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GETTING STARTED
PREPARATION STRATEGIES
EXAM STRATEGIES
ESP’s ROLE |
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GETTING STARTED |
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What do I need to do first?
The first thing to do is obtain an application from the organization granting the
credential you desire. The ARDMS and Cardiovascular Credentialing International
(CCI) are two organizations that offer ultrasound credentials. You may request the
applications on-line at http://www.ardms.org/ or http://www.cci-online.org/. Make
sure that you will have the education level and scanning experience by the time
you apply for the exam.
How should I prepare for the
exam?
High exam scores do not just happen by chance. It takes work and study to achieve
high exam grades. Therefore, allow yourself plenty of time to prepare so you will
have command of the material on the boards. There are Exam Content Outlines that
summarize the material that you will be tested on. Make sure you are familiar with
the general layout of the test, i.e. how many questions, how much time are you allowed
for the test, etc. You can find sample questions and answers along with the actual
instructions the websites identified above.
How can I become familiar with
the testing process?
All ARDMS exams are taken entirely on computer, so it may be different than other
exams you may have previously taken. There is an online tutorial that shows you
the exam process. Make sure you are comfortable with this tutorial. Visit this site every
few weeks until the testing process becomes second nature. This will eliminate any
distractions and allow you to focus on the material that is tested.
How is the exam structured?
The structure of the board exams, including percentages of what the exam is based
on, can be found on the websites. The exams consist entirely of multiple-choice
questions with 4 or 5 possible choices. Nearly all answers are simple and direct; it
is uncommon that they are of the form “all of the above” or “A, C and D.”All ARDMS
physics exams are two hours long and have approximately 120 questions. All ARDMS
specialty exams are three hours long and contain approximately 155 questions. On
first blush, this may seems to set an unreasonably fast pace. However, with proper
preparation, you will have command of the concepts on the exam, and the correct
answer will be identified efficiently. Make sure to carefully read the ARDMS test
content outlines.
How many questions do I need
to answer correctly in order to pass the exam?
A passing score on ARDMS exams is approximately 75%, a grade of “C.” On
some exams, a small number of questions are provisional and are not counted in your
final score. Since it is impossible to identify these questions, approach every
question similarly. Simply answer every question to the best of your ability.
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PREPARATION STRATEGIES |
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How should I plan my study time?
Since multiple-choice exams cover a lot of factual information,
probably the most important planning strategies are to 1) identify a concise source
of information that you can understand, and 2) begin studying many weeks before
the exam. Quite a bit of research suggests that spaced studying is generally superior
to massed studying. For example, you'll get more mileage out of three 1-hour blocks
than one 3-hour block, even though the total amount of time studying is identical.
So if you have a particularly busy schedule, be sure to use study time effectively.
Late-night cramming is usually a recipe for poor retention, mental and physical
fatigue, and careless mistakes on the exam. Reviewing material that is not on the
exam also hurts your performance. It fills your mind with unnecessary details and
additionally wastes precious study time. ESP’s seminars are especially valuable
to students by efficiently identifying the material appearing on the boards. Using
ESP’s quiz cards, after attending our seminar, is a great way to turn those few
minutes of ‘dead time’ wasted each day into productive study time.
What do I need to know?
There are two distinct areas of concentration when preparing for
the boards. First, place an emphasis on factual detail, terms, and definitions.
Then, concentrate on understanding the concepts that knit the facts and details
together. A combination of both approaches increases the likelihood of earning a
passing score! Since registry exams test the recall of facts and definitions and
an understanding of concepts, the approach you take to studying must be based on
a thoughtful analysis of exam content. In part, that is what ESP’s seminars and
faculty provide you – a concise and accurate interpretation of what is on the exam,
as well as how it is tested. The best and safest approach is to acquire a thorough
knowledge of the facts and an understanding of the concepts underlying them from
a focused, proven educational source.
How can I monitor the effectiveness of my studying?
Some students are under the mistaken impression that if they read
and understand something, they know it. The most common error made when preparing
for boards is to study only to the point where they can recognize the correct answer
- "after all, the correct answer is right there on the page in front of you . .
." Multiple choice exams, test not just your ability to recognize information, but
your ability to recall and apply concepts as well. To ensure that you can do more
than recognize the right answer, try to challenge yourself periodically as you're
studying. For example, once you've completed a section of your workbook, put it
away and try to summarize the information, on paper or orally. Imagine that you'll
have to teach a class on that information tomorrow. In addition, use the summaries
and reviews that you find in ESP’s course outlines that you receive when you attend
our programs. Strategies like these can be used to test your ability to both recall
the material and to reorganize and transform it into a new format.
What should I do if worry gets in the way of
study?
The most effective way to conquer emotional distraction is effective
preparation. Candidates that pass their boards rarely are heard to complain. ESP’s
seminars provide you with a focused, efficient and effective method of training.
It's been demonstrated that performance suffers when you carry extra emotional baggage,
so don't lose sight of the big picture. The first sign of a problem while preparing
for an exam is worry. Worry robs us of energy, focus and motivation. If we can eliminate
or control worries, then we’re in a much better position to do well. There are three
ways I know to deal with worry. The first is to have an effective and reasonable
study plan. Just jumping into a pile of notes or textbooks may be unwise. Rather,
spend some time researching and identifying the most effective plan to accomplish
your goals. Speak to a number of registered sonographers, applications specialists
and other ultrasound professionals to determine your strategy – don’t be surprised
if you hear one name over and over again! The next step is to delete other causes
of worry.
What causes you anxiety when you are studying?
Too much noise? Then move to a quieter place.
Procrastination? Catch up with your studies a couple nights.
Another way to deal with worry is to displace thoughts. Suppose you wake up at three
in the morning and you’re worried about an exam. What should you do? How about getting
up and studying for an hour? Doing something productive might allow you to sleep
better when you finally do go back to bed. Another way to displace negative thoughts
is with physical activity. Work out. Take a quick walk or a nice run. |
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EXAM STRATEGIES |
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Students who have not learned
good test-taking skills are working with an unseen handicap. In almost every objective
test, they give up points needlessly due to undisciplined testing behavior, irrational
responses to test items, or a variety of other bad habits. Effective test taking
is not about gimmickry. It is not about outwitting your teachers in a guessing game
or applying some magical formula to test taking. Instead, the successful student
must apply critical reading and thinking skills to the test and avoid making careless
mistakes.
How can I cut out careless errors?
Let's begin by dealing with careless mistakes that frustrate students. First, let's
state the obvious: read the questions carefully. Many students are in such a hurry
to finish the test that they do not focus effectively and make careless errors as
a result.
Secondly, monitor your time so you do not get in a last-minute rush to finish the
test. If there are 120 items and your testing time is 120 minutes, then you obviously
have only about a minute to answer each question. The point here is not to time
each item with a stopwatch. Simply monitor your progress periodically to make sure
that you do not get caught in a time crunch.
Third, do not start second-guessing yourself and changing your original answers.
You should only change answers to questions if you originally misread them or if
you have recalled information that indicates with certainty that your first choice
is incorrect.
How should I keep calm during the exam?
Make sure you know where and when the exam will be administered. Be sure you are
comfortable with the computer based testing system. Before the test, develop an
aggressive yet realistic attitude. Approach the test with confidence.
Be determined to do your best, but also accept the limits of what you know at the
moment. Use everything you know to do well. Pay attention to the exam, not to yourself
or others. Don’t worry about what you could have done; instead pay attention to
what you can do now.
How can I refresh myself during the exam?
Try taking a few breaks during the exam by stopping for a moment, shutting your
eyes, stretching, and taking some deep breaths. Periodically clearing your head
in this way can help you stay fresh during the exam session. Remember, you get no
points for finishing early, so don't feel like you have to race through all the
items – a number of short breaks can be very helpful.
Should I skip questions on the exam?
Skipping around the exam can waste valuable time because at some
point you will have to spend time searching for the skipped questions and re-reading
them. A better approach is to answer each question in order. If you are truly baffled
by a question, select the answer you believe to be right, flag the question, and
come back to it later. There is no penalty for incorrect answers, so answer every
question! Try to keep the number of flagged questions reasonable. Don't speed through
the items with the idea of going back to change answers that you are unsure of.
If you take time to think through each question, your initial answer is often the
correct one. Carefully reading each question the first time will keep your focus
and intensity throughout the exam. It is always a good habit to keep your thought
process at its maximum level for each and every minute.
Do trick questions appear on the exam?
If you think an item is a trick question, think again! Individuals,
who complain about trick questions after taking the exam, probably do not have command
of the material. Questions are never intended to be deceptive. When one has detailed
knowledge, the correct answer often will stand out among the five multiple choices.
If, after your very best effort, you cannot choose between two alternatives, try
vividly (and quickly) imagining each one as the correct answer. If you are like
most people, you will often "feel" that one of the answers is better. Trust this
feeling.
How can I increase my effectiveness when reading
questions?
Focus on finding an answer without the help of the multiple-choice
answers.
Remember, four of the five choices are incorrect! Read each question with the intention
of answering the question without the alternatives that follow. This will increase
your concentration. You will read the question more clearly. Begin by covering the
alternatives. Then, carefully read and understand the stem of the question by itself.
Pay close attention to words such as "not" or "except" which appear often on the
board exams.
Use your knowledge to predict an answer.
This can be accomplished quickly. Only now should you read all of the alternatives
and identify those that could be correct. Make sure to read ALL of the multiple
choice options in their entirety before choosing an answer. Avoid the temptation
to mark the first option that looks good (sometimes a "good" option will appear
before the "best" option).
Use the process of elimination when you do not know the answer for sure. This increases
your probability of a correct answer. If you cannot identify the answer, re-check
the stem of the question. If you are still not sure, make an educated guess. Avoid
getting bogged down on one question. It is much better to move on and finish the
exam and then return to the nasty questions. If you have no idea what the correct
answer is, guess (since you are not penalized for guessing).
Don'ts for Answering Multiple-Choice Questions
- Don't select an alternative just because you remember hearing those words sometime
in the past: It may be a "true" statement in its own right, but make sure that it
is the "correct" answer to the question.
- Don't dismiss an alternative because it seems too obvious and simple an answer.
When you are well prepared for, some of the questions will appear quite straightforward.
- Don't be wowed by fancy terms in the question. Refrain from thinking, "That sounds
impressive, so it must be the right answer!"
- Don't pick "c" every time you are unsure of the answer. You could end up picking
"c" far too many times.
- Don't pick your answer based on a pattern of responses.
- Don't say to yourself, "This can't be another "b" answer as we have just had three
in a row."
Making sure you finish the exam.
The down side of carefully reading and processing questions is that it may eat up
your time. Set progress points at the beginning of the exam and use them to monitor
your pace. If you're significantly behind after the first half-hour, you have to
speed up. Generally, this is not a problem with ESP students since many of the exam
questions appear straightforward after attending our programs.
Choosing between two similar answers.
With multiple-choice exams you are required to choose the best answer,
which may seem very similar to the second best answer. If this is a recurring problem,
you may need to look at how you're studying. This type of problem may indicate that
you've concentrated on recognition of terms rather than understanding their significance.
Or, it could indicate that you need to study the material in more depth. The best
way to determine what's causing the problem in your particular case is a careful
analysis of your approach.
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ESP'S ROLE |
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The entire faculty and staff of ESP are committed to the success of our students.
We continue to be the most successful, effective and popular registry review program
for three reasons:
- the skill and experience of our faculty
- the enormous amount of feedback
from our past students and
- the quality of our students. ESP and our students join together to form an unbeatable
combination – that’s why, in ultrasound circles, we’re known as the Dream Team!
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