[Midwife National Examination] A Midwife Explains What to Do the Day Before, What to Bring on the Day, and How to Prepare Your Mental State
As the national examination approaches
“I feel like I’ve studied, but I’ve forgotten everything…”
“What if my mind goes blank during the actual test?…”
“What if I fail and my job offer is rescinded?…”
Many of you are likely spending your days feeling restless with such anxiety and impatience, aren't you?
The grueling labor assistance clinical practice, the never-ending reports, and the daily national exam preparation…
The days you spent running through your life as a midwifery student could not have been easy. First of all, please praise yourself a lot for working so hard to get this far.
Right now, just before the exam, the most important thing is not to cram in new knowledge.It is to prepare yourself so that you can demonstrate 100% of the strength you have built up so far on the day of the exam..
In this article, from the perspective of a practicing midwife who has overcome the same path, I will explain the following three points.
[How to spend the day before] How to turn nervousness into an ally and get your brain into the best state
[What to bring on the day] Must-have items and god-tier goods to avoid panicking on the day
[How to prepare your mental state] A mindset to turn anxiety into confidence
How you spend the day before and the day of the exam can dramatically change your condition during the actual test.
It's okay, you are not alone.
Let's prepare for the final stretch together so that you can perform at your best as yourself until the very end!
5 things to do the day before the national examination
1. Prepare your belongings by the night before
If you panic from the morning of the exam day, thinking “I don’t have my admission ticket!” or “I forgot my watch!”, you will use up unnecessary energy before the exam even starts.
Put them in your bag by the night before, and make sure you are in a state where you can leave after just a final check in the morning.
Essential items
□ Admission ticket
□ HB or B pencils (5 or more)
□ Plastic eraser (2-3 pieces)
□ Black ballpoint pen
□ Pencil sharpener
□ Watch (check the exam guidelines for what is allowed)
□ Lunch and drinks
□ Wallet (check cash and balance on transportation IC card)
□ Smartphone
Things that are reassuring to have
□ Mask (and a spare)
□ Handkerchief and tissues
□ Warm clothing (a jacket that is easy to put on and take off)
□ Disposable body warmer
□ Sugar sources like chocolate
□ Mobile battery
□ Summary notes
□ Hair ties and hairpins
2. Do not do new studying
If you challenge yourself with difficult problems the day before, you might just end up feeling anxious, thinking, “There are still things I don’t understand…”
If it were me, I wouldn't open any new problem sets.
I would limit what I review to:
・Notes I summarized myself
・Flashcards
・Basic knowledge at the mandatory level
・The latest vital statistics and maternal and child health statistics
I would focus only on these.
I want you to spend this time feeling, 'I have studied this much.'
3. Check only the latest statistical data
Vital statistics and maternal and child health statistics appear on the midwife national examination.
If you are going to check something at the last minute, I recommend these figures.
2025 Vital Statistics
Number of births: 671,236
Total fertility rate: 1.14
※Please check the latest statistics for your exam year.
There is no need to try to memorize all the numbers. It is enough to just check the frequently appearing items.
4. Simulate your movements on the day
To avoid panicking on the day of the exam, preparation the day before is important.
・Route to the venue
・Train times
・Alternative routes
・Estimated arrival time
You will feel at ease if you have checked this much. I recommendplanning to arrive at the venue at least one hour before the exam startsto you.
Just having that extra time will help calm your nerves.
5. Managing your physical condition is also part of exam preparation
Working too hard the day before will lower your performance on the actual day.
I recommend:
・An easily digestible dinner
・Not staying up late
・Avoiding caffeine from the evening onwards
・At least 7 hours of sleep
It is. You might feel anxious, thinking, "What if I can't sleep?" But it's okay if you don't force yourself to sleep.
Just lying down, closing your eyes, and resting your body will help you recover from fatigue.
Also, try taking a break from checking social media on the night before.
Rather than spending time comparing yourself to others, I want you to cherish the time spent preparing your own mind and body.
Feeling anxious is natural
"What if I fail?"
"I already have a job lined up, but what if I don't pass?"
"What if the questions are all things I've never seen before?"
It is very natural to feel anxious as the national examination approaches.
However, there is no need to think that you "must not feel anxious."
The important thing is not to be swayed by your anxiety.
If you encounter a question you don't understand during the exam, that one question will not determine whether you pass or fail. If there is a question you don't know, mark it and move on to the next one first. It will be fine to go back and think about it if you have time at the end.
First, make sure to secure the points for the questions you can solve.
Rather than spending too much time on questions you don't understand, steadily and carefully accumulating points from the questions you can definitely solve is the shortcut to passing.
The national examination is not a test designed to make you fail.
It is an important examination to confirm the knowledge necessary to work as a midwife.
Please stay calm and demonstrate your abilities.
Finally
Finally, there is one thing I want to tell you.
As the national examination approaches, you may feel impatient, thinking, "I need to study more" or "It might not be enough yet."
However, that anxiety is born precisely because you have a desire to become a midwife.
The clinical practice and studies you have accumulated up to this point were by no means easy.
That is why, on the day of the exam, rather than cramming in new information, please trust in the strength you have built up until now and carefully solve each question one by one.
I am rooting for all of you as you take your first steps as midwives this spring.