PSB Test

Careers in the medical profession are not for everyone. The work can be grueling, and it requires a certain temperament to be successful. Candidates for nursing schools would be benefited by information about their own suitability for their future careers. The PSB (Psychological Services Bureau), working with nursing schools around the country, has created a series of exams to predict the success of applicants to nursing schools. The tests have proven to be accurate predictors of success in nursing school. They have become, therefore, popular entrance exams for many nursing schools. Many nursing school applicants will be asked to take a PSB exam.

There are several exams administered by the PSB. These include the PSB-APNE (Aptitude for Practical Nursing Exam), the PSB-HOAE (Health Occupations Aptitude Exam), and the PSB-RNSAE (Registered Nursing School Aptitude Exam). The names give a pretty good idea of whom each exam is for. Candidates studying to become registered nurses will take the PSB-RNSAE, for example. The content of the exams have been specifically designed to test the skills required for that particular course of study. Because they are taken by candidates before they go through nursing degree programs, the test focuses more on general knowledge than on medical knowledge, but they will be science heavy.

Each of the exams has five sections. The largest section is about a candidate's academic aptitude. His or her verbal reasoning is tested through vocabulary questions based on synonyms and antonyms. The math reasoning section has mostly arithmetic problems. The nonverbal reasoning questions deal with formal and spatial similarities and differences, not unlike an IQ test. A student's verbal expression is tested through two sections, spelling and reading comprehension. There is a natural science section that covers preuniversity knowledge of biology, chemistry, and the like. Finally, there is a professional aptitude section. Questions from this section test a candidate's feelings, attitudes, and personality through a psychological rubric. The purpose is to determine a candidate's suitability for a particular job in the health care field.

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