NCLEX Question? READ THIS!

Preparing to take the NCLEX soon and have questions? Have you just taken the exam and have more questions? Have you begun working on your last frayed nerve because of what someone told you about a certain 'trick'....and you wonder if it's true? Take a look at this and let yourself calm down! Nursing Students NCLEX Article

Hi, Newbies, and Welcome to AN!

Since the forum is clogging up with a bazillion threads all asking the same questions, maybe we can streamline this. If your question is here....Yay! If not....post away

Don't freak out.

The PVT is reasonably reliable, but NOT 100% accurate. Feel free to celebrate or despair, but nothing is concrete until you get your official results.

Please don't ask "IS THIS THE GOOD POPUP??"...

Then post the same phrases that are already posted at least a hundred times in recent pages. The only "bad" popup--and the one that seems to freak people out (and did I mention STOP freaking out?)-- is being directed to a page where you can put in your credit card information. Typically, this does mean you have failed, but it is NOT 100% ACCURATE.

Conversely, if you got something that says "your results are on hold" or "you cannot schedule an exam at this time" or ANYTHING OTHER THAN the credit card page, it means, quite simply, that you have *probably* passed....but is NOT 100% accurate.

If you see your "results are on hold", you might have issues other than the NCLEX itself; passing the NCLEX is not a guarantee of getting a license. It's a big hurdle, to be sure, but not the only determining factor. That's why you had the whole application process prior to being allowed to sit for the exam. Usually, people know when they might have a 'snag' when trying to get a professional license, so you might want to keep that in mind. In a nutshell, the PVT really IS a "trick", it's not to be considered as reality. Seeing your license number next to your name on the BON website, or receiving official notice in the mail, now THAT'S reality! ​

Finally, regarding the PVT: if you are the type who IS going to freak out, please don't use the thing. You'll STILL be freaking out regardless of what the results say, as evidenced by the aforementioned bazillion posts. If you're not going to believe the results....don't bother.

The breakdown of the questions (SATA, etc etc etc etc.....) isn't important.

I have YET to see it matter when people post a menu of every type of question they got, and how many of each....either they passed or they failed, and the format of their questions is irrelevant.

The answer to "has anyone ever passed with XX number of questions?!?" is a resounding YES.

People have passed or failed with every number between 75 and 265. And what can you read into it if you answered 104 questions or 195? Not much.

The only thing that IS worth noting about the number of questions answered is...

For the NCLEX-RN, the minimum number of questions that can be offered is 75. If the computer shuts off after you've answered #75, you might have demonstrated a competency at or above the passing standard throughout the exam, and the computer doesn't need any more computations to arrive at the conclusion you passed in those 75 questions. Yay you! HOWEVER, you also might have demonstrated that you were far enough below passing standard by the 75th question that the computer "knows" that it wouldn't matter how many more questions it could offer you, you still wouldn't pass. In which case, you've failed in 75 questions. Sorry.

Wear something comfortable.

It's not a fashion show, nor are you going off to war.

Eat enough so you're not hungry during the test and remember to be hydrated. There's no magic formula of "what do I eat for the NCLEX??"; whatever doesn't give you headaches but does give you energy and ability to focus is good. Changing your diet to suit what someone else said was what you should or should not eat is bad.

BREATHE!!!!

By far the biggest problem anyone has with this horrible test is themselves. Psyching themselves out, freaking out, and on and on. By all means, when you leave the testing center, have a really good cry to get it out of your system (man, do I remember that!) but please don't let this get you so freaked you CAN'T focus on the test.

You worked for this, you studied for it, you've sweated and cried and laughed and totally have wrapped your entire lives around this one moment: NCLEX!!! So.....own it! :D

I'm very nervous about this test

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Yes I find this post to be very helpful... I never knew about a good or bad pop up until aome of my classmates spoke on it. I graduated this may and took my RN boards yesterday..... I had the dreadful 265 ? S OMG I didnt prepare my mind for that or even studied for a full practice 265 questions and now I regret it..... I didnt feel confident after passing the 75th questions and completely spazzed out!!! So I tried the trick and it did go straight to allow me to register and put in my credit card info and now I am really depressed.....it also hurts to see all your classmates taking it and PASSING......just going thru the dumps please pray for me.... :'(

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Yes I find this post to be very helpful... I never knew about a good or bad pop up until aome of my classmates spoke on it. I graduated this may and took my RN boards yesterday..... I had the dreadful 265 ? S OMG I didnt prepare my mind for that or even studied for a full practice 265 questions and now I regret it..... I didnt feel confident after passing the 75th questions and completely spazzed out!!! So I tried the trick and it did go straight to allow me to register and put in my credit card info and now I am really depressed.....it also hurts to see all your classmates taking it and PASSING......just going thru the dumps please pray for me.... :'(

Well, the good piece of news you can conclude from having all 265 questions is that you were at or near the passing standard for the entire time. The computer couldn't determine competency until the very end. Unfortunately, you were under the passing standard at that time.

However, once you find out what your weak areas are, you can focus on that for next time :)

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I also passed the test recently with 265 questions. A lot of what is said in this post is true, but it is so hard to be relaxed, calm, and comfortable on exam day. I am one of those nervous test taker types. I work as a NA in a hospital, and my nurse friends all told me before the exam what to expect, how to be, and what their exam experience was like. So I did as they told me, I had some breakfast (half a bagel because I was so nervous and couldn't eat but knew I had too,) drank tea, dressed comfortably (entirely yoga ensemble,) and arrived early to my testing location. I took cleansing breaths before I started my questions and I felt okay for the most part. When I got to question 75, I was really nervous. Did I answer enough? Am I above the pass line? My stomach turned to knots. When I hit question 76, I felt dread. Everyone tells you that it is okay to go over 75 questions, but in many ways you feel that you have failed. By question 100, I started getting an unsettling feeling in my bowels (from the nerves) and I felt sick. All I could think of was "Come on, get above that pass line!!" When I finally finished my exam after 265 questions, I felt heartbroken and sad and knew in my heart that I failed. 265 questions is the nightmare scenario everyone talks about. I did the PVT and got the "good pop up" but I couldn't trust that it was true because tricks don't always work. It worked for me. Two days later, I got the quick result and found out that I passed and it was one of the best feelings in the world. My professors told me that even though I went to 265 questions, it means that I was "still in the game". As long as the test keeps giving you questions, you can still pass. It is hard to believe, but it is true!

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Question. Is the NCLEX as horrible as I am making it seem in my head? Are they anything close to hurst/ati/saunders practice tests? I take it Tuesday and I just hope I am imagining the NCLEX to be a million times harder than it actually is? Anybody? :)

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I firmly believe that the anxiety leading up to the test makes the test itself seem much much worse than it actually is. I, personally, used the Kaplan system (Qbank questions, practice tests, etc) and by the time I got to the NCLEX, it honestly felt just like one more practice test! The real exam was set up exactly the same as the Kaplan practice tests, down to the font and the clock type, the screen was familiar so it really was NO different than what I had already become accustomed to using in my review/studying.

Can't say if it's the same for all the other types of study systems, but I really DO believe that it's the angst that everyone feels beforehand that makes it feel so much worse. Alot is riding on that one test, so of course people are more likely to feel the exam MUST be worse.

If you're ready, you're ready. If you know your stuff.....well, there you go. Like my article says, do NOT let the Mythical NCLEX Monster freak you out! Beat it over the head, drag it home, and get your license :D

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Thats true and you are right.... yes my results at 265 questions was a fail but I am glad to say I am taking it day by day and its a learning process... after 75th question i panicked and lost it in whick I shud have remained calm and kept going strong. Oh well... I pray to focus on thos weak areas and try again after my 45 days are up! Will keep u all posted and thank you all!!!

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Thats true and you are right.... yes my results at 265 questions was a fail but I am glad to say I am taking it day by day and its a learning process... after 75th question i panicked and lost it in whick I shud have remained calm and kept going strong. Oh well... I pray to focus on thos weak areas and try again after my 45 days are up! Will keep u all posted and thank you all!!!

Yep, work on the weak areas, try again....and good luck :)

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Meantime, there are still new threads posted constantly, screaming "IS THIS THE GOOD POPUP????"

Sigh.

That's because people haven't learned how to use the nifty little tool called the Search Box up in the top right-hand corner of the screen. It's amazing how much information one can find with just a little bit of homework. But no, they need to be center-of-attention and have someone answer their post directly.

OK, that sounded totally snarky when proof-reading, but it's true.

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Question. Is the NCLEX as horrible as I am making it seem in my head? Are they anything close to hurst/ati/saunders practice tests? I take it Tuesday and I just hope I am imagining the NCLEX to be a million times harder than it actually is? Anybody? :)

I can't answer your question personally, but my nursing instructors all swear by the ATI and Saunder's practice tests. Previous students agree. We have to take ATI tests throughout the entire program and the Dean swears that's why the school's NCLEX passing rate is so high (~96% each year). According to them, the ATI tests are written by the same people who write the NCLEX. The ATI website updates their exams to match the NCLEX exam. The Saunder's review, while in paper form, is still supposed to be excellent review as well. Since we take so many NCLEX-style tests, we get more comfortable with the exam - not only the question content, but also the format. This is supposed to help with anxiety but I'm sure I'll be popping Immodium before the test regardless. :yawn:

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Bump. No extra charge, RNsareWe!

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