by PennyNickelDime_RN

I need your advice. I am struggling to decide whether or not to postpone my NCLEX-RN test that I am supposed to take 9/3. I am a second time test taker and have done Kaplan both first and second time plus Saunders and NCLEX 3500 for the most part.

My overall Kaplan scores are:

Diagnostic = 64%
Readiness = 73%

QT - 1 = 61%
QT - 2 = 65%
QT - 3 = 72%
QT - 4 = 61%
QT - 5 = 63%
QT - 6 = 73%
QT - 7 = 63%

QBank average - 70%

I realize these scores are good, but I am concerned because this is the second time I have done Kaplan. Even though I found that I did not remember the majority of the questions, do you think they are reliable? My weak areas are still my weak areas although improved percentage wise but I don't underrstand why QT 7 was a lower score than QT 6.

I guess what has me most concerned is that when I was studying for the test the first time around, my Kaplan scores although not this high were still in the so called passing range. I failed and I'm afraid to trust these scores. If you were me, would you take the test on 9/3 or postpone until 9/9 which is the first opening they have available after my test date? I do not want to fail a second time and have to do this all over again. I don't even know how I would approach it any differently.

Re: I'm struggling to decide

Hey!...don't sweat it! It is only one week apart. What have you got to lose? Going into a test with high anxiety is a taboo on it own. Just wait a week and don't drink any caffeine before the test!...lol. I'm rootin' for ya!

Re: I'm struggling to decide

I havent done kaplan...but people have told me repeatedly that no matter what, no matter how long it takes and no matter how many review books youve read and classes youve attended, you're never going to feel 100 % completely ready for nclex. take a deep breath, relax the day before, and go in with confidence. good luck!

Re: I'm struggling to decide

Do you feel like you haven't studied enough for this second time? What I mean is, do you have a study plan for this extra time that you feel would be beneficial?

It sounds like you've already studied a lot! If you've done all the studying you can do, that extra week may just give you time to get more worried and anxious, and could bite you in the butt.

Whatever you do, good luck!

Re: I'm struggling to decide

Originally Posted by bekindtokittens

Do you feel like you haven't studied enough for this second time? What I mean is, do you have a study plan for this extra time that you feel would be beneficial?

It sounds like you've already studied a lot! If you've done all the studying you can do, that extra week may just give you time to get more worried and anxious, and could bite you in the butt.

Whatever you do, good luck!

You have hit the nail right on the head. I have been studying daily since a week after I found out I did not pass my first time. It took another couple of weeks to get a new ATT and then I had to wait the 45 days before I could reschedule. So in total I've probably studied 7-8 weeks. At this point today, I have 10% of my Kaplan qbank left, have done all the question trainers, been doing questions on the Saunders CD and am realizing that there is just some areas that no matter how much I study them I don't seem to retain the information. I know that one cannot expect to know everything about every category or disease process so am I over reacting to the fact that my scores are consistently lower in the physiological adaptation and pharm/parenteral categories? I mean they just inconsistent. For example, on QT 7 that specific portion I scored 55%, but my total qbank scores, I have a 65%. On my qbank cummulative report, my scores are:

Safe & Effective Care = 78%
Health Promotion and Maintenance = 69%
Psychosocial Integrity = 72%
Physiological Integrity = 65%
Management of Care = 80%
Safety and Infection Control = 75%
Basic Care and Comfort = 64%
Physiological Adaptation = 67%
Pharm/Parenteral Therapies = 60%
Reduction of Risk Potential = 70%

Should I be looking at this rather than individual qbank tests because they vary quite a bit? I just am truly confused as to what is the best thing for me to do. In answer to your question about a study plan, the only thing I can think of is that I would study meds for 6 days longer. But as you said, would that even help with my anxiety or would it make it worse if my scores decreased