How to pass the NHIE

The NHIE is not graded on a curve. EBPHI sets a passing point for each version, and your score is measured against it, not against other candidates. You don't have to beat anyone. You have to clear the line.

Of the 200 questions, 25 are pretest questions that don't count. They are mixed in with the rest. For how the scale works, see the NHIE passing score.

You get 4 hours for 200 questions, which is about 72 seconds each, or 50 questions an hour. The clock starts the moment you see the first question. The tutorial before it doesn't count against your time, and the unit turns off at 4 hours.

EBPHI calls the time limits generous, with time to answer every question and check your work. A question that eats three minutes still costs you, because it takes time from questions you know. Pick your best answer and move on.

EBPHI says you pass by answering enough questions correctly. A blank scores the same as a wrong answer, so never leave one. If you don't know, cross out what you can and take your best guess.

EBPHI's FAQ answers "Why did I fail the exam?" partly with advice on reading the questions:

• Read the question before you look at the options.
• Come up with the answer in your head first.
• Cross out the options you know are wrong, then read the rest.
• Don't change an answer unless you misread the question.
• Read every option before you choose, even when the first one looks right.
• A positive option is more likely to be true than a negative one.

If a question looks flawed, flag it. The packet says to follow the comment steps at the end of the exam.

Domain 1, the building systems, is 70% of the exam. Reporting is 20% and professional practice is 10%. Those last two are 30% together, and candidates who skip them give away points. The free NHIE study guide lists all 19 tasks with their weights as a checklist.

Four hours at a screen is its own skill. Sit one practice exam at the real length before test day, so the pace and the fatigue are not new. Then study the tasks you missed. For what to bring and how the day runs, see NHIE exam day.