Last Minute Tips to Pass the CCM Exam
Whether you have studied for months to prepare for your Case Management Certification exam or just finished some last-minute cramming, we have a few last-minute tips that have stood the test of time and helped countless individuals pass their CCM Exam.
Here are a few tips for the last week of preparation.
A Week Before the CCM Exam
In the week leading up to the CCM Exam, it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with the logistics of the test day.
If you’re heading to a testing center, consider taking a “test drive” to the location. This will help you gauge potential traffic hurdles, identify parking spots, locate the entrance, pinpoint the office – basically, iron out all the logistical details.
Are you opting for a home-based exam on your computer? Take a thorough look at the instructions regarding computer testing, room specifications, and the monitoring process. If you have any uncertainties or questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to the testing company now. Addressing concerns beforehand ensures a smooth test day experience and minimizes the risk of tech-related frustrations.
A Day Before the Exam
One day before your exam take a break from your study sessions. Allow your mind to rest and absorb the knowledge you’ve acquired over the weeks.
Monitor your caffeine intake, ensuring it’s moderate. While caffeine can boost alertness, excessive amounts might affect your sleep the night before the exam and we all know how important a good night’s sleep is!
To enhance your sleep quality, engage in physical activity like going for a walk. Taking a walk outdoors in nature not only contributes to better sleep but also aids in relieving stress, setting the stage for a more relaxed exam day.
Night Before the Exam
The evening before the exam eat a nutritious dinner that won’t trigger heartburn or indigestion, ensuring a good night’s sleep without discomfort.
Organize your essentials for the morning by laying out your clothes, ID, and directions to the testing center. If testing online make sure the room you are testing in is free of clutter and ready for inspection. This minimizes last-minute stress and ensures a smooth start to your day.
Utilize the final moments before sleep for a brief review. Glance over your notes, vocabulary, or essential points to reinforce your understanding.
To avoid oversleeping set an alarm, or two.
Morning of Exam
The morning of your CCM Exam start your day with a healthy, low-sugar breakfast. This helps maintain stable blood sugar levels, ensuring optimal concentration during the test.
Take a moment to review any last-minute details or topics you want to reinforce before heading to the test center.
Plan to leave early, allowing plenty of time for travel. If taking the exam from home log in early. This will eliminate unnecessary stress and panic, ensuring a calm and composed start to your test-taking experience.
Upon Arrival
Once you arrive shift your focus away from last-minute reviews. If you don’t know the information now it’s too late.
Maintain a relaxed and confident mindset. A confident mindset is one of the most important factors to success. Remind yourself that your studies and preparation have given you all you need to succeed.
Avoid engaging in conversations with fellow students before the exam if they are anxious or nervous as stress can be contagious. Stay positive and confident.
Find a balance between comfort and alertness to optimize your concentration during the exam.
Tips for Multiple-Choice Questions
- Try to identify the answer before you read all the choices, but look at all choices before selecting, as two answers will often be similar
- Narrow choices by eliminating obvious wrong answers
- Do not be afraid to change an answer if you feel strongly about it
- If you do not know the answer to a question make your best guess, flag the question so you can come back to it, and then move on
If you have to guess:
- Length is often a clue, choose the longest most precise answer
- Reject answers with specific determiners such as everyone, always, never, none, except, most, or least
- Look for answers with words like often, most
- If two choices are similar, choose neither
- If two choices are opposite, choose one of them
- The most general answer is usually correct
Specific CCM Exam Tips
When answering questions, think of the “perfect situation” answer. I know we do not work in “perfect” situations where all of the needed resources are at our fingertips, but the test will expect you to know the “best practice” answer. So answer as you would in the perfect world scenario.
This test is not about how you do it where you work. It is about best practices. Don’t answer the question based on policies and procedures where you work, but on “best practice” which may or may not be the way it is done in your organization.
Think like a social worker and not a nurse. As nurses, we are accustomed to “doing for” our patients. We change their dressings, start their IVs, and make sure they are warm. Social workers are trained to help patients help themselves. As case managers, we are to empower our patients. Remember this when taking the exam.
And finally, here is the best advice I was given before my exam:
Remember to breathe!
Write “breathe” on top of the scrap paper they give you, and each time you look at it, stop and take a few deep cleansing breaths, relax, and let the knowledge inside you work its way out.
You have been working hard getting ready for this exam; I know these tips help you with your final preparations!
And don’t forget to let me know how you do! Send me an email at Deanna@CaseManagementStudyGuide.com and post your results in the Facebook group “Case Managers Community”.
