So you’re ready to take your career to the next level by becoming certified as a Medical Surgical RN. But first, you have to take the exam to get that certification. It might be daunting to know that you have to take an exam, but before you start stressing over it, here are a few tips to help you get through the Medical Surgical Certification exam.

Medical Surgical Nurse Prep Course

1. Understand the Test Structure
You know you need to study for the exam, but did you know that you need to also take the time to look at the exam and understand the test structure? Understanding what is on the Medical Surgical Certification test can help you learn what you can expect from taking the actual exam. You’ll be able to go more in depth with the details and what you need to prepare for.

Here’s what you need to know about the Medical Surgical Nursing Certification exam:

• There are 175 questions on the exam.
• You have up to three and a half hours to answer all 175 questions.
• The Medical Surgical Certification exam from ANCC contains 4 domains while the CMSRN exam contains 7 domains.

2. Medical Surgical Certification Study Guide
A great way to prepare for the Medical Surgical Certification exam is to work through a study guide. Using a study guide can help you dig deeper into the content of the exam, and understand which subject material you need to spend the most time reviewing.

3. Don’t Cram
You’ll probably be tempted to do this sometimes, but it’s important that you don’t cram. Cramming the information will only tire out your brain and you likely won’t remember the information that you need to know. Instead, it’s better to study in smaller increments over an extended period of time.

4. Plan a Study Schedule
As with any exam, it’s always a good idea to have some sort of schedule when it comes to studying. You will need to set aside time each day leading up to the exam. Try setting aside two to three hours a day to concentrate on one area of the exam, and another concept the next week. This prevents you from cramming the night before the exam, and also helps you to retain more of the information.

5. Don’t Memorize the Material
Memorizing the study material is just that; memorizing. You’re training yourself to remember the details rather than actually learning them. When you’re studying for the Medical-Surgical Certification exam, you need to take the time to actually “learn” the material. You need to have an understanding of how diseases affect the body and why the patient is presenting specific symptoms.

6. Medical Surgical Certification Flashcards
Using flashcards to study for an exam can help you get down to the details and key concepts that you need to learn. They help you to remember information for a longer period of time. They’re also convenient when you’re on the go, as most nurses are. Using flashcards will come in handy when you’re trying to remember concepts such as anatomy and physiology, or signs and symptoms of diseases.

7. Focus on the Question at Hand
Try not to get ahead of yourself when you’re going through the questions on the exam. Focus on one question at a time. You may be given extra information on the question that you don’t need in order to solve the question. Make sure that you understand exactly what the question is asking for, and look only at the information that pertains to the question being asked.

8. It’s Okay to Guess
Everyone gets stuck on a question every now and then. If you’re just not sure of the answer, it’s okay to take a guess. On the ANCC Medical Surgical Certification exam, there is no penalty for guessing. In fact, it’s best that you answer each and every question on the exam.

9. Medical Surgical Practice Test
Taking a practice test can be beneficial when you’re studying for an exam. As you work through practice questions, you’ll get a better understanding of which content areas you need more work on. You can also take our free Medical Surgical Practice Test!

10. Skip the Questions You’re Not Sure About
While it’s important to make sure that you answer every question on the Medical Surgical Certification exam, you can skip over the ones that you’re not quite sure about. However, just make sure that you go back to answer them. The computer based exam from the American Academy of Surgical Nurses allows you to mark questions that you are unsure about and return to them later on.

For more information on the ANCC Medical-Surgical Nurse Certification exam: https://www.nursingworld.org/our-certifications/medical-surgical-nurse/

For more information on the CMSRN Medical-Surgical Nurse Certification exam: https://www.msncb.org/

ANCC & MSNCB Medical Surgical Certification FAQ