Absorb, Recall, Produce: Creating Your CNS Exam Study Plan
Most folks focus on studying for the CNS exam and different ways to study (which is the action), rather than how best to learn and retain information. We need to be more strategic about retaining information.
There are lots of different learning theories out there! The biggest mistake that many people make when studying for the CNS exam is that they don’t actually think about any of these theories!
Many people seem to think that exposure to information = learning information. So they might read a textbook and highlight things that seem important. And they might even go back to that information and look at the highlighted information. But this is failing to utilize the complexity of the human brain!
Cramming information into the brain doesn’t mean memories are being formed. And if memories aren’t being formed, that information will probably not be available for us to recall later when we really need it. Like when you’re staring at question #65 and wondering whether beans are a good source of B9. (FYI: yes, they are!)
Let me teach you a little bit about how to retain information for the CNS exam and thus Study effectively.
I like to think of learning as a 3-part process, which is a great way to approach the CNS test.
Absorb: Receive information
Some people call this passive learning, and this involves all kinds of study tactics. This could be listening to a lecture, reading a textbook, watching a video or taking notes. Many aspects of the US educational system are focused on this style of transmitting information and I’m sure you’re all familiar with it!
Example: a teacher stating to a room, “Paraguas is the Spanish word for umbrella.”
(And yes, there are several words for ‘umbrella’ in Spanish! Bear with me here.)
2. Recall: Retrieve information
When it comes to forming memories, each time we recall a piece of information, we’re strengthening the memory. In fact, more recent studies have found that we can even re-write our memories during this recall process.
This is why your uncles can tell the same story over and over to different friend groups. Then they fight over whose version is right every Thanksgiving! They’ve each rewritten those memories so there’s no way to know which is accurate!
In preparation for the CNS exam, it is good to think about flashcards and practice questions and “Pause and Apply” kinds of activities.
Example: the teacher later holding up a picture of an umbrella and asking for the Spanish word.
3. Produce: Apply information
This is such a valuable part of the learning process and many people don’t even get here! When we are able to actually use the information we have absorbed and recalled, we’ve succeeded. Listening to a language and memorizing vocabulary isn’t the same as speaking to a vendor at a shop. Production has different definitions and examples. Generally we’re looking at applying this information to a real life situation and contextualizing it.
Scenario: you’ve listened to a lecture on Vitamin A, and then you’ve memorized some different facts about it. And now you’re looking at a supplement bottle with beta-carotene in it and your friend asks if she needs to take Vitamin A for her skin. You’re able to contextualize the prior information into this situation. Or it might be as simple as looking at an orange carrot and remembering that “carotene” sounds like “carrot.”
Applying this information in real life helps you store thatthat information together.
Other ways to describe this concept are things like “deep processing” and “elaborative rehearsal”.
Another Spanish Class Example... Your teacher brings more context by showing a picture of a man getting drenched in the rain and asking “what does this man need?”
Or, another example: you break down the word into “para”, which can mean “for” and “agua”, which can mean “water” and you see contextually how “for water” is related to the utility of an umbrella.
But how do we apply this for the CNS Exam?
Since nutrition practice is clinical, I find that applying it to a case (real or imaginary) is a great way to fulfill this ‘production’ category. Creating a handout, lecture, or teaching your colleagues (or family members) can also help.
1. Recall - Watch a lecture and take notes
2. Study a few notecards or make diagrams based on the information in the lecture
3. Apply this to a patient case or a real life example.
Example you’ve just learned about the Krebs cycle and memorized a mnemonic. As you’re filling in different ketogenic amino acids, you are drawing little avocados and nuts. You are also imagining a client on the ketogenic diet and what they’re eating and you’re tracing how their food is going to provide their body with energy.
I hope this helps you to think beyond videos and flashcards as you try to create important memories both for your CNS exam and for your clinical career!
Need more CNS exam studying tips?
CNS TEST PREP: SCIENCE-BACKED STUDY TIPS WITH CAITLIN SELF https://www.nutritionherbalcollective.com/post/cns-test-prep-science-backed-study-tips-with-caitlin-self
TOP 3 MISTAKES CNS CANDIDATES MAKE WHILE STUDYING FOR THE CNS EXAM WITH CAITLIN SELF
You can also do our Free 10 Practice Questions https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1nbHG8m-U1P5UUabKELeYostKiXaPmUDn6Z4Z_OWCCLM/edit
Caitlin Self is a CNS Supervisor with 5 years of experience as a clinical nutritionist. Caitlin is a nutrition mentor at TNHC and is the moderator of our CNS Prep Course. Caitlin runs a successful food blog, Frugal Nutrition and clinical practice specializing in SIBO, mental health and related diseases. Come meet the supervisors of our internship for nutrition students, and learn about who they are.
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