Quick Tips: How to Prepare for the Comprehensive Predictor Exam

So as a lot of you may be aware the Comprehensive Predictor is really a combination of all of the core areas of nursing.

So on the Comprehensive Predictor, you're going to be asked questions on Med-Surg, on Leadership, OB, Peds, Mental Health, etc. So you kind of have to know the universe to be ready for the comp predictor.

So my first bit of advice is if you have some time, like if you're early in your nursing program, then definitely start early, preparing for this Comprehensive Predictor.

Some schools, they make you pass the individual kind of tests, like you have to Peds in order to move on in the program or pass OB to move on in the program.

And then other programs, you take these individual tests like OB and Peds, but you don't necessarily have to pass them to move on in your program. So my recommendation is if you have a school that makes you pass these individual tests along the way, it's really going to help you be ready for that Comprehensive Predictor, right?

If you have a school that doesn't make you pass those individual tests, then my advice is to pretend like you have to pass those because if you can kind of nail down the content during the semester where you're taking a certain class, then you're going to be all set when it comes time for the Comprehensive Predictor.

My program at Cal State San Marcos, so I see someone say, "Yeah. That's the way to do it." It's true. So in my program at Cal State San Marcos, we had to take-- when we were taking pediatrics, we'd have to take a Peds ATI exam. And when we were taking OB, we had to take the Maternal Newborn ATI.

But our grades or scores on those ATI tests didn't really count for much in terms of our grade. So lot of my classmates kind of blew those things off as far as studying for them because they were busy with care plans and other things, right? But unfortunately, at the end of our program, then--

oh. Hi Stephanie, hi Stephanie Steph.

At the end of our program, when people kind of blew off those individual exams, then they were really in a world of hurt when it came to studying for the Comprehensive Predictor exam. So like I said, my first piece of advice is pace yourself. When you're in pediatrics, then really try to focus on that material, take practice exams, really get those concepts down. When you're in OB, do the same thing. Then by the time you're ready for your Comprehensive Predictor, you'll be in really good shape. My other piece of advice is definitely to do as many practice exams as possible, okay? It's really important to do those. You want to do them slowly, okay? You don't want to just kind of bust through these practice exams. So as you answer a question, whether you get it right or wrong, you need to read each rationale and explanation, okay? So you fully understand that.

If you got the question wrong, then go back to your text and read that little section on whatever topic that question was asking about.

So go through these practice exams slowly, reading the explanations and rationales. If you do enough practice exams, you'll start to see trends, and you'll see the same types of concepts show up repeatedly, which is kind of your cue that those things are really important to know, and you definitely should remember those things.

So those are some tips for the Comprehensive Predictor.

Also our videos and our cards can definitely help you learn the key concepts you need to know to be ready for that Comprehensive Predictor. So our cards and videos can be really helpful, and practice exams are a definite must. So that's my advice for Comprehensive Predictor!