KAPLAN TEST-TAKING STRATEGIES

STEP 1 FIGURE OUT WHAT THE QUESTION IS ASKING

 COVER ALL THE ANSWERS.

 READ ONLY THE STEAM OF THE QUESTION
 ID WHAT THE QUESTION IS ASKING BY REWORDING THE QUESTION IN YOUR OWN WORDS.
REWORD USING TWO OR THREE WORDS. EX. PRIORTY, TOXIC SHOCK
 IF YOU ID TOPIC OF THE QUESTION GO TO STEP 2

IF YOU CAN’T ID TOPIC OF THE QUESTION:

 UNCOVER THE ANSWER CHOICES

 READ THE ANSWER CHOICES FOR CLUES ABOUT THE TOPIC OF QUESTION. DON’T TRY TO
ANSWER THE QUESTION AT THIS POINT BECAUSE U DON’T KNOW THE TOPIC.
 AFTER ID THE TOPIC OF THE QUESTION FROM CLUES CONTAINED IN THE ANSWER, REPHRASE
THE QUESTION IN YOUR OWN WORDS AND PROCEED TO STEP 2.

STEP 2 ASSESSMENT VS IMPLEMENTATION

 READ EACH ANSWER CHOICE TO DETERMINE IF IT IS AN ASSESSMENT OR IMPLEMENTATION.

 IF ANSWERS ARE A MIX OF ASSESSMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION, GO BACK TO THE STEM OF
THE QUESTION IF ASSESSMENT OR VALIDATION IS REQUIRED.
 IF ANSWERS ARE ALL ASSESSMENTS OR ALL, IMPLEMENTATIONS, PROCEED TO STEP 3.

TRAP:

 IF THERE’S NO NURSING ASSESSMENT IN THE QUESTION’S STEM, DOES THE SITUATION REQUIRE
ASSESSMENT? OBJECTIVE NURSE DATA.
 IF NURSING ASSESSMENT IS INCLUDED IN THE STEM OF THE QUESTION, DETERMINE IS
VALIDATION IS REQUIRED. IF SO, CONTINUE THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS.
 IF THE NURSE DETERMINES ASSESSMENT OR VALIDATION IS REQUIRED BUT THERE’S NO
CORRECT ASSESSMENT, EVALUATE THE IMPLEMENTATION ANSWERS.

STEP 3: DOES MASLOW FIT?

 DETERMINE IF ANSWERS ARE A MIX OF PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL.

 IF ANSWERS ARE ALL PHYSICAL, PROCEED TO STEP 4
 IF ANSWERS ARE ALL PSYCHOSOCIAL, PROCEED TO STEP 5
 ANSWERS ARE A MIX OF PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL
 ELIMINATE ANSWERS CHOICES THAT ARE PSYCHOSOCIAL (PHYSICAL NEEDS FIRST)
 FOR THE LICENSURE EXAM…CONSIDER PAIN AS PSYCHOSOCIAL NEED
 LOOK AT THE REMAINING ANSWERS CHOICES AND ASK YOURSELF, “DOES IT MAKE SENSE?”
 IF MORE THAN ONE ANSWER REMAINS USE ABCs.

TRAP: DON’T ALWAYS SELECT THE RESPIRATION ANSWER.

STEP 4:

 ARE ALL ANSWERS PHYSICAL? YES!!!

 THEN USE ABCS

STEP 5 DETERMINE THE OUTCOME OF THE ANSWER

TRAP: DON’T SELECT ANSER THAT SOUND “RIGHT”

WHAT IS THE OUTCOME OF EACH REMAINING ANSWER: DESIRED OUTCOME?

ANSWER ALL ASSESSMENT:

 ID WHY EACH ASSESSMENT IS PERFORMED

 DETERMINE OUTCOME OF EACH ASSESSMENT
 IS IT DESIRED FOR THE SITUATION?

ANSWERS ARE ALL IMPLEMENTATION:

 ID WHY EACH IMPLEMENTATION IS PERFORMED
 DETERMINE THE OUTCOME OF EACH ANSWER
 IS IT DESIRED?