Study Suggestions for Candidates Preparing for the NARM Examination
It is NARM’s expectation that all midwives who have accrued the required levels of experience and who have diligently prepared will be able to pass the NARM Examination. We acknowledge that many factors affect a person’s ability to pass an examination, and that even very experienced midwives may experience test anxiety. We therefore offer these suggestions for preparing for the NARM Examination.
- Allow time to prepare for the examination. Even experienced midwives will benefit from a review of the reference books. Reading and studying will help prepare the candidate to more effectively evaluate examination questions and answers.
- Get a good night’s sleep before the examination. You will not have an opportunity to eat before noon, so should nourish yourself before beginning.
- If you experience “test anxiety,” work on relaxation exercises while you study. Plan a schedule for study so you don’t feel that you are cramming right before the test. Give yourself time to relax the day before. Remember that if you do not pass the examination on the first try, you may take it again at another time.
- The NARM reference list (contained in the Candidate Information Booklet) lists over twenty books for study. Read as many as you can. Strive for a good balance of the medical and midwifery sources. If you are limited on time and/or resources, read the ones that supplement your general knowledge rather than reinforce it. The NARM Examination strives for a good balance of midwifery knowledge.
- Utilize the information in your Candidate Information Booklet, especially the test specifications, the reference list and the sample questions.
- For those candidates whose first language is not English, it might be helpful to focus on activities that will enhance verbal skills and reading skills. Such activities might include attendance at midwifery association meetings, participation in study groups, and observation of local out-of-hospital midwives who provide prenatal care or teach childbirth classes.
- As you are reading, try making 3x5 index cards with questions on each side and answers on the other. Use the cards to quiz yourself.