Exam strategy

10 wording traps on CNA and NCLEX questions

Students who know the care still lose points on how a question is worded. These ten traps come up again and again. For each one: the words to watch for, and one line to remember.

Traps about what the question asks

1. Tricky wording. Watch for NOT, EXCEPT, least. Remember: circle NOT before you pick.

2. What happens first. Watch for FIRST, priority, most important. Remember: safe first, helpful second.

3. Further teaching is needed. Watch for 'needs more teaching' and 'shows a misunderstanding.' Remember: pick the statement that is wrong.

Traps about the evidence

4. Says vs measures. Watch for states, reports, says, observed. Remember: what someone says is not what was measured.

5. One time is not a pattern. Watch for today, once, at 2 a.m. Remember: keep the count and the time the source gives.

6. Uncertain stays uncertain. Watch for may, suggests, appears. Remember: do not turn 'may' into 'is.'

Traps about conditions and order

7. Conditions. Watch for only if, unless, even if. Remember: keep the condition with the action.

8. Timing words. Watch for before, prior to, until. Remember: until means not yet.

9. Similar terms. Watch for look-alike terms and acronyms such as RACE and PASS, or ADL and IADL. Remember: same room, different job.

10. Role and scope. Watch for report, diagnose, treat. Remember: on the CNA exam, observe and report; do not diagnose.

Try one question

An original practice question written by LexyRead, not an official exam item. Find the word that decides it before you look at the answer.

Read the source

You are helping a resident walk to the bathroom. She says, 'I feel dizzy.'

What should you do FIRST?

Call the nurse.
Help the resident sit down.
Take her blood pressure.
Walk faster so she reaches the bathroom.

See the answer and why it works

Help the resident sit down.

The deciding word is FIRST. Calling the nurse and taking her blood pressure are both reasonable, but while she is standing and dizzy she can fall. Make her safe first, then tell the nurse. Without FIRST, three answers are reasonable; with it, only one is.

How to use this list

Keep the list next to your practice questions. When you miss a question, find which trap it was and write it down. After a week, the traps you missed most often are the ones to practice first.

This list is about reading exam questions carefully. For clinical decisions, follow your program's instruction and your facility's policies.