Taking the EMT/EMS exam is necessary in order to qualify as an Emergency Medical Technician and taking an exam in general could be very stressful for just about everyone.
If you are attempting the EMT exam for the first time, you may be petrified and unsure on how exactly to prepare for it. However, if you are re-sitting the exam due to previous failure then the most important is to thoroughly study the material again and try to research on what kind of questions are usually asked so that you can prepare better. It may help you to take the online EMT and paramedic practice tests to give you an idea of commonly asked questions.
Well, worry no more; here are some useful steps to help you pass the EMS/EMT exam:
- Awareness of how hard the questions may be. There is no doubt that EMT exams are quite challenging and therefore if you are fully prepared then you have nothing to worry about.
- Give it your best shot. Be as prepared as you can be and study as much as you can before the exam so that you have a higher chance of passing on your first try. Yes, it is possible and it has happened. Keep assuring yourself that you can do it and push yourself to work for that license! Proper preparations and practice is your only way to ace the exam, so give it your best shot.
- Understand how the EMT exam works. The EMT exam consists of two parts; the written exam and the practical exam. The practical exam is where an exam invigilator has a sheet with steps for each skill like how would you deal with a medical emergency such as a fractured bone and he or she then ticks it off the sheet once you have completed. For your own practice and preparation before the exam, these sheets can be found online, you can download them and practice so that you are aware of what to do in each situation and this way you increase your chances of passing the exam.
- Understand the expected questions on the exam. Note that you cannot skip any questions or go back to the tough ones later if you are attempting this paper online. Similarly, if you’re doing a practical exam, you need to be extra careful because when treating a patient, you cannot make any mistake whatsoever. Be careful when answering multiple choice questions; don’t be tempted to choose randomly thinking you will be able to change your answer later on. You can only answer correctly if you have studied and prepared well.
- Understand what the tough questions may be. It will be very beneficial for you to speak to a couple of senior EMTs who have taken the exam previously and have an idea of what questions they found challenging. This will help you to prepare better.
Here are some advises to help you:
- Don’t spend too much time reading a question because you may complicate it more. Try reading and clearly understanding the question at least twice and attempt to correctly answer it as soon as possible.
- Out of the four options in a multiple choice exam, two are always incorrect. Therefore, quickly assess which two are incorrect and it will be easier to find the correct answer out of the two remaining possible answers.
- Once you have just two options left, choose the one that is most correct.
- Keep an open eye for the key words in the question. The multiple choice questions can be very tricky therefore it is very essential to read the questions very carefully and concentrate on words such as; “always”, “never”, “sometimes”, etc.
- Be alert for patient information. Some questions may ask what you would do in a particular emergency situation. Here, you need to carefully read and understand how you’re required to respond so that you can answer accordingly.
- Research well on airway problems and solutions. This is a commonly asked question because airway mismanagement can make the situation worse so the EMT exam wants to ensure that you have clearly understood.
- Manage your time well. An EMT exam is two hours long. You need to manage how you plan to use that time to answer all the questions on the paper. If you are not sure of an answer, just give it your best shot and move on to the next question because if you spend too much time on one question, you will run out of time and end up failing the exam. Managing your time well gives you a higher chance to pass the exam.
- Study about both adults and children treatments. Most of the exam is usually about adults but there is always something about children therefore study all the material well to avoid leaving questions unanswered.
- Be confident on the exam day. If you are well prepared, then you have nothing at all to worry about. Have a good meal before you leave for your exam, stay hydrated, use the restroom before your exam and get a good night’s rest. Also, get to the institution as early as possible, don’t consume too much coffee as it will make you more nervous and do not leave any studying for the last minute unless you’re just skimming through.
- Mobile apps can help too. There are mobile apps available for practice questions. This is very ideal because you can open just about anywhere, if you’re waiting for a bus/train, if you have a little bit of free time at work or literally just anywhere because you obviously carry your phone with you everywhere you go!
We hope these guidelines are helpful for you.
Happy Reading and All the Best 🙂
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