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Unknown
So.
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Unknown
We.
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Unknown
Welcome back to the Assessment Alchemist podcast. My name is Tina Wiles, and I will be your host. And today I'm very excited that if we are going to talk about, smart, is it enough the PE exam strategy. No one teaches engineers. So this is week five of six weeks of the From Panic to PE series. So we are almost at the finish line, and I'm so glad that you're still here.
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Unknown
And let's talk about some things that could cost you some points. When you're taking the PE, for questions that you totally should have gotten. So, over the past couple of weeks, we've talked about mindset. We've talked about nervous system. This week is all about strategy. And before you go, if you think I'm a good student, I got the strategy part down.
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Unknown
Stay with me, because, strategy is not the same as knowing the material. Okay. So over the past 20 years of working in the standardized test prep industry, I have developed a formula for success on your exam, and that is content plus mindset plus strategy equals success. And the this formula, I it's proven itself to me over and over and over again.
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Unknown
And the formula doesn't isn't that necessarily balanced. And it's definitely not balanced for everybody. And I think all three parts are essential to walking to walking into the exam. Being confident and ready to pass. Okay. A lot of engineers don't think they need strategy. I do think it's worth sticking around for a few minutes, because hopefully I'm going to share some things that you haven't thought about, over thinkers and time watchers.
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Unknown
This is a especially important for for you. All right. So let's dive right into some strategies. So one of the first strategies that I think from a test taking standpoint of taking your exam is getting to know the handbook. And you need to know the handbook. So well that you have memorized key words of what you need to search.
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Unknown
So the, the handbook is available, and I have a link on my blog that goes directly to where you could find your handbook, but you could find it in your NCLEX account. And you need to be practicing with the handbook. Okay. So, some things, they even have videos also link in the blog. Of how to search.
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Unknown
Like just getting familiar with what the software looks like and what it looks like to search and use your stuff. Right. You want to be able to feel comfortable, with the materials that you have when you're taking the test. So one key thing, you can't hit Ctrl f and the PDF. There is a search bar within the in the software.
00:03:39:29 - 00:04:10:25
Unknown
And doing things like even just getting really familiar with one, I'm trying to solve this type of problem and this is the information that I need that you know what to type into the search bar to find it the fastest. It could be really finicky when it comes to spaces, and how things are worded. So this is one of the keys to being able to work through, some problems quickly and being able to find the materials that, you know, that you need.
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Unknown
Like I said, build that personal cheat sheet of the search terms. The more you practice, the more you are going to feel comfortable. And the, like, yeah, it's interrupting my my own thoughts. The, like, basically if you've if you've seen anyone wasting time as they go through the exam or it's happened to you, where maybe you spend 15 minutes trying to find a formula.
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Unknown
And when you find that certain way of searching that found it for you, that's what you need to know to save yourself the 15 minutes in the future. Okay. Another strategy is pacing. And the, couple things about pacing that are important. And Mel actually shared, shared something when we had the interview about, having a knowing someone that was confused about the timing of the day.
00:05:17:02 - 00:05:43:27
Unknown
So when you start the exam, you have one clock. So it's not a separate timer for each half. And so you just need to be cognizant of that. You use your time accordingly. So the time you spend on the first half comes out of the total. Okay. If you run long on the break, that time has gone from the second half.
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Unknown
Once you take your break, you cannot go back to the the first half. And so just being aware, and, aware of what it feels like with that timer and how to use it and how to keep going so that you have enough time on that second half. Okay. Kind of in line with that is how you're approaching your pacing through the test.
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Unknown
Okay. And, I hear you. I'm sure you're used to flagging problems and working through and eliminating answer choices, all that stuff. That you, that you normally do as you're going through a test, right. Again, good students. But because this exam time feels different than ones you've done in the past. And because the content, the breath and the depth of the stuff that you need to know and be able to work through, the, work through the handbook and, work through the problems that you're reading.
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Unknown
A treat the exam like a to pass, like you're going to go through. Right. So the your as you're going through, you're going to read each question once, a write down what you need to figure out what you need to if you read it and you're like, I have no idea. Try reading it one more time.
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Unknown
If it doesn't stick or you're not really sure what to do after that second time, flag it and come back, okay? And if, if you're not sure, after reading through those two times, it's not worth frustrating yourself and rereading and rereading and rereading and just getting frustrated. So when you flag it, the shortcut key and the easy, you actually can hit alt f, and and the and the computers at the test center, to flag the the question and move on.
00:07:57:18 - 00:08:19:14
Unknown
I think about when you can end up working through a problem, almost like a time vortex, where you don't know how long you've been spending on the problem. But, you know, if you spend long enough on it, you can get it right. And the first pass through the test just want to go through and answer your easy questions.
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Unknown
Okay. All right. So after you go through the whole first pass of the test, a lot probably have more questions answered than you realize you do. And then you have flags. So now you're going to come back to those flag questions with fresh eyes. Okay. You may be able to figure out maybe another question like triggered what you need to know.
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Unknown
But you're going to come back and try it again. Look at it. Hopefully something sparked and you've got it. If you had already answered it the first time and you were coming back just because you weren't sure, only change your answer. If you know your answer is wrong, if you think you might be wrong, just leave it.
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Unknown
Okay, so the difference between thinking you're wrong and knowing you're wrong is confidence, and you're just not confident. And even if you're 51% confident in an answer that you chose, it's better keeping that answer than changing it. If you're no, you're wrong. Go. Of course. Go ahead and change it. And so if you were if check the answer, if you didn't answer it the first time, definitely answer it.
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Unknown
If you literally have no idea, you're not sure where to start. Anything you want to guess the same letter? Through the test. And I know not all of them are multiple choice, but, it hopefully it is. And you can just pick the same letter through the test. Mathematically, if you pick the same answer four times, you should get one of those.
00:10:05:22 - 00:10:37:16
Unknown
Correct. Okay. If you find yourself spinning on a question or spinning on a topic like I said, if you read it twice and move on, sometimes you need a test, take a second to reset. Or also as you're going through a that's a long time to be sitting there and taking some many focus breaks. Or and have many intentional breaks.
00:10:37:18 - 00:11:02:28
Unknown
Because these mini breaks can help keep you focused as you're going through the exam. Or you are spending on a problem, or you just basically need to take your eyes away from the screen for a minute. We talked about the physiological side. And that was where you take a deep breath. At the top of the breath, take another little inhale.
00:11:03:00 - 00:11:37:11
Unknown
And then slow exhale. That can help reset you. Wiggling your toes can help reset you. Stretching your neck can help reset you. Doing the backs, breathing. Can can reset you. So, just a couple second break. Then when you get back at it, you'll be focused and ready to go. Another testing strategy would be the process of, elimination overthinker.
00:11:37:12 - 00:12:02:17
Unknown
So I'm really just talking to you. We're pretty much all engineers are to use the process of elimination, but it's just a reminder. Okay. Back solve. Use your answer choices when you can, rule out the answers that you absolutely know have to be wrong. Wrong units, wrong signs. And realize that flagging and moving a question on is a strategy.
00:12:02:19 - 00:12:28:23
Unknown
So it's not a failure. It doesn't mean you're not going to get it when you come back. It's a strategy to focus your time and energy as you go through the test. And then the last strategy I want to use is something that Mel shared. She calls it the things you suck at. And, so as she was going through and doing her practice, she came to a topic that she was struggling with.
00:12:28:25 - 00:12:57:27
Unknown
She would keep notes, and it was the things that she sucked at that she wanted to actually do some more study and spend some, intentional time around getting stronger in it. And, it's easy to study the things that you already are good at. Or that, you know, you can get the questions right. And it's because it feels productive and it reaffirms what, you know, reaffirms you can get those questions right.
00:12:57:29 - 00:13:24:10
Unknown
But real progress on preparing for the test comes from drilling and working through and the topics that you suck at that, that you dread, that you don't understand. So you could keep a literal list. You can it could be digital. It could be an, post-it note next to the computer, but, making notes to yourself.
00:13:24:10 - 00:13:43:09
Unknown
And then when you come across the topic while you're working on something else, you don't need to stop what you're doing. You have it written down. You can take care of it later and you can continue on with what you were doing. But just really being very strategic and intentional with the time that you're putting towards studying.
00:13:43:12 - 00:14:17:05
Unknown
All right. So hopefully out of that, you got maybe a couple strategy tips that you could use during the exam. And just want to bring it back to success equals that content plus mindset plus strategy. And all of it is learnable. Every single part. Content mindset. Strategy. It's not fixed. We all have different like very few people are equal in all three areas.
00:14:17:07 - 00:14:38:29
Unknown
And so what part of the formula needs attention? Is different for everybody. And that's the whole point. That you can know all of one of the areas and still struggle on the test is because you need some of all of it. And so next week is the last week of the series. I don't want you to miss it.
00:14:39:00 - 00:15:03:09
Unknown
I'm going to be pulling everything together and talking about what will actually work. Check out my tutor. Why the number two tracked? Com for the blog post. If you want the links. And you can also take, if I, when I talked about The overthinker and the Time watcher, if you had no idea what I was talking about, you could check that out.
00:15:03:11 - 00:15:18:13
Unknown
Our mindset quiz, which is on the website as well. Thank you so much. I'm so excited. To finish everything up next week and tie it on a big with a big bow for yet. I hope you have a great week.
