Instructions for Practice Exam

The practice exam contains the same type of questions and follows the same blue print listed for the drug math exam. The practice exam is available for students throughout the year and can be accessed from any computer with most browsers and access to Internet. Thus, students can access the exam from home or through the Library Learning Resource Center (LRC), the Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) sites, and Hope campus in the Testing Center.

Please read before beginning the practice test:

The practice test can be access from a Web browser from any location. The URL is:

http://perception.uams.edu/q4/perception.dll

The names and passwords for the different test are:

After you have answered the questions and submitted your answers, you will see a feedback page with the questions, your answers, and the correct answers. You can print this feedback page to show to the drug math coordinator if you have questions or need assistance. You also save the feedback page and e-mail it as an attachment to the drug coordinator/ the course coordinator/ practicum faculty/ academic advisor. You must print or save for e-mailing before closing the feedback page!  You may want to keep your scratch paper to discuss your calculations with the drug math coordinator/ the course coordinator/ practicum faculty/ academic advisor as needed.

Drug math coordinators are:

Please e-mail Natalie Capps at PateNatalieJ@uams.edu any possible errors, confusing, or ambiguous questions so we can easily review and correct any problems with the test.

Policy

All courses with a practicum component require successful completion of the drug math exam with 90% or higher by the end of the designated testing period. The drug math exam is a computer exam administered through the Library Learning Resource Center (LRC) during regular library hours.  RN distance learning students can take the exam at the Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) sites. Students on the Hope campus can take the exam at the Testing Center, University of Arkansas Community College at Hope. The testing period for the exam is published under student information on the College of Nursing website. www.nursing.uams.edu/student_information.htm

The exam consists of ten (10) fill in the blank drug math questions, selected at random from a pool of questions. No two exams are alike.  Students have three opportunities to pass the exam with a 90%. Students must take the exam(s) and have passed the exam by the deadline. Any student who does not take an exam by the published deadline receives an "F" for that exam. Any student who does not obtain 90% or higher on the first exam must wait at least until the next day to retake the exam. If a student fails the exam on their second attempt, they are not allowed to take exam for the third time until they have met with the drug math coordinator. If the student is unable to meet the 90% pass score after three attempts, the student fails the course and is not allowed to continue in the course. Students are not admitted late to another course.

Demonstration of the ability to give medications safely is a requirement of each course with a practicum component. The student cannot administer any medications until the drug math exam is passed.

The test bank is comprised of eight categories. However, the categories and number of questions from each category are different for each of the three program levels (Level I: Foundations I, Level I Foundations II, Level II: junior and Level III senior). See test blue print below. The categories do not correspond to the chapters in a specific drug math book but rather how we believe drug math is operationalized in the clinical setting. Therefore, some categories go along with the chapters in the drug math book and others are parts of chapters. In addition to math calculation students must have a good understanding of Chapter 3, The Three Systems of Measurement and Chapter 4, Nurse's Role in Drug Administration and Appendix A: Common Abbreviations and Symbols Related to Medication Administration in Wilson, B. & Shannon, M. (1997). Dosage Calculations: A Simplified Approach. Appleton-Lange.

Click on these links to review PowerPoint Slides:  Junior Summer Drug Math Review and Foundations II and Specialty Drug Math Review

Drug Math Categories

	Household, apothecary, & metric conversions
	Metric Conversions
	Simple one step problems
	IV Calculations
	Heparin problems
	Insulin problems
	Complex problems (Level II Junior)
	Complex problems (Level II Senior) **

**The senior multiple step problems are more complex critical care type questions that usually require 2-4 steps.

Test Blue Print
(The categories and number of questions from each category)

Level I: Foundations I (Summer) Household, apothecary, & metric conversions(3) Metric Converions (3) Simple one step problems(4)	Level I: Foundations II (Fall- first rotation) Household, apothecary, & metric conversions(2) Metric Conversions(2) Simple one step problems(2) IV Calculations(2) Heparin(1) Insulin(1)
Level II: Junior Specialties Household, apothecary, & metric conversions(1) Metric Conversions(2) Simple one step problems(2) IV Calculations(2) Heparin(1) Insulin(1) Complex problems (Junior) (1)	Level III: Senior Specialties Household, apothecary, & metric conversions(2) Metric Conversions(2) Simple one step problems(2) IV Calculations(2) Complex problems (Senior)(2)

GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES

Guidelines:

• Achieve 90% to pass.
• Three attempts to pass the exam.
• Adhere to the policy of waiting until the next day before taking the next exam if needed.
• Refer to the CON Website http://www.nursing.uams.edu for drug math dates and other information.
• Complete all exams by the designated deadline.
• E-mail your practicum coordinator when you pass the exam.
• If Exam III is indicated meet with the appropriate drug math coordinator prior to taking Exam III.
• Students are not allowed to take the exam without the UAMS CON picture ID badge.
• Simple calculators are allowed. Calculators that store formulas or clipboards with calculators are not permitted. A limited number of calculators are available in the LRC.
• Review the College of Nursing rounding rules. They are included in the computer instructions at the beginning of the exam. You can refer to the rounding rules at any time during the exam by scrolling to the beginning of the exam.

Procedure:

• Take the test during regular library hours. Distance Learning RNs can the exam at the AHECs during regular hours. Hope students can take the exam at UACC-Hope Testing Center. Hope faculty will announce the test times.
• Tell the appropriate personnel (LRC, AHEC, UACC-Hope) which exam you are taking: Foundations I, Foundations II, junior, or senior drug math exam.
• Show your UAMS CON picture ID badge to the appropriate personnel (LRC, AHEC, UACC-Hope) prior to taking the exam.
• The appropriate personnel will examine your ID badge, and ask you to sign a role sheet.
• The appropriate personnel will then access the computer test and enter your password.
• Use the scratch paper provided for recording the steps you used in calculations.
• Questions can be skipped, reviewed and returned to at any time by scrolling through the exam. Answers can be changed up until you click the submit button.
• After performing the calculations, enter the answer on the screen using only numbers and decimals. Do not use fractions or extra words such as cc, drops, ml, kg, and etc. Apply the CON rounding rules to your final answer.
• When you have completed the exam click the submit button.
• The computer will ask you to acknowledge an honor pledge. The honor pledge must be acknowledged before the computer will record your results.
• Click the submit button again.
• The computer will give you your score. At this point you will know if you have been successful on the exam.
• Once you have received your score, the computer will show you the questions that you missed.
• Complete the evaluation form if requested to identify any possible errors, any confusing or ambiguous questions.  Please sign the form so we can easily review the specific test items, etc. correct any problems with the test.

Please sign and return all scratch paper to the appropriate personal (LRC, AHEC, UACC-Hope) before leaving so that we can discuss your calculations if necessary.

HOPE CAMPUS

The drug math exam and the practice exam are available through the Testing Center, University of Arkansas Community College at Hope. The Hope Campus faculty provides specific test information and test dates. For information and directions for the practice exam see instructions for practice exam.

RN STUDENTS

RN students enrolled in the RN to BSN or RN to MNSc program follow the same procedure (see Guidelines and Procedures) for taking the test as the students enrolled in the traditional BSN program.  RN students demonstrate competency in drug math by taking and passing the drug math exam one time during their first semester of enrollment in N3301 Orientation for Advanced Placement. Exam test dates and deadlines for RN students are on the web and distributed during course orientation to N3301.  If you would like to review your drug math before taking the actual exam, several sources are available.  A computer practice exam is available and students are encouraged to take practice exam as desired prior to taking the real exam.  In addition there are drug math computer assisted instruction programs available for practice as needed (see Computer Assisted Instruction Drug Math Programs). The textbook, Wilson, B. & Shannon, M. (l997) Dosage Calculation: A simplified Approach 3rd Ed should be available in the campus bookstore. However, any drug math textbook would be helpful.

ROUNDING RULES

COMPUTER ASSISTED INSTRUCTION (CAI)

There are several computer assisted instruction (CAI) programs available on the 5th floor of the library at UAMS. Check with the AHECS and the Rupert Library on the Hope Campus for the CAI’s available at those sites. Please note that these programs are commercial programs that may not always follow the UAMS College of Nursing’s rounding rules. However, they are excellent resources for those students who need additional practice with drug math calculation.

1. Calculation of Drug Dosages: This program has multiple practice problems for you to work.
2. Med Math Master Review: This program includes units on math calculation as well as
   actual drug problems to work.
3. Nurse Procalc: This program contains many practice drug math problems.
4. Dosage Calculation: A self paced tutorial that comes with the drug math text book, The textbook, Wilson, B. & Shannon, M. (l997) Dosage Calculation: A simplified Approach, 3^rd ed. This tutorial reinforces the dimensional analysis method of calculating medication dosages and provides practice questions.
5. Accu-Cal: Comprehensive Dosage Calculation: This is the newest CAI. Accu-Cal teaches three methods of calculating medications dosages: Ratio-Proportion, Formula Method (D/HxQ) and Dimensional Analysis.

LIBRARY LRC HOURS

Fall & Spring

Summer