Alternate test questions
Select All That Apply --- Click on all Appropriate Answer Choices
To answer this type of question, determine which of the answer choices provided are correct. Remember; select ALL correct responses, not just the BEST response. If you like an answer choice, left-click on the box in front of the answer choice. A small check mark appears in the box indicating that you selected that answer. If you change your mind about a particular answer choice, just click on the box again: the check mark disappears and the answer choice is no longer selected.
How should you approach these types of questions? What doesn’t work is to compare and contrast the individual answer choices. To answer this question, it is necessary for you to consider each answer choice a True/False question.
Hot Spots – Select the Correct Area and click the mouse
This type of alternate question asks you to identify a location on a graphic or table. It is important to understand that this is not a test of your fine motor skills but is designed to evaluate your knowledge of nursing content, anatomy and physiology and pathophysiology.
Using the computer’s mouse, move the cursor to the location you think is correct. Then, left-click the mouse. Check to make sure that you have selected the location you wanted. Then enter the your answer by clicking on the NEXT (N) button. Just do your best and use the anatomical landmarks to get your bearings and select the location.
Fill in the Blanks – Enter the answer
This type of alternate question asks you to fill in the blank with a number based on a calculation
Drag and Drop/Ordered Response
This is one of the newer alternate question types introduced by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. These questions ask you to place answers in a specific order.
Example: Arrange the steps in preparing to insert an indwelling Foley catheter.
Multiple-Choice Test Questions
To develop an effective set of strategies, it is important that you understand a components of an NCLEX-RN exam multiple-choice question.
Each multiple-choice, four-option NCLEX-RN exam question is composed of:
• The stem of the question. The stem includes the situation that describes the client, his problems or healthcare needs, and other relevant information. It also includes a question or an incomplete statement. This is the question that you must answer.
• Three incorrect answers referred to here as distracters.
• The correct answer.
The three distracters will probably sound logical to you. They may even be based on information provided in the stem, but they don’t really answer the question. Other incorrect answers may be actions that are common nursing practice but not ideal nursing practice.
The correct answer is the only choice that is recognized as correct by NCLEX-RN exam, so you need to learn to select it. To select a correct response, you must understand the whys of nursing care.
Remember that most answer choices are written on the application level: you will not be able to select answers based on recognition or recall. You must understand the whys of nursing actions in order to select the correct response.
You Do the Math. Stem + answer choices = NCLEX-RN exam question.
Go online, practice answering exam-style questions, including alternate questions, online at kaptest.com/booksonline. You’ll find alternate questions in Kaplan’s Question Bank sample.
CRITICAL THINKING STRATEGIES
• The NCLEX-RN exam is not a test about recognizing facts.
• You must be able to correctly identify what the question is asking.
• Do not focus on background information that is not needed to answer the question.
• The NCLEX-RN exam focuses on thinking through a problem or situation.
Remember the NCLEX-RN exam is testing your ability to think critically. Critically thinking for the nurse involves:
• Observation
• Deciding what is important
• Looking for patterns and relationships
• Identifying the problem
• Transferring knowledge from one situation to another
• Applying knowledge
• Discriminating between possible choices and or courses of action
• Evaluating according to criteria established
REWORD THE QUESTION
The first step to correctly answering the NCLEX-RN exam questions is to find out what each question is really asking.
Step1. Read each question carefully from the first word to the last word. Do not skim over the words or read them too quickly.
Step2. Look for hints in the wording of the question stem. The adjectives most, first, best, and initial indicates that you must establish priorities. The phrase further teaching is necessary indicates that the answer will contain incorrect information. The phrase client understands teaching indicates that the answer will be correct information.
Step3. Reword the question stem in your own words so that it can be answered with a yes or no, or with a specific bit of information. Begin your questions with what, when, or why.
Step4. If you can’t complete step 3, read the answer choices for clues.
Not About Facts. The NCLEX-RN exam is not about facts.
What Do You Mean By That? Focus on what the question is really asking.
Reword! Reword every question in your own words.
Sixth Senses Doesn’t Work. Do not answer questions based on feelings and hunches.
Stay focused. Stay focused on THE REWORDED QUESTION.
ELIMINATE WRONG ANSWERS
Remember the characteristics of unsuccessful test takers? One of their major problems is that they do not thoughtfully consider each answer choice. They react to questions using feelings and hunches. Unsuccessful test takers look for a specific answer choice. The following strategy will enable you to consider each answer choice in a thoughtful way.
Step1. Cover all answer choices except (1).
Step2. Read answer choice (1). The repeat THE REWORDED QUESTION after reading the answer choice. Ask yourself, “Does this answer THE REWORDED QUESTION?” If you know the answer choice is wrong, eliminate it. If you aren’t sure, leave the answer choice in for consideration.
Step3. Repeat the above process with each remaining answer choice.
Step4. Note which answer choices remain.
Step5. Reread the question to make sure you have correctly identified THE REWORDED QUESTION.
Step6. Ask yourself, “which answer choice best answers the question?” That is your answer.
What’s Left Is The Answer. If you eliminate three answer choices, the fourth answer choice must be the correct answer.
No Second Chances. Eliminate only what you know is wrong. Once a choice has been eliminated, put it out of your mind.
Decide What’s Important. Do not focus on unnecessary information.
You’re Not The Weatherman. Do not predict answers.
DON’T PREDICT ANSWERS
On the NCLEX-RN exam, you are asked to select the best answer from the four choices that you are given. Many times the “ideal” answer choice is not there. Don’t sit and moan because the answer that you think should be there isn’t provided. Remember:
• Identify THE REWORDED QUESTION.
• Select the best answer from the choices given.
Step1. Read the question stem.
Step2. Focus on the adjectives. “ Most accurate” should tell you that more than one answer will sound good.
Step3. Reword the question stem. “What is true about…”?
Step4. Read each answer choice and ask yourself, “ Is this true about…”?
Practice Makes Perfect. Practice answering test questions.
RECOGNIZING EXPECTED OUTCOMES
Competent nursing judgments include recognizing both expected and unexpected behaviors, so it is important for you to recognize expected outcomes on the NCLEX-RN exam. Expected outcomes are the behaviors and changes you think are going to occur as a result of nursing care. These outcomes allow the nurse to evaluate whether goals have been met.
Is That Normal? You need to be able to recognize normal. Not all questions involve fixing a problem – the problem may not exist, or may have been fixed already.
READ ANSWER CHOICES TO OBTAIN CLUES
If you find yourself “clueless” after you carefully read a question, follow these steps:
Step1. Resist the impulse to read and reread the question. Read the question only once. Identify the topic of the question. It is often unstated.
Step2. Read the answer choices, not to select the correct answer, but to figure out, “What is the topic of the question,” or “What should I be thinking? You are looking for clues on the answer choices.
Step3. After reading the answer choices, reword the question using clues that you have obtained.
Step4. Then use the strategies previously discussed to answer the question you have formulated.
Clueless? If you are “clueless,“ look for clues in the answer choices. Stay calm and focused.
What Does This Mean? Figure out what the words are really saying.
