master the nursing school & allied health entrance exams

702 Pages·2012·7.76 MB·English

M
aster the
N s &
ursiNg chool
a h
llied ealth
e e
NtraNce xaMs
19 e
th ditioN
Marion F. Gooding, RN, Ph.D.
Professor of Nursing
North Carolina Central University
Durham, North Carolina
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Mattie Moss, Ed.D. Duana A. Dreyer, Ph.D.
Mathematics Anatomy and Physiology
Charles R. George, Ph.D. Doris E. Wilson, B.A. James M. Schooler, Ph.D.
Biology Language Arts Chemistry
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ISBN-13: 978-0-7689-3618-6
ISBN-10: 0-7689-3618-7
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Contents
Before You Begin ....................................................................................ix
How This Book is Organized ...................................................................................ix
Special Study Features ...............................................................................................x
You Are Well On Your Way To Success ...................................................................xi
Find Us on Facebook ................................................................................................xi
Give Us Your Feedback ............................................................................................xi
Top 10 Strategies To Raise Your Score ...................................................................xii
Part I: InformatIon aBout nursIng and
allIed HealtH Programs and entrance
eXamInatIons .............................................................. 1
about the nursing Profession .................................................................3
Getting on the Path to a Career in the Nursing and Allied Health Professions ..........3
Selecting a Nursing Program ......................................................................................5
Selecting an Allied Health Program ...........................................................................5
Financial Aid Resources .............................................................................................6
About the Examinations .............................................................................................8
How to Apply to Take an Entrance Examination .....................................................12
Administration of the Examinations.........................................................................13
Reducing Test Anxiety .............................................................................................14
Part II: dIagnosIng strengtHs and
Weaknesses ................................................................ 17
diagnostic test .......................................................................................19
Registered Nursing School .......................................................................................23
Answer Key and Explanations .................................................................................31
Allied Health School ................................................................................................38
Answer Key and Explanations .................................................................................45
Practical/Vocational Nursing School ........................................................................51
Answer Key and Explanations .................................................................................58
Part III: PractIce for regIstered nursIng scHool
entrance eXamInatIons ......................................... 65
unit 1: Verbal ability .............................................................................67
What Is Verbal Ability? ............................................................................................68
v
contents
vi
Measuring Verbal Ability .........................................................................................68
Extending Your Vocabulary ......................................................................................68
Etymology—Key to Word Recognition ...................................................................70
Know Your Roots (or Stems) ...................................................................................71
Prefixes and Suffixes ................................................................................................73
Increased Word Power from Beginning to End ........................................................76
Synonyms .................................................................................................................76
Synonyms Test..........................................................................................................83
Answer Key and Explanations .................................................................................89
Antonyms .................................................................................................................97
Antonyms Test ........................................................................................................101
Answer Key and Explanations ...............................................................................107
Skill with Verbal Analogies ....................................................................................116
Analogy Relationships ...........................................................................................118
Answer Key and Explanations ...............................................................................120
Verbal Analogies Test .............................................................................................125
Answer Key and Explanations ...............................................................................132
Let’s Put You to the Test .........................................................................................141
Final Verbal Ability Examination ...........................................................................145
Answer Key and Explanations ...............................................................................154
unit 2: mathematics .............................................................................165
Tips for Studying Mathematics ..............................................................................165
Mathematics Review ..............................................................................................167
Test 1 ......................................................................................................................191
Test 2 ......................................................................................................................194
Test 3 ......................................................................................................................197
Test 4 ......................................................................................................................200
Quantitative Comparisons Test 5............................................................................204
Quantitative Comparisons Test 6............................................................................211
Answer Key and Explanations ...............................................................................214
Final Mathematics Examination .............................................................................237
Answer Key and Explanations ...............................................................................245
unit 3: science .....................................................................................253
Characteristics of Organisms ..................................................................................253
Basic Principles of Life Sciences ...........................................................................254
Anatomy and Physiology .......................................................................................265
Humans and Their Environment ............................................................................273
Science Glossary ....................................................................................................276
Chemistry and Physics Test 1 .................................................................................303
Chemistry and Physics Test 2 .................................................................................310
Human Anatomy and Physiology Test 3 ................................................................315
Human Anatomy and Physiology Test 4 ................................................................321
Biology Test 5.........................................................................................................326
General Science Test 6 ...........................................................................................332
Answer Key and Explanations ...............................................................................339
Final Science Examination .....................................................................................373
Answer Key and Explanations ...............................................................................381
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contents vii
unit 4: reading comprehension ........................................................387
Techniques ..............................................................................................................387
Reading Comprehension Test 1 ..............................................................................401
Reading Comprehension Test 2 ..............................................................................406
Reading Comprehension Test 3 ..............................................................................409
Reading Comprehension Test 4 ..............................................................................412
Reading Comprehension Test 5 ..............................................................................415
Reading Comprehension Test 6 ..............................................................................417
Answer Key and Explanations ...............................................................................419
Part IV: PractIce for allIed HealtH scHool
entrance eXamInatIons ....................................... 425
unit 5: Verbal ability ............................................................................429
Synonyms Test 1.....................................................................................................429
Antonyms Test 2 .....................................................................................................433
Answer Key and Explanations ...............................................................................436
unit 6: Quantitative ability ..................................................................447
Nonverbal Arithmetic Test 1 ..................................................................................447
Problem Solving Test 2 ..........................................................................................450
Algebra Test 3.........................................................................................................452
Quantitative Comparisons Test 4............................................................................453
Answer Key and Explanations ...............................................................................457
unit 7: science .....................................................................................469
Cells, Structure, and Function Test 1......................................................................469
Biology Test 2.........................................................................................................476
Biology Test 3.........................................................................................................479
Human Anatomy and Physiology Test 4 ................................................................482
Chemistry Test 5 .....................................................................................................491
Chemistry and Physical Science Test 6 ..................................................................493
Answer Key and Explanations ...............................................................................498
unit 8: reading comprehension ........................................................521
Reading Passage 1 ..................................................................................................521
Reading Passage 2 ..................................................................................................523
Reading Passage 3 ..................................................................................................525
Reading Passage 4 ..................................................................................................528
Answer Key and Explanations ...............................................................................531
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contents
viii
Part V: PractIce for PractIcal/VocatIonal
nursIng scHool entrance eXamInatIons ....... 533
unit 9: Verbal ability ............................................................................537
Antonyms Test 1 .....................................................................................................537
Antonyms Test 2 .....................................................................................................542
Synonyms Test 3.....................................................................................................544
Synonyms Test 4.....................................................................................................548
Spelling Usage Test 5 .............................................................................................550
Answer Key and Explanations ...............................................................................552
unit 10: arithmetic and mathematics ................................................569
Review of Basic Operations ...................................................................................569
Decimals, Ratios and Proportions, and Percent Decimals .....................................574
Ratios and Proportions ...........................................................................................578
Arithmetic Test 1 ....................................................................................................594
Arithmetic Test 2 ....................................................................................................596
Answer Keys and Explanations ..............................................................................598
Final Arithmetic and Mathematics Test ..................................................................605
Answer Key and Explanations ...............................................................................608
unit 11: Health and science ...............................................................611
Understanding Body Structure and Function .........................................................611
The Principles of Nutrition .....................................................................................625
Factors Affecting Health ........................................................................................629
Health Glossary ......................................................................................................635
Test 1 ......................................................................................................................643
Test 2 ......................................................................................................................647
Test 3 ......................................................................................................................650
Test 4 ......................................................................................................................653
Answer Key and Explanations ...............................................................................660
unit 12: reading comprehension ......................................................675
Reading Comprehension Test 1 ..............................................................................675
Reading Comprehension Test 2 ..............................................................................677
Reading Comprehension Test 3 ..............................................................................679
Reading Comprehension Test 4 ..............................................................................682
Reading Comprehension Test 5 ..............................................................................684
Answer Key and Explanations ...............................................................................686
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Before You Begin
Now that you’ve decided on a career in nursing or in one of the allied healthcare fields, you’ll need

to take an entrance exam for the coursework and degree or certificate that you want. Peterson’s
Master the Nursing School and Allied Health Entrance Examinations can help you prepare for
your test. This book provides review and practice in a variety of subjects and skills that you will
need to do well on whichever test you are required to take.
HoW tHIs Book Is organIzed
Peterson’s Master the Nursing School and Allied Health Entrance Examinations is divided into
five parts to facilitate your study and review for whichever test you will be taking.
• Part I provides an overview of the different tests and how to apply to take the one that fits
your career interests. You’ll also find an overview of the tests and potential question types.
• Part II offers a diagnostic test to help you identity your strengths and those areas where
you will need to spend more time preparing. The test is divided into three parts, one for
those planning to test for registered nursing school, one for those planning to test for allied
healthcare, and one for those planning to test for entrance to practical/vocational nursing
school. For your ease in identifying the areas that you need to spend more time on while
preparing for your test, the topic of each content area question is noted at the end of each
answer explanation.
• Part III focuses on the types of information and questions typically found on nursing school
entrance exams. Review and practice exercises prepare you to answer questions testing your
verbal ability, mathematics, science, and reading comprehension skills.
• Part IV offers practice for allied health school entrance exams. Questions are provided in the
areas of verbal ability, quantitative ability, science knowledge, and reading comprehension.
The content review provided in Part III is appropriate for Part IV as well.
• Part V tackles review and practice for the practical nursing and vocational nursing school
entrance exams. Here you’ll find review material and practice exercise for verbal skills,
arithmetic and mathematics, health and science, and reading comprehension.
• The special word power review provides lists of common roots, prefixes, and suffixes that
will help all test-takers with the verbal sections of their tests (See pages 71–76).
ix
x
Before You Begin
sPecIal studY features
Peterson’s Master the Nursing School and Allied Health Entrance Examinations has several features
that will help you get the most from your study time.
overview
Review units begin with a listing of the major topics in that chapter followed by an introduction that
explains what you will be reviewing in the chapter.
Bonus Information
You will find three types of notes in the margin of the Peterson’s Master the Nursing School and
Allied Health Entrance Examinations to alert you to important information about the test.
Note
Margin notes marked “Note” highlight information about the test structure itself.
Tip
A note marked “Tip” points out valuable advice for taking the Nursing School & Allied Health Exams.
Alert
An “Alert” identifies pitfalls in the testing format or question types that can cause mistakes in
selecting answers.
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