Chancellor’s | Spring 2003
Critical
Issues
How Do I Pass This Test?
ne thing we get asked more than any
other question is, “How do I pass the
test?” Your first step after receiving the
study guide is to get the outline for that
particular test. For each of the Excelsior exams,
Excelsior College provides free content outline
guides. To obtain these, you may log on to the
Excelsior website at www.excelsior.edu and
download directly from there. If you do not have
Internet access, you may call Excelsior at
1-888-647-2388, and they will mail you the content outline. For CLEP tests, you can log on to
www.collegeboard.com/CLEP or call CLEP at
1-800-257-9558. CLEP may charge a fee for this
outline. The CLEP and Excelsior outlines will list
what may be covered on the actual exam.
O
Once you receive the outline, use it to study the
Chancellor’s guide. First, read through the entire
guide and take the practice quizzes. Then use the
content outline to reread and focus your studies.
Make sure that you know all the information in
the guide, but also be sure to pay special attention
to what is listed on the outline. Once you have
completed reading and studying the study guide,
take the practice exam. If there are questions that
you guess at the answer or that you miss, go back
and study that section again. Also, use the audiotapes that Chancellor’s sends you. You can put
them in the tape player in your car and listen while
you drive to work. The subliminal learning may
just help you pass the test. One thing to keep in
mind is that these tests ARE passable. Chancellor’s
has a very high success rate. Do not be discouraged; you can pass the test!
Humanities
In order to pass this test, you must do some outside work. You cannot expect to pass an exam that
focuses 50% on literature and 50% on fine art if
you do not look at any artwork or read any literature. There are several books listed in the preface
of the Humanities study guide that you may want
to get from your local library. Also, Chancellor’s
supplies a floppy disk with your study guide. Put
this disk into your computer’s disk drive, and open
the program in Microsoft Word. This is a list of
illustrations to study; it is also printed in the back
of your guide. Your computer must be connected
to the Internet before you click on one of the links
in this list. When you click, you will be automatically sent to a picture of that particular piece of
artwork or architecture. There will also be information about the creator of the artwork or architecture. Be sure to read this information. On the
actual exam, you may be given a picture of a painting. You will then be asked several questions about
the painting; these may include, “Who painted it?”
or “What movement was this?” The only way to
answer these questions is to familiarize yourself
with these movements prior to the test.
To prepare for the literature section, you will
need to look at anthologies of literature. These can
be found at your local library. You want to check
out anthologies of different types of literature. For
example, there will be an anthology of world literature, an anthology of American literature, an
anthology of British literature, and so on. Because
of the broad scope of humanities, you need to look
at as many of these anthologies as you can. In your
study guide, you will see many writers’ names in
bold print. This is a good clue that you will want
to read at least one piece of literature that they
have written. You need to familiarize yourself with
the writer’s style, any famous writings he or she
has done, and of what movement he or she was a
part. On the actual exam, you may be given a
poem and then asked several questions about it,
including, “Who wrote it?” or “What movement
was this?” You may also be asked what the poet is
trying to say, so prepare yourself to analyze works.
This exam will be unlike any other that you will
take for your R.N. degree. Allow yourself some
time to study for the Humanities exam. Remember
that half the battle is convincing yourself you can
do this!
Microbiology and Anatomy & Physiology
Studying for these two tests is very similar. When
you study for either of these, your focus is going to
be on memorization. The best way to memorize a
lot of material quickly is to make flash cards. If
you do this for both study guides, you may want to
make them in different colors, so you remember
which terms are from which guide. When you do
this, you will probably have a very large stack of
flash cards. In order to memorize all of those
terms, you may want to break them down into
groups. Start with ten flashcards, memorize those,
and once you know all those terms, add five or ten
more flashcards. Before you know it, you will be
able to identify all the terms you need for the
exam. Because these two subjects focus heavily on
memorization of terms, we recommend that you
do not take them concurrently or consecutively.
After you have completed one, take a general
exam, and then start the other one. For example,
complete A&P, then take Lifespan Psychology, then
start Microbiology. Your brain will thank you for
the break.
If you would like more study tips, log on to
www.chancellorsonline.com and visit our web help
board for tips from other students in the program.
If you have questions about the program, the study
guide, or what to do next, email Client Support at
clientsupport@chancellorsonline.com. ■
CLEP GRADING SCALE 2002-2003
Examination
Minimum Score for:
A
B
Pass
American Government
69
58
50
American Literature
64
55
50
Analyzing and
Interpreting Literature
60
53
50
Educational Psychology
n/a
n/a
50
English Literature
67
55
50
General Biology
n/a
n/a
50
History of the
United States I
59
54
50
History of the
United States II
59
55
50
Humanities
n/a
n/a
50
Introductory Psychology
58
54
50
Introductory Sociology
n/a
n/a
50
CarePlan Interview: Don’t let life’s challenges stop you from succeeding!
S
ophie Cyrus is a very active participant on
the Chancellor’s web help board. She
recently took her CPNE in Madison,
Wisconsin, and passed. Here is what she has to
say about Chancellor’s Learning Systems and her
CPNE experience.
What do you want to do with your career
when you have received your license?
Continue my education in any direction. I have
plans to change departments and work in the
Outpatient Day Surgery Department. I have
worked nights for a long time for my family and
now I will be working days. Now that my children have grown, I no longer have to work
nights and I can spend more time with family
and friends.
Tell me about your family. Were they very
helpful to you, giving you time to study?
I have the most wonderful family ever! I am
married and the mother of three children, 21, 18,
and 15. Both my immediate family and my
extended family were very supportive of me
throughout the entire program. If it had not
been for the constant support of my husband
Richard, I would not have finished the program.
Everyone in my family encouraged me to continue even through tough personal times. They
always respected my study times. Everyone in the
family grew to know that if Mom’s books were
covering the kitchen table to leave me alone…
they knew there was obviously a study fest in the
works! They are proud of me!
How did you find your experience at the
CarePlan Lab?
This was the best money I have spent so far! The
CarePlan week is an absolute must for anyone
wanting to pass the CPNE! They have a great lab
set up with all the things you need to practice!
Great instructors! Very well prepared! Great
Mock PCS day too! You get to do the entire thing
with a real mock patient (one of your fellow students!) Plenty of practice time! Lots of videos to
watch if you want to and tons of reviews from
past students!
I had a great group of people. I made four
great friends. We all worked well together, which
made it more productive. Even after spending
SURPRISE! I’M AN RN!
Marclyn Tenbroeke had a secret, and only her husband knew about it, but we are about to let the cat out
of the bag. She has not told anyone she knows, including her children, that she is studying to be an R.N.
Marclyn is now studying for her CPNE, having passed each of the Nursing Concepts exams using
Chancellor’s Learning Systems.
Marclyn was working as a Certified Medical Assistant teaching clinicals to medical assistants. She mentioned to her husband last summer that she wished she could study independently for her R.N, and a week
later, she received an advertisement from Chancellor’s. She called Chancellor’s and started the program in
September of 2002.
She had to take the seven Nursing Concepts exams and Lifespan Psychology. She spent 2-4 weeks studying for each exam, and she felt that she was prepared when she took the tests. She proved this by scoring
As on five exams and Bs on two. She prepared by reading through the study guide and then listening to
the audiotapes in her car on the way to and from work. A few days before the test, she listened to the tapes
while following along in the study guide. She also said she “never studies on the day of the test!” To reduce
the stress of the exams, she planned activities for the morning before the test like scheduling a haircut or
going out to lunch alone. Then she took the exam in the afternoon.
She said that her husband has been very supportive of her studies. Recently, the youngest of their four
children left for college, so she has been able to study. Reading is one of her hobbies, so when she wanted
to read a Dean Koontz book, she would just pick up her Chancellor’s book instead. She also bargained
with herself by agreeing to study until a certain time and then taking a break with another book or
the television.
Marclyn says that Nursing Concepts 3 was the most difficult test for her. She replies, “The questions were
so ambiguous!” On many questions, she felt that two of the answers could have been correct. The test that
Marclyn believed was fun was Nursing Concepts 1. She was so prepared for that test that she would only
have to read half of the question before she knew the answer.
She credits Chancellor’s with her success. “I really like the program. Covering that much material in that
amount of time would be impossible! If I were trying to do this alone—No way!” Now she moves on to
the CPNE. She is hoping to test in July or August of this year. Then will she tell her family and others about
the program? She replies, “I’m a teacher and I was afraid that if I failed my CPNE, I’d never be able to face
my students again!” Once she passes, she will be able to share her success.
the entire day at the lab, we still got together at
the hotel and wrote out practice care plans and
went over the day’s work. It was such a valuable
part of me passing my CPNE!
Even if you think you are prepared, the
CarePlan Lab really helps take away some of the
stress about the CPNE because they run the lab
as if it were an actual PCS. When you actually
take the CPNE, you know what’s coming! No
surprises! There were six people in my group;
four of us have taken the CPNE and passed.
How much time did you take to prepare for
your CPNE before CarePlan Lab? After?
I took the CarePlan Lab at the end of November
2002 and passed my CPNE at the end of January
2003. I believe I studied for the Lab for two
months prior to the Lab. I was attempting to take
my CPNE in December but was unable to. After
the CarePlan lab, I studied for approximately two
more months. All together I prepared for the
CPNE for five months. I was pretty ready after
the CarePlan Lab and wish I would have taken it
right before my CPNE.
Any study tips?
Stay calm. Develop a study plan and stick to it.
Make the best, most complete grid you can.
Don’t move without looking at your grid first! If
it is on there, do it; if it isn’t, don’t!
I placed each of the areas of care in a jar in my
kitchen, and every time I walked by I would pull
one out of the jar and see if I could remember all
the critical elements in that section on my grid.
Then, while I was studying, I would pull four
slips from the jar and make up a patient with
those areas of care assigned.
I practiced grids, care plans, documentation,
and evaluation each time I studied. I also networked with other students over the Internet.
Make as many friends as you can! It is very
comforting to know there are other people out
there in the program that understand what it is
like. Help others when you can. Not only is it the
right thing to do, but it reinforces your knowledge and helps someone too! I made the
agreement with many new friends, “I will send
you this information if you will pass it on to
someone when you can.”
Make tons of photocopies of the PCS forms
and use them every chance you get. The more
familiar you are with writing on them, the better
you feel when you really use them at the CPNE.
You will hear people say, “know the critical
elements as well as you know your own
name”… they mean it! You know you’re ready
for the CPNE when you dream about the
critical elements!
(continued on page 3)
CarePlan Improvements
Starting July 2003
, we will implement skill level-based
scheduling for the CarePlan Lab. Skill level-based scheduling will be very
helpful for everyone. Students who are not LPNs, such as CMAs, EMTs,
Paramedics or even Respiratory Therapists, to name a few, or those who
feel that they don’t have enough hospital experience will be scheduled for
Level I. Two weeks each month will be designated to our Level I class,
which will have fewer students and therefore more time to practice and
ask questions. Level I class will be held on the first two weeks of the
month. If there is a holiday on the first week of the month, the CarePlan
Lab will be closed. Level I will then be scheduled the following week.
Level II will be scheduled the last two weeks of the month. These classes
will have students with experience on a more advanced level. All of the
material will be covered, but the week may be faster since these students
have hospital or clinical experience. Level II students will come to the
Lab to brush up on skills and to find out what Excelsior expects. These
students may have “bad habits” from being on a floor and may want to
break these habits. This is a hands-on experience for all students, but
more advanced students won’t need to cover all the basics. The last two
weeks of the month will be open for Level II students.
We will start scheduling Levels I and II in April. Meanwhile, we are still
scheduling students for spots in June. Please make sure to call early to
schedule the week you want. Spots are limited, and they fill up quickly.
Try to schedule your CPNE first, and then call Meggan at Chancellor’s to
schedule your date for the CarePlan Lab.
Here’s what our clients had to
say about the CarePlan Lab:
“I feel good about this experience. Now I know exactly
how and what to study. I feel confident that I will do well
on this exam.”
“All of the staff [was] great. Thanks. Now I feel like I know
what to expect during the CPNE- will let you know.”
“The hands-on is most beneficial, being able to criticize the
situation. The teachers make me feel comfortable.”
“I am so very happy I came to the CarePlan lab. Everyone
was so nice and helpful. Very willing to spend time where we
needed. The whole CarePlan area was perfect. … I cannot
stress more the benefit of being here.”
Congratulations
to the CarePlan Clients who have passed.
SOUTHERN REGIONAL
MEDICAL CENTER
Renita Smith
Andrew Olesen
Kimberly Montgomery
RACINE
William Hamlyn
Larry Anenson
Denielle Arnson
SYRACUSE
Shirley Grant
PLANO
Deborah Arcemont
Emem Bassey- Syracuse
MILWAUKEE
Vivian Palmer
MADISON
John Powers
Alex Tum
Shawn Bannister
Patricia Newer
Geraldine Nichols
Rita Holderman
Sophie Cyrus
Melissa Dilts
LONG BEACH
Donna Williams
GWINNETT
Debbie Jones
COLUMBUS
Jana McMurray
Deborah Turner
Jocelyn Baker
ALBANY
Sandra Smith
Vikki Vidas
Lorie Weigel
Dee St. Clair
David Taggart
Janice Theide
MILWAUKEE
Theresa Lay
Retha Brewer
Greg Brannan
Jeannette Fridley
PHOENIX
Louis Shone
Christine Conners
Chancellor’s | Spring 2003
(continued from page 2)
What was the hardest part of your CPNE?
The waiting after each PCS. Waiting to find out if you pass or fail is the
toughest part. The care plan, the patient care, and the evaluation are the
easy part if you’re prepared! Take it one step at a time and none of it is
really hard. Managing your stress when you’re scared is the hard part!
Breathe!
What was the easiest part of your CPNE?
The patient care was the easiest part of the CPNE for me. I had a great
grid that I was comfortable with, and it proved itself to be a valuable tool
that walked me through every step of my PCS. Don’t go without being
100% comfortable with your grid. Have a mnemonic for everything! You
might think you won’t forget, but you will! I even had a mnemonic for
each lab station!
What did you do to relieve stress?
Hatha Yoga and deep breathing exercises. If you have never tried either of
them, I would strongly encourage you to learn something new. Yoga and
breathing have changed my life. If you can learn to control your breathing, you can make it through anything!
During my CPNE, I had tons of good luck charms pinned everywhere.
You never know when you have enough good luck! Take with you the
phone number of a friend that doesn’t mind a midnight phone call when
you have self doubt. Take some bubble bath and a few candles with you to
your CPNE. Have a glass of wine if you like.
Make a new friend. I found that trying to help relieve other people’s
stress in my testing group helped me to stay calm. Try to have a good
time, go sight seeing, shopping, out to dinner and a movie on Saturday
night. I met one of my Internet friends at my CPNE, and we had a great
time! That relieved tons of my stress!
The best advice I got before my CPNE was to be selfish. Turn off the
phone; enjoy yourself. Everyone cares about you and wants to find out
how the test is going, but you don’t need that kind of added stress. Turn
off the phone; call them when you are ready!
Did you use Chancellor’s for your study guides?
Yes, I used Chancellor’s guides for all of my nursing exams in addition to
the free study guides provided by Excelsior College. I found them to be
very complete! I actually only bought one supplemental book, and that
was my Fundamentals of Nursing book. I passed all of my exams on the
first try and did well on each of them. Even made quite a few As!
The tapes that came with the Chancellor’s guides were lifesavers for me!
I drive an hour each way to work, so I listened to them every day on
my drive to work and when I ran errands. My kids have even learned
about many illnesses and diseases from the tapes! More than they think
they know!
How long did it take you to complete your nursing exams?
It took me approximately four years to complete the program, but I finished most of the nursing exams in about 1-1/2 years. My family has
always come first. Becoming an RN wasn’t a necessity, it was a goal.
Raising my family was a necessity. That is why I say take your time. Life is
too short to be stressed all the time. I have started and stopped the program depending on my life.
It is possible to finish this program even with life periodically challenging your way. During the past two years, our family has suffered great
losses and overcome many challenges. I helped care for my father-in-law
during his final stages of cancer and helped provide his hospice care until
he passed away. My long-time friend of twelve years, Lady, my sheltie,
passed away, and the month before my CPNE I suffered the loss of my
nephew Henry, who passed away of a congenital heart defect a few
months before his 4th birthday. My son, who is 18, joined the Marines
and left for boot camp two days before my CPNE, and my best friend
Rosco, our six-year-old Springer Spaniel died from a seizure the day
before I left for my CPNE. I took a little bit of each of them with me to
my CPNE, and they became my motivating force to pass it! Life may give
you a few challenges but don’t let them stop you from succeeding! ■
9929 E. 126th Street, Suite B
Fishers, IN 46038
PERMIT NO 690
INDIANAPOLIS, IN
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T’S TIME TO GET ONLINE!
PRST STD
Chancellor’s wants you to know that you are not alone in your quest to reach your educational
goals. We are 100% behind you and strive to provide multiple resources for you to be successful!
One of our best tools is our client services section on our web site. Get online and talk to other
people that are doing this exact program right along side you. Ask them questions about what
to expect on your next exam, get study tips for specific exams, and hear success stories of completions of exams and the CPNE! This may be distance learning, but Chancellor’s wants to close
the distance between our clients.
Many people have already logged on and found the benefits of our web help board. It has
become a small community of encouragement and advice. Check out how some have used the
boards.
Hello Everyone,
I’m just beginning to study for NC1. Any tips? I study @10 hr per week. Any
suggestions on what to focus on? I’ve been an LPN for 8 years and I have a
BS in another field. Has anyone found any additional resources that are
helpful? R.J.
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!I actually made an A on NC6! I can’t believe it! It is very hard
and I was sure I had failed. By the end I thought I may have scraped by with
a C, but when they handed me my grade and it was an A, I almost passed
out.
J.K.
I tested on intro psych about a month ago and only used the chancellors
guide. After the first couple chapters it became more clear. I made a 69 on
the clep which is in the 94 percentile and would be considered an A. Just
study over the material that you have and practice the test in the guides.
Also one other source you might consider that I did use, was to download
the practice clep exam from the clep website. It is only $4 and well worth it.
The questions are similar to those on the exam. Good luck. T. H
Take the time to get online and read the experiences of so many other people doing this program. You are all here for the same reason; you are busy individuals who have families, jobs, and
personal lives, but you have made the commitment to better yourselves and achieve an advanced
degree. You don’t have to do it alone! Get online!
IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
Find a study partner and get paid for it! Chancellor’s
will pay you $75 for every person your refer to our program that purchases five or more study guides! There
are a few ways you can give us your referral:
• Mail back the postage-paid green cards that come
with your study guide.
• Go online to the client services section on our
web site and submit the information online.
• Call your client specialist or your client support
representative at 1-888-837-8688.
Remember, help is only a phone call or an email
away. We have a full support staff here to answer any
question you might have about our program. Please
keep in touch and let us know how everything is
going. Call 1-888-837-8688, or you can also email
clientsupport@chancellorsonline.com, and the appropriate person will either call or email you a response.
Feedback from our clients is very important to us.
We strive to provide the best product in the industry,
and it is crucial that we hear how each of our guides
performs. Please remember to fill out the blue study
guide evaluation form at the back of each guide, or go
online and fill out the evaluation form on the client
services page.