By using our NREMT study guide and adaptive NREMT Practice Tests, you can make sure you have all the knowledge you need, but going into any test with the right psychology and strategy will make you EVEN BETTER!  So, what are the best mental strategies you can use, on test day, to make sure your own mind doesn't defeat you?

 

 

Here are our top 5 tips for the day of your NREMT Written Exam

 

 

1. Change the way you read the questions!

Read the LAST line of the question first, then all 4 answers, and then go back and read the entire test item. This helps you to determine EXACTLY what the question is asking and gives you the potential REAL answers ahead of time, so when you go through the stem, you know what you’re looking for.

 

2. Think Simply. The NREMT is not trying to trick you.

First, let me say: always choose the best answer. Do not just pick the simplest answer because people say "BLS before ALS." There is always ONE best answer and 3 distractors. Don't automatically assume that the one that looks the most complex is the correct answer. One of the most common mistakes is picking a more complicated answer than is appropriate.

 

3. ONE QUESTION! Think of ONE QUESTION!

Don’t look at it as 100 questions. Look at it as 1 question you answer 100 times. ONLY focus on the question in front of you. Don’t worry about how well you’re doing or what types of questions you’re getting. ONLY remember that you got some right, you got some wrong, and the ONE question in front of you may be the one that decides whether you pass or fail. Get THIS ONE question right… over and over. If you get tired, or you're starting to get insecure about how you're doing: I want you to remember to let all of that crap go and mentally start over by focusing all your attention on answering THIS ONE NEXT QUESTION CORRECTLY with all of your mind.

 

4. Know your BLS or ACLS algorithms!

What makes you crazy during the test are the questions that ask, "What do you do first?" Those questions are just trying to see if you can recognize which emergency issue is of higher priority. They will make you CRAZY if you don't have the BLS  or ACLS algorithm down. If you know the steps in order, you will not have a stroke during the test. Do you have any idea how many questions on the registry will ask you whether you should give oxygen first, start compressions first, or attach AED/Defibrillator?

 

5. Mindset is everything! Go in there to take its heart!

Get your head in the right place before you go in! As we say in our advice for new paramedic students: This IS a pressure test, but this is a pressure job. So, change your mindset. Don't cram like you're scared. Your mind will forget the cram and remember the scared! Don’t go in hoping for an easy test; go in wanting to destroy a hard one! Take a break in your car before you go in and completely clear your mind. Remind yourself of the effort you put into this. You've put hours into your NREMT test prep. You have built your test endurance and prepared with our National Registry Simulator™. You have been through COUNTLESS hours of lectures, clinicals, and skill sessions in school. You have worked very hard, and you have earned this chance to prove yourself against this silly test. Slay this dragon! Bring home its head!