We’ve heard from more than a few students that the questions in EMT PASS app (along with its counterparts, AEMT PASS and Paramedic PASS) are difficult, sometimes frustratingly so. Students want to know why the app is so tough, and if it’s really the best option for NREMT prep. The ones who have already passed the NREMT sometimes say the PASS app was harder than the test.
Yes, a lot of the questions in EMT PASS are more difficult. But the real issue is WHY they are more difficult.
“I’ll admit there were a few times during our studies we definitely cursed the Limmer name because the tests were always very challenging and asked things that were in the far corners of our books, but every time we went looking for information about the question, we all came out with a far deeper understanding of the subject.” – GP, NRP
If the questions weren’t hard, you’d learn a lot less and be a lot less prepared for the exam.
Recall vs. Critical Thinking
Many class exams are recall-driven. They ask things like what percentage of oxygen a particular delivery device will provide. The NREMT won’t have many questions that are that straightforward. NREMT questions are about situational decision-making.
You will notice that many of the questions in the app end in “you should” or “you should suspect.” This is a different kind of question. It’s an NREMT-style question. NREMT questions are concise, which means you get limited information for each scenario. They expect you to take that limited information and reach a certain conclusion.
The questions in EMT PASS were written by former NREMT personnel who understand how questions are delivered on the exam. Other NREMT prep apps make you feel good by giving you too many easy questions or focusing too much on memorization. The PASS apps are designed to challenge you. They will train you to take the knowledge you’ve memorized and apply it to complex, real-world scenarios.
Few people walk out of the NREMT cognitive exam believing they passed. It is a different experience than your other tests. This app prepares you for what you will experience on testing day.
How EMT PASS Scoring Works
The NREMT doesn’t give you a percentage-based grade on your exam. Neither do the PASS apps.
Nobody gets all the questions right on the NREMT. And we mean nobody. If you got a lot of high-90s and 100s on your class exams, it can feel discouraging to see your EMT PASS score is 80 out of 120. But 80 out of 120 is actually excellent.
For example, the NREMT practice tests in EMT PASS are 120 questions each – about the length of the NREMT itself. Here’s how the scoring breaks down in the first practice exam:
- 76+ Excellent
- 72-75 Good
- 68-71 Passing
- 64-67 Needs Work
- <63 Not Ready/Poor
How to Get a Better Score on EMT PASS (and the NREMT)
- Read each question carefully. Individual words or concepts make a difference. Read it twice before even looking at the choices.
- After you look at the choices, go back and look at the question. If you see things like “Lung sounds are equal,” you can rule out things like pneumothorax. If you see words like sleepy or shallow, it may be respiratory failure.
- Don’t hang onto things you may have heard as “always do this…” or “Never do this…” It depends on the choices you are given.
- If you get it right, great. But if you get it wrong, read the rationale, then go back to the question and ask yourself, “What did I miss while reading the questions that would have helped me get this correct?” (Hint: Make a written note of it.)
- Remember that for next time.
We believe this is the best NREMT app on the market. People who have used it come back to us and tell us how it prepared them better than other apps. Go through the app using this approach and let us know what you think.
“Thank you for this wonderfully difficult app. It prepared me so well for the NREMT. I can’t recommend this app enough.” – YouTube commenter
Learn more about the PASS apps for NREMT prep:
EMT PASS | AEMT PASS | Paramedic PASS
Have you used a PASS app? What was your experience? Tell us in the comments below!
