Originally Posted by NotAnRNYet
I took the test Thursday the 10th and found out on the Pearson site today the 12th that I had failed it. It took some time for the shock to wear off but now I’m trying to plan where to go from here.
I only had 87 questions. I came home afterwards and was looking for some assurances, because I didn't feel good about the test, and found some on this allnurses site saying they felt the same way and passed. Unfortunately I was right and, it seems, I not only failed the test, but failed it miserably, since the computer decided I was going down the tubes with only 87 questions.
I prepared by reading an ExamCram NCLEX review book, doing questions on the Saunders CD, and by using my friend’s account on Kaplan after she’d already passed. The day before the test I was scoring in the high-fifty percent range and figured I was doing alright. I did more than 600 questions on this account the week before the test and read every rationale. I was expecting the NCLEX questions to be similar, but I thought that the test questions were MUCH harder. I was also surprised because I finished nursing school with a 3.65 GPA. I wonder, was I just unlucky enough to just draw questions that I didn’t know, or did I overthink the questions as I sometimes do.
What really concerns me is that I am supposed to be starting work on Monday. I know that after this, I will be unable to practice even as a GN. I wonder what the hospital is going to do for me. I've already sent my nurse manager an email about the situation, and told her I'd do anything to be able to stay, but I wonder how much she can really do about it.
I plan to take Kaplan this time. Wish I’d done it before but that’s done and over with now.
Has anyone else had similar experiences, and how did it work out?
I know how you feel because I went through this. If I may ask, how many questions did you do with Saunders review materials? Did you use the review book as well as the CD? because the CD is divided in quizzes, study, and exam with a total of 21000 questions all together, although some questions are repeated. If the answer to this is Yes. What percentages were getting on your Saunders CD exam and quiz part using 1 minute to answer each question? In addition, on the materials you missed on these exams, did you use the review book to reinforce your knowledge? Because the review book has summerized notes on most nursing topics apart from community health and BSN level leadership and Management. Furthermore, did you at least do about 4000 to 5000 questions with Saunders only before your NCLEX? If the answer to these questions is NO, then I would go back to Saunders work on each sub-section and find where your weakness are, then improve on them.
The chances of being tested on the same materials are absolutely none. However, it is important to still review on the materials you remember been tested on and had no idea because something might pop up on the same topic but in different senario.
From my opinion and experience, I think what makes some of us to be unsuccessful with NCLEX is the fact that we fail to accept or realize that we luck enough knowledge in nursing content because it is huge. Although we may have completed our nursing education with frying colors, we always forget that some nursing contents were not covered during nursing school or it may be that our critical thinking skills are not well developed to understand what NCLEX what us to think like. Most of the time, we rush into thinking that we are ready for NCLEX because of our GPAs or how well most our friends performed with NCLEX and yet we forget that we are different people with different ways of understand how the nail should be hit. If only we can forget about how others did on NCLEX at 75 quetsions and concerntrate on what they really did to prepare, then know and do WHAT WE NEED DO to pass NCLEX, maybe, we might find answers to why we were not successful in the other attempts.
The secret is accepting that we DO NOT KNOW, which will motivate us to finding our weakness. Instead, we always think WE KNOW, because we are always justifying our weakness and it demoralizes us, which leads us to be unprepared the next time around and leads us failing again.
Lastly but not the least, do not be discouraged because of losing a job. There might be something better for you if your boss won't support you during this period. This is the best time for you to know if your employers are there to support you or to throw you out when you need them. secondly, Do not let your friends achievements demoralize your motivation to do better next time, instead, let it motivate you because you will join them someday. Lastly, do not let your feelings of going through studying again discourage you, instead, pick yourself up, find your weakness, and tell yourself you can make it no matter what it takes.
As far as I'm concerned, Kaplan is an excellent NCLEX review course to boost your critical thinking skills but Saunders helps you find your weakest content area. Good Luck.
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