Prometric Exam Experience

In connection with my post about Prometric Exam, I would like to share my own experience on sitting in the exam few months ago. My reason for taking up the exam, of course, was to primarily seek employment in the Kindom of Saudi Arabia. The truth is, when I was just a nursing student, I never dreamt, in my entire life, to work in KSA. This country was never in my list of countries I would love to practice my profession because of its extremely strict Islamic code of morality and the Muslim traditions – a way far beyond from the civil liberties and privileges I used to live from my own country (Philippines) or any other non-Muslim countries. But, due to convoluted circumstances with my nursing career, I ended up working as staff nurse in one of the health centers for Border Guards in the Kingdom run by certain private company under Ministry of Interior.

When I left Qatar, sometime of April, 2013, I didn’t renew my contract with my previous company because of some personal reason and a bit conflict with the policies of the company. I left Qatar and went back home to Philippines. Then, a month after, I started applying online to some agencies bound to UAE, Oman, Libya, Singapore, and KSA. I will give my reasons next time why I never applied to some English-spoken countries, which also employs foreign nurses. Among these countries, I focused my application to Abu Dhabi, UAE. The state of Abu Dhabi also requires every nurse and other healthcare professionals to undergo and pass HAAD exam as basic requirement for licensure in the emirate. The regulating body for HAAD exam is the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi and its administering exam facility is the Pearsonvue. Don’t be confused with Dubai. Although Dubai is also one of the states of UAE, Dubai has separate governing body for healthcare professionals. It’s called DHA (Dubai Health Authority) and has its own DHA exam provided too by Pearsonvue (But recent developments allow reciprocity of license is now being implemented by both states as of this year). My license application for Abu Dhabi was disapproved last year (I will post next time the basis of disapproval in a separate entry) and left me tiny chance but to try the Saudi Council Exam aka Saudi Prometric Exam for Nurses instead. That was already, mid of September, 2013. Though somewhat upset by the HAAD decision, I booked an exam (Nurse Specialist) in the prometric website with the SCHS (Saudi Council Health Specialties) exam for November 8, 2013. I gave myself 2-3 weeks of preparation by self-study for the exam in Metro Manila. As usual, I familiarized myself all the normal laboratory values, dosage calculations, nursing interventions, nursing diagnosis, jurisprudence, and so on. Are you familiar with the A-D-P-I-E? I guess you must because that is the criteria in the Nurse Specialist category:
                A – Assessment
                D – Diagnosis/Nursing Problem
                P – Planning
                I – Implementation
                E – Evaluation

I paid the application for US$90 via credit card, my sister’s Visa card. Prometric doesn’t accept cash as payment but one can pay the application through check by bank. But for expediency, I advised to use your credit card in paying or if you have none, you can use other’s card as long as it is valid. Minutes after, I received a confirmation email about the details and payment of my application. So please make it sure that your email address is correct and active.

I am from Bicol region (specifically, Albay) and I went to Manila 2 days prior to my exam in Makati City so I have no reason to be late on my schedule.  Honestly, I was quite apprehensive about the exam. I was already in the venue, the Ateneo Professional School, 2 hours ahead of my scheduled time. My exam was at 4pm. When I came to the venue, the guard-on-duty let me signed on his logbook and told me to wait in a certain area, in which he pinpointed the place near the parking area at the ground floor. I saw some people, mostly women, already waiting there. Ticked 3:45 PM.  The guard called us to go up to the testing room in 2^nd floor.

This are some of the photos i have taken in the venue:

this is the exact building - exam room at 2nd level

the building's lobby

the door leading to exam room

angled shot of the exam room's door

As I entered the room, the staff let me sit and gave me a manual about the rules inside the testing center. I read it for about 10 minutes. Later, they handed me key to put all my belongings in the locker. Mobile phones, coins, wallet, hankies, my bag, and everything inside my pocket except my PRC Id (or passport). And they even checked for themselves if my pockets were really empty. Then they asked for my identification. At that time, I brought my PRC Id. They asked me about some personal details regarding my identification. Once verified, they encoded my details in the computer and took a picture of me using webcam.  Then, they gave me final instructions on what to do while on exam. After that, I sit in front of the computer. The monitor was ready for my first mouse click. Headset was provided. Since I’m not sensitive or easily distracted by various petty noises inside the exam room, I did not put on the headset.  A single sample question was provided in the exam and the computer let me answered it by clicking the mouse or by using the keyboard. The timer only started clocking once I clicked the BEGIN in the computer screen. I finished answering all the 70 items in about 100 minutes thus I still have 20 minutes left in the clock. So, I reviewed all my bookmarked items (these are the items I have skipped previously or with the answers I am in doubt). The computer let you do such thing. A couple of minutes left in the timer, I ended up the session and the screen prompted me if I am sure to end the exam. This was the most breathtaking part of the exam yet I was so anxious – when the computer confirms me if I am sure to end my session. The computer displayed automatically (less than 10 seconds) the result of my exam upon I confirmed it. I Passed.

After that, the proctor will let you wait for the exam result. At this time, it is still prohibited to discuss or talk with any of your fellow examiners. The room is filled with CCTVs in every corner. I just sit calmly and quietly in the chair though my heartbeats are like partying rowdily inside my body. After 30 minutes of waiting, the proctor handled me my official exam result. And this is how it looked like:

As a first timer of the prometric exam, honestly, I find it less difficult as compared to the one I have taken, the CGFNS, few years back, and of course, our own local board exam (NLE). Though, some passers claimed, that Saudi prometric is a way too easy as compared to the NCLEX-RN exam or the HAAD/DHA exam, but still, personally, I still advise to have at least 2 to 4 weeks of intensive review, whether it is by self study or in a review center. You should have a well grasp of the A-D/N-P-I-E type of questions. I highly recommend the Saunders Q&A NCLEX-RN Exam 4^th Edition. This is the one I used when I practiced answering NCLEX-RN type questions. Before starting to practice, make it sure you knew or had memorized the various normal laboratory values (blood chemistry, therapeutic drug range and toxicity, serum values, etc) because these would be your primary basis in choosing the appropriate and correct intervention in a given situation. As we all knew, any deviation from the standard values is abnormal and that’s a good cue in choosing the correct option.

As far as I remembered, the questions I have encountered in my 2-hour exam were about dislodged chest tubes, stepping up using 4-point cane, fluid volume deficits, congestive heart failure, intervention for Above Knee Amputation (AKA), phantom pain related to DM2, site for gastrectomy, drug dosage  computation, hyperthyroidism, PPE for rubeola, most priority in Bell’s palsy, sign & symptoms  of shock, femoral dislocation, increased ICP,  DHN, myocardial infarction, dehydration, insulin administration, nursing diagnosis, actions for adverse effects of BT, procedures used for testing sensory, managing pain, indications for external pneumonectic compression in knee chest position, electrolyte normal values, exercise with pelvic tractions, and hip dislocations, ABG analysis, Reynaud’s phenomenon, peptic ulcer disease and so on. I noted down those topics into my phone upon leaving the premises of the building. Indeed, my 2-week intensive review and self-study plan provided me the result i wished for. The certificate is valid for 3 years.

Nowadays, most employers from KSA, requires prometric certificate before they gave you the chance to be hired. I guess because they wanted to save time and money in shortlisting all the applicants. Prometric passer applicants has an edge already as compared to those who don't have yet because the employer will not pay anymore for their prometric since they have their certificate. Besides, employers saved time in acquiring applicants license card from the saudi council. However, some employers most especially from KSA MOH (Ministry of Health), they don't requires prometric certificate as long as the applicant is qualified to the position. Once hired, only then the applicants will sit in for an exam in KSA.

I hope my own experience could help. Thanks.