Curious about other testing sites

Nursing Students NCLEX

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Just out of plain curiosity, how strict was your testing site for NCLEX? I just wanted to know if they are all the same.

Yesterday I took my exam in Des Moines, IA. I was told by our instructors to only take your ATT letter & your ID and leave everything else locked in your car, so that's what I did. When I got there, I was fingerprinted on each hand, palm scanned 3 times on each hand, had to pull out my pockets, lift my sleeves as far as they go, turned around and they inspected my back pockets, frisked my pant legs, had me pull up my hair so they could look under it and in my ears and last they looked in my mouth. I was wondering if they were going to do a body cavity search at that point! Ha! In my opinion, it was a bit over excessive. I felt like I was going to prison or something. Does every testing site do all that? On top of all that searching, they have microphones and cameras in each cubical... you'd think that would be enough. Wow.

Oh boy. I am used to fighting during a test. I play with my hair. I flick my flip flop. Something. I have to get the nervous energy out!

I usually bring a jacket in case I get cold - because if its cold I can't think.

I would only bring my license and jacket in with me.

Do they give you a piece of paper and a pencil? I like to be able to write things out to see if they make sense or write out mnemonics that I use.

As if I am not nervous enough about NCLEX I should apparently prepare for a search too. Fantastic! Like a colonoscopy for Christmas!

They don't permit paper or pencils. But they do provide you with a small white board and marker...but you can't erase it. If you run out of space you have to raise your hand and they will take it and give you a new one.

Specializes in ED, trauma.

Speaking of cheating, I can't believe how many people do resort to that. There were a few students who got kicked out of the program for cheating. There was one girl who had a learning disability and she was permitted to go in a separate room for all of our tests. Sometimes she had to have someone read the questions to her. I know that she also had been put on probation for getting caught with her iPad in the test room. There were also rumors she paid people online to write her research APA style papers cuz she didn't know how to write them. I really don't know how she's gonna pass NCLEX.

Anyway, just venting. I don't like cheaters. They're only hurting themselves. But really, in the long run, they could potentially hurt future patients if they cheated their way thru nursing school. Scary :/

Wowwwwww. Cheaters never prosper! That's crazy he even tried that.

Specializes in ED, trauma.

They don't permit paper or pencils. But they do provide you with a small white board and marker...but you can't erase it. If you run out of space you have to raise your hand and they will take it and give you a new one.

Well. They are going to get to know me REALLY well cause I like to write things down. Is it a small marker at least? I can write small if I have to! Lol.

I am just visual. Like I write things out and talk myself try it in my head. I usually use hand gestures and visualize whatever I am working on. In class my teachers laugh an try to guess which question I am on. :)

I would never gesture during NCLEX so I would want to be able to draw a picture to get things straight in my mind.

Well. They are going to get to know me REALLY well cause I like to write things down. Is it a small marker at least? I can write small if I have to! Lol.

I am just visual. Like I write things out and talk myself try it in my head. I usually use hand gestures and visualize whatever I am working on. In class my teachers laugh an try to guess which question I am on. :)

I would never gesture during NCLEX so I would want to be able to draw a picture to get things straight in my mind.

Yeah, its a small marker. And they will give you as many white boards you need. I just used one for all of my dosage calc Q's.

Oh boy. I am used to fighting during a test. I play with my hair. I flick my flip flop. Something. I have to get the nervous energy out!

I usually bring a jacket in case I get cold - because if its cold I can't think.

I would only bring my license and jacket in with me.

Do they give you a piece of paper and a pencil? I like to be able to write things out to see if they make sense or write out mnemonics that I use.

As if I am not nervous enough about NCLEX I should apparently prepare for a search too. Fantastic! Like a colonoscopy for Christmas!

LOL I played with my hair, tissue fell on the floor, stretched my feet while sitting....definitely helped relieve my anxiety. I wore a tank top under my sweater but it was warm inside the testing area.

They give you a dry erase (thin) board to write on AFTER the tutorial. If you write on the board before or during the tutorial, they consider this "brain dumping" and may invalidate your exam.

Here's more info for testing day --> https://www.ncsbn.org/1219.htm. I made sure I read this prior to exam day coz I knew my anxiety would be off the roof!

Specializes in ED, trauma.

Thanks for the link! I will read up on it so I can prepare myself for test day. (Just realized that its less than 6 months from now, YIKES!)

I will use one piece of paper when I do my practice exams to prepare myself. I think I just need to practice with the technique to not freak myself out on test day. Especially after the pat down just to get in the door. Hahaha. I still find that strange, but I guess they want you to do nothing but use what's in your head. And some desperate people will do desperate things like cheat.

Speaking of cheating, I can't believe how many people do resort to that. There were a few students who got kicked out of the program for cheating. There was one girl who had a learning disability and she was permitted to go in a separate room for all of our tests. Sometimes she had to have someone read the questions to her. I know that she also had been put on probation for getting caught with her iPad in the test room. There were also rumors she paid people online to write her research APA style papers cuz she didn't know how to write them. I really don't know how she's gonna pass NCLEX.

Anyway, just venting. I don't like cheaters. They're only hurting themselves. But really, in the long run, they could potentially hurt future patients if they cheated their way thru nursing school. Scary :/

I use to tell my peers (non-nursing environment)...."don't do anything that will haunt you for the rest of your life" or "don't do anything wherein you're going to keep watching your back and wonder if today is the day you'll get caught." It's not worth it.

Thanks for the link! I will read up on it so I can prepare myself for test day. (Just realized that its less than 6 months from now, YIKES!)

I will use one piece of paper when I do my practice exams to prepare myself. I think I just need to practice with the technique to not freak myself out on test day. Especially after the pat down just to get in the door. Hahaha. I still find that strange, but I guess they want you to do nothing but use what's in your head. And some desperate people will do desperate things like cheat.

Ohhh here's another link that details what you can and can't do during test day. Things like when to raise your hand, use of cellphone, accessing study materials, etc.

https://www.ncsbn.org/1268.htm

Specializes in ED, trauma.

Ohhh here's another link that details what you can and can't do during test day. Things like when to raise your hand, use of cellphone, accessing study materials, etc.

https://www.ncsbn.org/1268.htm

Is it wrong to feel that NCLEX is like prison intake? (Or at least how I imagine prison intake cause I have never been)

This is going to be fun. Haha

Hahaha, yes think prison intake, lol.I have never been in a prison, but I assume its about the same, minus the body cavity check!

I know they are all doing their jobs and I can't even imagine what people have tried to pull there to cheat.

As far as jackets, you are not allowed to take a jacket, you must hang it up or put it in your locker. I actually recommend not taking anything in, lock it in your car. They check phones to make sure they are completly shut off and you are not allowed to access them until your test is done.

hey I have a question too . Can we eat or drink in our breaks? One of my friend told me that they didnt allow her to take eatable stuff from her locker in breaks . I mean its too much , I always get hypoglycemic in any test . so i had to drink or eat inbetween test. Do you know anything about this ?

hey I have a question too . Can we eat or drink in our breaks? One of my friend told me that they didnt allow her to take eatable stuff from her locker in breaks . I mean its too much I always get hypoglycemic in any test . so i had to drink or eat inbetween test. Do you know anything about this ?[/quote']

At the test site where I went they didn't allow anything. There was a drinking fountain but that was it. A friend of mine took her exam in MN and she was allowed to have a bottle of soda in her locker and she's diabetic. I assume diabetics would be able to have something in their locker for breaks. I just didn't see anyone have anything when I went to test. They just showed us where the bathrooms were and a drinking fountain.

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