How do you know when you are ready to test?
Our brains tell us that a 75 indicates that we have a major knowledge deficit and need to continue studying but many people have reported getting 70's on practice exams and then A'cing real exams. So far I have very limited personal experience to share but I can tell you that going into the Transitions exam I had a 74 on the practice and made a B on the real thing. For Health Differences I made a 73 on Form A and a 75 on Form B even after doing all of the required reading. But alas, I made a C on the actual exam. I have been informed by the Director of Testing for Excelsior that the practice exams (as of 4/25/14) are not updated to reflect the credit-bearing exams. The practice exams for Health Differences were not a good indication of the real exam due to the high number of Select All That Apply questions and a shifted focus on certain areas of information.
I will keep updating as I go. For now, I am going to go nurse my disappointment from today's exams with some trashy reality TV :)
Update, 5/8/2014: I took the Health Safety exam today. From what the Excelsior testing person told me, some tests have been updated and some have not; some have SATA questions ad some do not. What that also means is that some practice exams correlate with their credit-bearing exam, and some do not. Excelsior is apparantly in the process of updating their practice exams but have not completed the process. I have an email from Excelsior explaining this. I got a 76 on the practice exam and got an A on the credit-bearing exam. This is in line with what many people have said about what to expect. I do not think that I got one of the updated exams and do not believe I would have gotten an A if it had been one of the updated exams. The last exam I took was Health Differences. i got a 74 on the practice exam and a C on the updated version of the credit-bearing exam.
My Excelsior Experience Thus Far
I get a lot of questions about where I am at in my Excelsior journey. So far I have only completed A&P, which I decided to take as an online course, and Transitions. I am planning on taking Health Differences on Friday, April 11th.
The online exam for A&P was pretty broad and detailed and I found to be overwhelming. I felt that if I didn't get started on the right foot, with a good grade, it might affect my ability to move forward with a positive attitude. Starting out with an A is much more motivating that starting with a C, or worse, failing.
I use the practice exams from EC and do the required reading. Youtube is also a great resource for lectures if you need help understanding something. I have purchased some courses from study guide 101 but, call me old fashioned, I just feel like grinding out the required reading gives me the best experience. No it isn't as down and dirty but that isn't what I am looking for. Momma always said, "Slow and steady wins the race." I just feel like if I study right the first time, even though it might take longer, it will be done well and I won't have to go back and repeat things.
The online exam for A&P was pretty broad and detailed and I found to be overwhelming. I felt that if I didn't get started on the right foot, with a good grade, it might affect my ability to move forward with a positive attitude. Starting out with an A is much more motivating that starting with a C, or worse, failing.
I use the practice exams from EC and do the required reading. Youtube is also a great resource for lectures if you need help understanding something. I have purchased some courses from study guide 101 but, call me old fashioned, I just feel like grinding out the required reading gives me the best experience. No it isn't as down and dirty but that isn't what I am looking for. Momma always said, "Slow and steady wins the race." I just feel like if I study right the first time, even though it might take longer, it will be done well and I won't have to go back and repeat things.
Common Risks Associated with Highlighting
This is pretty much exactly what happens when I study while holding a highlighter!!!
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