Nurses General Nursing
Published Apr 17, 2002
rn2binmay
27 Posts
Hi all - I'm graduating in 4 weeks and I'm thinking of skipping the $400.00 review course and just taking the boards. Has anyone passed without taking the class? Anyone failed the first time, then passed after taking the class? I'd love any advice. I have a 3.7 GPA, if that matters. thanks
AmandaRN
17 Posts
I passed the first time taking the NCLEX, and I also opted to skip the review class! You can do it!
Maula, RN
38 Posts
Skip the class, buy a CD and practice from the time you graduate til the time you take your boards. You can do.
drifter
1 Post
i passed 1st time without going to review class. try kaplan, mosby's & saunders. tho' i like saunders better than the others. practice with their Q & A's . do ur best & God will take care of the rest. :)) you'll make it. Good luck!
Thanks for the boosts of confidence. I think I can do it too.
MelissaCT
128 Posts
The only reason I'm taking the $400 class is because I'm going to get reimbursed either way.
If I fail, Kaplan reimburses me.
If I pass, the hospital I'm going to work for reimburses me.
So I figured why not.
I'm also doing online review classes and I have a few books.
:)
brassdragon
18 Posts
I'm taking the course, it might be because somehow the cost of the course was put into our tuition without us knowing about it. So it is paid for regardless. I figure taking it can only help, what's one more week after 3 long years. Good luck to all new grads with their boards, I take my boards sometime in June.
rdhdnrs
305 Posts
Good luck to everyone. If you can find someone who has already taken a course and borrow their study books, that is a good option. I took the Kaplan course. They give lots of good hints on test taking, not only on the subject matter.
NancyRN
222 Posts
Since the brain operates on sugar, make sure you have a good breakfast ( low fat though; fat clouds the thinking). Also take in Gatorade and sip that while testing, so you stay sharp. I passed first time in just 45 minutes. I didn't take a review course, but had taken practice questions online. It wasn't nearly as bad as I'd been led to believe!
The best hint I can give you is: formulate your answer BEFORE you look at all the choices. That way the correct one will jump out at you.
The only thing I had trouble with was children's BP's because we'd never studied that, so do have some general idea about Vitals for all age groups. Good luck!
aimeee, BSN, RN
932 Posts
You've got a great GPA so you should do fine without the course. My GPA was about the same and I used one of those practice CD's that comes with the review books and did lots of questions from several different review books they had in our library. I passed first time with the minimum of questions. Good luck! :)
MPHkatie
177 Posts
I took a cheap review class and found it absoloutely NOT useful like you I had a 3.9 GPA , but I had a major case of nreves and would not have forgave myself if I hadn't taken it and failed. I do give the review class credit for giving me the correct answer to the last question on boards- something about an amputated limb and elevation.... skip the class, do lots of review questions. and don't get too nervous, it's not too bad.
I just had my first 8 1/2 hour review day. All I can say is there anyone out there that can hook up an IV filled with coffee!!!!!!
Yes did learn a few helpful hints but it is torture sitting there all day.