NCLEX Experience

With this article I am not going to focus on past test failures/anxiety in nursing school but focus your energy on positive thinking while preparing for the exam. Also, it's about about learning to be confident in yourself and not to compare yourself to others when studying for the NCLEX exam. Every person should understand they will not know everything on the test and believe they have the knowledge to pass. Nurses Announcements Archive Article

NCLEX Experience

I am going to try to be as brief as possible! I wanted to direct my post to those of you who struggled on exams in school as far as test anxiety is concerned! I came into nursing school with a 3.8 GPA and ended with a 3.49 GPA. I share this with you because I have been on this site and as I was preparing for my exam, I kept comparing myself to other people. I failed my HESI exit 2 and Med-Surge the first times. I passed all other standard exams. I would freak out over something during the exam and then I couldn't concentrate! As I was preparing for NCLEX the thought of failing in the past and doing remediation kept haunting me. I would scroll those threads on here and compare my Kaplan scores with other people. Then finally I said to myself, I don't know their situation....

The moment I realized that it was my confidence and believing I am smart enough to pass this exam was when I was able to focus and DO MY BEST! I definitely lifted up my worries about the exam to the Lord and said it is was in His hands, I had COMPLETE faith that the Lord has called me to be a nurse and I have done EVERYTHING I could do study for this test!

I used Kaplan, my scores ranged from 58-77%. I did the entire Q-bank, watched about 3 Lecture on Demands, Read the Kaplan book with the Lectures on Demand, and completed 100% of the Qbank with 1362 questions finishing at 60%. I was TORN the days I got 42% on a Qbank ! I am sharing this with you because at the end of the day it is YOUR BATTLE! I decided to stay off this page and Facebook and truly focus on studying.

Day of exam:

I got to the testing center, sat down, and said "THIS IS THE DAY!"

You could tell the other nursing students because you could cut the apprehension with a knife!

I sat down at the spot of my choosing and immediately cried my eyes out; I put on my headphones said a LONG prayer and began! I got hung up on vocabulary more than anything on the exam. I was thinking to myself you really CAN'T study for that!

Everything I studied or thought was on the exam wasn't! It was the weirdest thing, I didn't even feel like I was there when I was taking the exam I was so lost

! I had about 15-20 SATAs, 3 pics, 4-5 drag and drops... I got to question 50 and said another prayer! I thought to myself, 15 questions are "test/practice" to see if they will use them in the future, we only need "50%" correct so what does that leave me... I got this... so I just kept going....

The computer stopped at 75q and I went to my car, I cried... I felt like everyone else did on this site that I read... they thought they failed... I did the PVT and got the good pop up! I couldn't drive for a little while because I was in shock and have READ sooo many of these posts with the same feelings... then I thought to myself the WEIGHT is LIFTED!

I just ask that you find confidence in yourself. There WILL NOT be a magic post on here telling you what to study... There are suggestions, but the main thing is to dig deep inside, remember WHY you want to nurse, continue your DRIVE... GIVE YOUR ALL.. and you will succeed!

I just hope to touch one person who struggles with anxiety and self-doubt!!!! Believe in yourself!

Remember you will not KNOW everything!

Good Luck and congrats in advance!

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Klofu

About Klofu

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Thanks needed to hear this.

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I also needed to hear this! Thanks for sharing! I test this upcoming Tuesday. I was nearly in the same boat as you testing wise during nursing school. I have put in all the necessary work but I am still nervous!

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Telemetry, Mom Baby, Hospice, Rehab, LTC.

Nice post and congrats to you!! I will test on Tuesday. Prayer really helps and I will keep the faith

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Great post. Congratulations! It seems as if it was well deserved! Can't wait for my time to come. September at the latest is what I'm aiming for. I finish August 16th. I plan to schedule my test the earliest I can in respect to when I receive my ATT.

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Good luck to all of you! I wanted to tell you. You will never be 100% ready! Just know in your heart you have done all you could have and pray! God will deliver! Declare victory in your exam results and believe it! If you start to have doubts and freak out a little take a deep breath and pray! I had two "meltdowns" because I started to freak out and as I said before you just have to press on and do your absolute best!

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that is t info and pretty much describes how we all feel. its also good to remember not to focus on th time or number of questions. when i was taking my test i could hear people getting up and i kept looking at the time and i would ke myself nervous just thinking that i wasn't good or fast enough like the others. but at the end of the day. i passed. the only difference was that my friend finished on 90 and ifinished with 120. but we both are rns now.

just focus on you passin the test! who cares if you finish on 30min oron question number 265. just show what you know and that you can do it.

good luck to everyone dont freak out!! you made it this far:)

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Thanks! I too, needed to hear this!!! :)

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Specializes in LTC, Agency, HHC.
I also needed to hear this! Thanks for sharing! I test this upcoming Tuesday. I was nearly in the same boat as you testing wise during nursing school. I have put in all the necessary work but I am still nervous!

Good luck to you! Let us know how you did!!

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CONGRATULATIONS..klofu..thank u for your post..my test is on 17th..hoping for the best

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Congrats and thank you. I will be THAT girl probably crying as well, but Im ok with that, Ill get it out of the way, say a prayer and dive in head first! SAy a prayer (or 10!) I test this Wed!

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3:27 am by Klofu

Good luck to all of you! I wanted to tell you. You will never be 100% ready! Just know in your heart you have done all you could have and pray! God will deliver! Declare victory in your exam results and believe it! If you start to have doubts and freak out a little take a deep breath and pray! I had two "meltdowns" because I started to freak out and as I said before you just have to press on and do your absolute best!

Great post! Thanks for sharing that with us. Really, I think that is the most important thing for everyone to remember when studying for this test. You're never 100% ready to face down the beast-- but have confidence in yourself and do your best. Confidence can be the one factor that changes the game!

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