Any advice on understanding the NHIE question’s intent? These practice tests I’m buying from them are going to make me go bald. I know this material quite well, so I thought. I know what trick questions typically look like, but some of these questions are psychopathic in their wording. Is there a rule of thumb, or a psychology to it?
Also I heard it said the questions are very safety oriented and more about the intersectionality of system functionality, etc. I’m not finding that to be super true so far, but then again the practice tests are not the real thing.
I’m not struggling with the information or the memorizing. I paid for the NHIE practice exams and regardless of the subject matter it was always the phrasing that turned my brain into mush. I’m over thinking it and I don’t know how to stop. I need advice from someone who also has a lizard brain like me.
Example
A question on the practice exam asked why a wall was horizontally bowing inwards. There was a “brown” stain below it. Specifically it asked what caused “this” condition.
My brain said, well, a wall bowing inwards from a 1/4" crack IS because of hydrostatic pressure aka poor exterior drainage (the right answer).
But wait, the question said “this condition”. The sentence immediately before “this” was brown stain. Wait, is the condition the horizontal bowing or the stain? Shouldn’t it say defect? Well, one answer was it had 3/8" reinforcing steel. I already didn’t trust the way it asked questions at this point. How old is the house, is it in a coastal salty environment? Did the rebar rust to the point of being brittle in the wall, causing it to fail so that the wall gave in to the hydrostatic pressure?
I know I’m probably overthinking it, but then again it keeps asking me off the wall scenarios. I should say exterior drainage, but then again it said “this” condition. I work in foundation repair and I see a lot of water stains on basement walls, they’re not often “brown”, they’re usually a dark or light discoloration.
It’s trying to trick me because the exterior drainage is obvious. So I’m going to pick the rebar one because the water stain is BROWN and again, it said “this” condition. Yes, if the wall has rusty rebar the stain could be brown, so that was meant to be a red herring. But condition can be the state of appearance, quality, or functionality.
Of course, that was wrong. Exterior drainage is the right answer.
I know I sound crazy, and I definitely feel crazy. I keep studying hard but I still chose the wrong answer when I actually know the right answer. I’m an insufferably literal person so I work double time in all any personal interaction trying to determine “well, what are they actually asking me? People frequently don’t mean what they say, such as when someone asks me if I’m going to eat that, they’re ACTUALLY asking me if they can have it”. And yes, I’m fun at parties.
But when I answer the question with the obvious right answer, it was actually a trick question THAT time. So the immediate next question makes me spiral into this psychotic inner monologue.
How do I cope with this mind game?
I have a feeling that I’m in for a bad bad time…
P.s. if you’re going to roast my border line autism go ahead and get it out of your system. I’m looking to talk to people who had a similar problem and came out on top.
Not questioning your “borderline autism” by any means, but maybe you should have more of a positive outlook instead of already “feeling” you are going to have a negative one. Jmo…
People say manifest success and that they’ve actually proven positivity affects outcomes in various studies. But nothing takes the wind out of me like walking into something with confidence and immediately getting clothes lined with a folding chair. That’s how the practice exams just made me feel.
CJ, out all the self employed businesses that I have started and the ones that failed, I have felt that way at times too. The old adage is “You pick yourself up off the floor, dust yourself off and then try again,”
Don’t underestimate yourself and never lose confidence in what you know you are capable of/ You’ll be fine!
IMO… this is what seperates the “working knowledge” inspectors from the “book smart/memorization” wanna-be inspectors… thus the reason the NHIE has a roughly 50% failure rate!
When I took the NHIE waaaay back in 2008, I went in with high confidence of easily passing the test, as I studied long and hard for it. Then after taking it I actually thought I had failed it, many of the questions had multiple right answers and some were even for different regions that had nothing to do with, at least IMO, what I had been inspecting for the previous 5 years.
I was pleasantly surprised when I found out I passed. My advice would be as others have mentioned, don’t over think it, go in with a positive attitude, and if you fail, as Tom said, get up, dust yourself off, and keep pushing forward.
Everyone of these tests have some WTF questions. That is just the way it is. Years ago, there was a question on what causes blue baby syndrome. Are you kidding me? (Yeah, I got it right, but that it isn’t the point. That is a stupid question for a home inspector exam)
Do your study and take the test. Chances are you will pass and you only have to pass by one question. Just do it.
And by the way, this is a biz that requires some mental toughness. The analogies about being a duck’s back or having a thick skin apply.
Thanks for the positive advice everyone! Update: chatgpt has been extremely useful in creating the same style of NHIE questions about any subject I’m brushing up on so I don’t have to pay for more practice questions. It’s extremely accurate as to regards the wording, trick questioning, and most correct answer method. I even can ask it WHY the answer was more correct than the others! It’s more helpful than anything I’ve done so far and the amount of practice is helping tremendously. Just getting used to the wording and psychology alone.
I’m cross referencing the answers to ensure the AI isn’t being unhinged or pulling from an inaccurate source, it’s done that a few times already.
2 things I’ve learned, I think:
sometimes “most correct” means the answer is true AND it’s unique to the properties/etc of the subject or material.
Like for example cement fiber cladding is fire resistant and durable, those are true. So are similar materials. But fiber cement is also especially resistant to hail damage comparitively. So if that’s one of the options, it could be that one because it sets it apart.
Find the “point” of the question if there is one, such as safety even if it doesn’t specifically say it’s safety related in the question. The common theme is sometimes found in the answers instead.
Side note, recommendation type answers are still really tough for me because I took the liability risks as gospel. Don’t over comment and stay in your scope so you don’t get sued in case your wrong, or simply less correct than a deferred expert. I didn’t pay very close attention to any of those things, and internachi doesn’t often go into extreme detail about repair or cause recommendations. Some things are obvious and some things I know better than others, but I’m still questioning the validity of these questions. Internachi was pretty adamant I shouldn’t speculate or diagnose. I’m even scared to offer my knowledge on foundation repair from my current field because I feel like that makes me liable. Any advice or clarifications on this?
No, AI is used in the development of questions on the NHIE. It has been found that AI often produces the wrong answer, or the answer is partially correct. So, be careful if you are using AI to study for the exam. Always verify your answers to the IRC or another published source.
Moist of all do not over think the question that is being asked! Answer the question that is asked and do not think about what if or what may happen. The exam has a pass ration of in the mid 60’s percentile for first time takers. That goes up into the high 70’s percentile for second time takers and levels off in the mid 80’s for folks on their third try and on.
You’re 100% correct, I can find so many questions that are simply wrong or convoluted in what it’s attempting to test your knowledge on because there are 2 or more right answers that could very well be the correct answer given the very vague scenario that is provided, and you have to predict what the majority of people or soon to be inspectors would assume. …?…
Which in reality is not the correct way an exam question should be created.
It’s almost as if it’s designed this way purposely to make it nearly impossible to get a perfect score. …
That’s how the practice exams just made me feel.
