Thumbtack website now expanded!

I joined Thumbtack in 2009 to market my tutoring services. Since then, this site has  dramatically increased its services to tutors and to the public. Check out my new listing, then click on the link below to take a peek at Thumbtack's new offerings ...
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Getting high scores on standardized exams can open doors to higher education, better-paying careers, and personal satisfaction. A tutor can help you stay on track with a prep plan, understand exam content, and apply test-taking strategies.

For the past decade, I have been providing exam prep for many standardized exams, including ACT, SAT, GED, GRE, and GMAT. I can help you improve whether your starting score is significantly below average or significantly above average.

Whether you have a week, a month, or six months to prepare, we'll create a prep plan that works for you. I offer flexible scheduling 7 days a week. Let's get started!

Friendly, Experienced Test Prep Tutor Available Now

First Day of Nursing School -- Success!

Yes, I successfully made it through the first day of nursing school. Glad to know my diligence as a student has paid off as, with strong study skills and test-taking abilities, I should do fine in the lecture portion of class. My main concern lies with skill-building. I'm hoping I remember and can be proficient with the umpteen steps required to master each skill.

Lots of group exercises in both lecture and lab and as a one-on-one type of person, I find this configuration most intimidating. Somehow, I'll perservere. I made sure I purchased all available study and skill guides to supplement my study. I also got the NCLEX study guide as I might as well start preparing for that as we go along.

Hoping the rest of the semester goes as well as I think it will. Please weigh in on your experiences as a first year nursing student (if applicable). So far, so good!

Beginning nursing school!

I'm getting excited to begin my first week of nursing school, that is, until I took a look at a nursing skills manual that we'll be using. I thought NAR training was tough ... 24 skills to learn within a couple months, now I see there are 72 we'll have to have down to graduate (granted, many are repeats of NAR training).

Learning practical skills is something that doesn't come easy for me; I'd much rather study from a book and take a test, write a paper, or turn in some other written assignment.

I'd be interested to hear how the first few months and year of nursing school went or is going for others. What are your tips for getting good grades and studying effectively? I hope to complete the BSN after getting the AS degree, so grades will matter. If I dare, I'd like to think the DNP lurks somewhere in my future!

Any tips on finding well-paying NAR jobs while attending school? I'm checking into per diem work, but ideally, I'd like to get part-time work in entry-level informatics, the kind of full-time job I'd eventually like to have.

Feel free to weigh in on your experiences, tips, and general comments!

Nursing Assistant/Registered Exam: Skills and Written

After much worry about successfully passing the NAR exam, especially the skills portion, I can happily report ! I have done so ! and can now begin nursing school for the RN degree on schedule.
The written portion of the exam, for the most part, is common sense as most of the incorrect options are just plain silly. The passing score is 78% (I assume this is the same no matter in which state you take it). I got no questions related to abbreviations, which I had presumed would be the only thing I'd have to review before taking the exam.

I'm not sure how a passing score is determined for the skills exam, but I'll explain how I prepared for it and what it was like. Since I took training in an extended fashion (over 4 months time instead of three weeks time), I had a tough time retaining the skills. A couple weeks before the exam, I sought additional training through another provider, but still left feeling frustrated that the steps weren't becoming second nature. I had ordered the Avanza DVD (see http://avanzaedu.org/) and had looked it over, but without simultaneous practice, it didn't seem very useful.

As test day approached and on two separate occasions, I roped my daughter and mom into acting as patients to assist me and point out missed or incorrect steps. This practice gave me the most confidence and competence with the skills, especially since we worked together shortly before the exam and the skills were fresher in my mind for testing.

During the skills test, of course I got assigned my most dreaded skill, peri-care. This skill seemed to be the most complicated of them all somehow, but now, in hindsight, that was primarily due to the fact that two pair of gloves are needed, unlike the other skills; the skill itself was pretty straightforward. I needed more washcloths that we were taught in training (4 vs 2) since you use one for soap and one for rinse in each of the two areas being cleaned. I didn't think about keeping one hand clean while the other is considered dirty, but it didn't seem to matter.
My nervousness definitely showed in testing, but the evaluator was understanding and, given the 90+% pass rate on this exam, she may also have been fairly lenient with me as well as others. That said, if I realized I had missed steps (and I did), I said so and she gave me credit. I had read though that you can only miss a certain number before you fail the skill and, consequently, the exam.

My patient for testing was a fellow student (we had both thought a volunteer would serve as the patient, but not so). She was testing out having completed no training beforehand (minimal requirement of her nursing school) and prepared for the test by reading the skills sheets and viewing YouTube videos, which she said were very helpful. She thought she could not have passed if she hadn't actually seen the skills being performed.
I'm glad the test is behind me and I can focus on what lies ahead. I plan to pursue a non-clinical oriented career as an informatics nurse (see http://healthinformatics.uic.edu/nursing-informatics/), but we'll see what happens. At 51 years of age, I'm hoping my previous background in analysis and project management will help me secure an even higher wage than starting nurses. I'm looking forward to the prospects!

Please feel free to weigh in on your experiences and what has worked for you as you prepare for this important exam.

Score high on the NLN exam

Have you been wondering how to score high on the NLN nursing exam?

I had pretty decent luck recently when I took this exam and scored 157 out of a possible 200 points. Considering my prospective school (a community college in MN) only awards a possible 16.1 points for this exam on the nursing application, I'd say I fared well. (In other words, the school would not have counted any points gained beyond 161.) This nursing program recommends a composite score of at least 110.

The best resource for preparation I have found for this exam is the Review Guide for NLN-RN Pre-Entrance Exam, Third Edition. I took all practice exams in the manual and read the error explanations, but didn't have time to read the intro material. If you're also short on time, be sure to at least take the exams in your weakest area (and read the error explanations), which for me was science. If you have the time, take care to read the intro material carefully.

I scored in the high 90's in verbal and math, but low 80's in science. As it turns out, these scores were high enough to place me in the 99 percentile in all three subjects. It helped that I had taken a fair amount of biology and chemistry prior to testing, but with careful study of concepts, you should be able to pick up the necessary information for the exam.

I've applied to nursing school and have learned that my application score is 137, compared with other applicant scores of 139 as a median and 136 as a bottom of range, so am confident I have a decent shot at gaining admission, in large part, due to the results of this exam.

So, make sure you prepare early and prepare well for this exam. It will definitely be worth your time!

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GRE Math Formula Sheet - great tool for comprehensive math review

Still hunting all over the internet for formula sheets to use in prepping for the GRE? Well, I've searched high and low and, although I try to get free resources whenever possible, this was just too good a deal to pass up.

For just under $9 (plus $1.95 shipping), and an immediate download to boot, you get a comprehensive, yet concise formula sheet to review before taking practice sets and exams. I really can't think of anything they've left off this sheet and all formulas are relevant to the GRE.

You can click on the above image to view and order. There are also math formula sheets for other exams at these links:

ACT Math Formula Sheet: http://www.actmathformulas.com/
SAT Math Formula Sheet: http://www.satmathformulas.com/
GMAT Math Formula Sheet: http://www.gmatmathformulas.com/

I highly recommend this resource, a real time-saver!

New Credentials: Certified Project Management Professional

I have had a taste of my own medicine in having to prepare for a major exam ... I'm pleased to report that today I passed the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification exam!!

For those planning to take the PMP exam, I'll tell you a bit about my background and how I prepared for this exam.
Up until June 2011, I worked for two years in project management for the State of MN. This experience was invaluable in teaching me the basics of all aspects of project management.
From there, I purchased Andy Crowe's The PMP Exam: How to Pass on Your First Try. On Amazon, this book had about the same review rating as Rita Mulcahey's PMP Exam Prep: Course in a Book for Passing the PMP Exam but cost somewhat less. As I searched for additional materials, Rita's name kept coming up, so I checked out the 3rd edition of her title above from the library (although the manual is now in its 7th edition).

With each manual, I did not read the chapter content; instead, I took the chapter tests and reviewed the explanations for my errors carefully. (With Crowe's manual, I also reviewed the correct answer explanations). I liked the thorough approach that Rita's book offered; if I'd had the time, I'd have enjoyed moving through the book and its exercises at a comfortable pace.

I read various opinions regarding PMP materials, including one saying s/he studied Rita's book and scored 90-95% on the chapter tests but did not pass the test. I scored 60-70% on average in Rita's book and did pass, so go figure.

I took a quick look also at Oliver Lehman's free practice tests, though somehow they seemed more difficult than Rita's as the questions seemed to focus on the finer details of PM ("by the book" vs. real-life scenarios). I had time only to do a few questions, but will include the links here in case you find them helpful:

http://www.oliverlehmann.com/pmp-self-test/75-free-questions.htm

http://www.oliverlehmann.com/contents/free-downloads/175_PMP_Sample_Questions.pdf

Finally, I located a free PMP cheat sheet through www.vbpm.org. I had been looking for some time for a decent summary of key concepts which I'd hoped would help me feel less overwhelmed; this document really fits the bill. The main thing it lacks is a summary of inputs and outputs for each process, though it would have been much longer in that case.

As a PMI member, I have had access to the PMBOK, 4th edition, though I just couldn't make myself read such dry material. I've included a link/image below, in case you want to investigate it further.
I have to say that my previous real-life experience in PM was a big advantage in understanding the flow of project management and, frankly, just keeping me interested in the topic since I could relate my studies to real-world experiences.
Beyond my work experience, I figure I studied a total of 50 hours total, off and on over six months time. My chapter test scores didn't really improve from Crowe's manual to Rita's manual so I wasn't terribly confident I'd pass, though I do feel I have a better understanding of how I'd handle specific situations which, on top of those three letters I get to place after my name (if I choose to do so), is a great bonus.

You may ask: What is the passing score for the PMP? You will not receive a numerical score upon completion of your exam. Rather, you are given a qualitative score of P (Proficient), MP (Moderately Proficient), or BP (Below Proficient) for each domain. The key domains (those apparently given higher weights in calculating the exam score) are Planning, Executing, and Monitoring & Controlling.

For details on how an exam pass may be determined, see: http://www.deepfriedbrainpmp.com/2010/04/best-kept-secret-of-pmp-certification.html#more

From my readings on the subject, the passing percentage appears to remain at approximately 61% for scored items. (25 of the 200 test questions are not figured in scoring.)

Although I am unable to divulge specific questions from the exam, I would be glad to give you general guidance in preparing for the exam. Be aware that the content for the PMP exam will be updated on August 31, 2011.

By the way, here's a free PMP practice exam (probably does not reflect latest post-Aug 2011 content): http://headfirstlabs.com/PMP/free_exam/

I hope the information I've provided helps you find the right materials and the best approach for effective and efficient studying.

Hey, Good Luck on the PMP exam! Feel free to weigh in on your experiences with prep and/or outcomes.

Having trouble scoring high on GRE Verbal?

The key to scoring high on the GRE Verbal portion is to give yourself plenty of time to study lots of vocab, including definitions, word roots, synonyms, and word in context.
Remember, the GRE exam format is changing August 1, 2011. Your study materials will need to reflect this change, as much will be different about the revised exam.

What to expect with the New GRE exam

Some helpful study prep resources I recommend are displayed below:

Tutor-Tested Worksheets - Links Now Updated

The very popular STAR Tutoring Worksheets webpages have now been updated with new links in Reading, Math, Handwriting, ESL, and Standardized Test Prep --

Worksheets, Games, and Extras:  http://www.startutoring.com/worksheets.html
Standardized Test Prep (ACT, SAT, GRE, GED, ASVAB, etc) Materials and Worksheets:  http://www.startutoring.com/testprepstuff.html

Links are added on a regular basis. Check out and bookmark these great webpages now!