 70% mark, that you would continue to get questions presented to you until such a point that either
1. You have missed so many questions that even if you answered all 135 you would still fail
Or
2. You have answered enough questions to be determined proficient in the EMT-B curriculum and no further questions need to be presented to you.
Well, my test stopped after question #70
I felt pretty darn confident in the last 2 questions that I was presented, and the answers that I gave.
On one hand I had a weight lifted from my chest that I took the test. On the other hand, I was first concerned that I was at question #70, while others had the comptuer stop below question #50
To tell you the honest to gods truth, if by chance for some reason I fail the first attempt at this test, I honestly don't know what more I could study to pass.
Alot of my test questions were presented to me in a manner which a scenario was described, and also the first intervention was also stated to have been done. My task was to determine what the second step in providing patient care was going to be.
Patient has an artery cut in arm. Upon your arrival you stop bleeding, what would be your next step after controlling bleed.
That was my question.
My thought process was after control bleeding, I would go back to ABC's. Unfortunatly for some stupid reason, those sort of anweres were not on the list to select.
Ok, so enough about the questions on the test...
I left the testing center with at least a decent feeling that I didn't get into the upper 100's of questions, and I felt confident in my last few anwers.
Now all I gotta do is wait till my Pass or Fail is posted on the NREMT.ORG website.
If I had any word of advice to anyone taking the EMT-B NREMT test in the future, it would be.....don't slack off in class, keep up on the studies, as the test is no joke and not easy in any manner. Understand the concepts that are being taught to you, and ensure that you understand all the steps in patient care, not just ABC's. Understand what the appropriate steps are from the Initial assessment all the way to delivering the patient care to the hospital personel.
I should know my results here in the next day or so.
-Ben
