Top Five Tips for Passing the NREMT

Many EMS classes end in May. Students take the NREMT exam throughout the summer. Here is a compilation of our top five exam preparation tips from articles we’ve created over the years to help you succeed.

1. Focus and Study Smart

One of the biggest things we’ve seen in students is a lack of focus when preparing for the exam. When you leave the class, the structure is gone. You have no more assignments or tests to motivate you. Focus can be elusive. He’s what we recommend:

• Study in small bursts – not major cram sessions.
  The brain will only absorb as long as the butt can stay in a seat. Several 30-minute study sessions over days are better than a single 4-hour cram session in the same time frame.

• Study the right stuff (application over facts).
  Yes, facts are important. But the NREMT will ask you to take those facts and mold them into a decision. Use exercises and apps that ask you challenging questions, not just ask you to remember.

• When you finish class, your textbook switches to a reference, not the primary study tool.
  Keep a piece of paper near you and write down things you don’t know or remember while taking practice tests. That tells you what you need to study. Go back to your book for this information.

Several 30-minute study sessions over days are better than a single 4-hour cram session in the same time frame.

Our EMTReview.com membership site offers structured study plans if you need focus! This is combined with practice tests, learning materials, and LIVE weekly study sessions.

2. Don’t Delay Taking the Exam

The material you learned in class won’t stay in your brain forever. After about 60 days, knowledge starts to fade dramatically. It’s easy to think you can wait until you get just a little bit more study time in… but will you? Sign up for the exam. Pick a date and commit. Then create a focused study plan with that date in mind and succeed!

We know you may have waited too long. It’s easy to do. If you feel your knowledge is lacking, either from waiting too long or poor preparation in class, our EMT and AEMT Remediation courses can quickly get you back to where you need to be.

3. Learn the NREMT Style Question. It's Different from Class Exams!

Many people falsely believe that the NREMT questions are designed to trick you. They aren’t. They are designed to be challenging and test your competence to be certified as an entry-level provider. One of the issues you face is that these aren’t like the tests you had in class.

Look for subtleties in questions. The NREMT won’t hit you over the head with information. A single word like “shallow” or “tired” may help point you to respiratory failure and the need for ventilation. A single finding, like anxiety or a narrowed pulse pressure, may indicate shock.

A single word like “shallow” or “tired” may help point you to respiratory failure and the need for ventilation. A single finding, like anxiety or a narrowed pulse pressure, may indicate shock.

Our PASS apps have questions that closely mimic the NREMT style, and include all the new question types. Apps that make you feel good don’t help you. Let us challenge you and help you succeed.

4. Stay Out of Your Head and Ignore Bad Advice

Building on number 3, people are fed a lot of bad information about the NREMT exam, sometimes by their instructors and field preceptors. You might hear “always pick oxygen” or be taught information that’s 15 years out of date. The NREMT exam is fair and challenging, which is what it should be to enter this important profession. If you go in with negative thoughts or feelings of defeat, that kills your mojo – and your chances for success.

If you are looking for good, up-to-date information and something to build your mojo, Dan Limmer does live weekly review sessions through EMTReview.com. He’ll teach you about NREMT-style questions and help keep your head on straight for the exam.

5. Manage Your Time and Energy Leading Up to the Exam

The 48-72 hours leading up to the NREMT exam should be strategic, formative, and centering, not a panicked race to the finish line. We recommend the following:

Anxious about taking the NREMT? Try our relaxation and de-stressing audio, ideal for the days leading up to the test.