by bottomless_appetite

Hello everyone! I am a new member of this site. I am posting a message because i really need your help in preparing for my California NCLEX. I am a nurse here in the Philippines, and have already completed my CGFNS and English tests all in 1 take. I would be starting to review for my NCLEX, and I am not really sure about the books/references i have to focus on.
Some of you would recommend Saunders, Some KAPLAn and Lipincott. I really need your help on which is really which. It would be possible to have this 3 but i think there should be 1 or 2 of this that stands out or would be very much helpful for me. Which of these 2 do i have to take? which should i drop? any recommendation? suggestions?

Most RN's would say that California is one of the hardest NCLEX, this is causing me some anxiety and i think I really need to prepare myself for this test. And oh? are they any online courses I shouldn't miss? Review centers here in the Phils I should attend to? (Filipino nurses? can u make some recommendations?) I am planning to take my NCLEX this december, and I really would like to pass the exam immediately.

Your replies would be very much appreciated, Please help. thanks

Welcome to All Nurses, you will certainly be able to have all of your questions about NCLEX answered in this forum. Also, you can receive a great deal of support as you continue your NCLEX studies.

Despite what you have heard about the NCLEX exam being harder in California, this cannot be true. The reason for this is that NCLEX is a national exam. What this means is that every NCLEX test taker receives questions from the same exam test pool, according to the NCLEX Test Plan. Because there are thousands of questions in the test pool the questions may read differently but they are testing the same concepts. As a computer adaptive exam, the computer responds to the answers selected by the test taker. This process is explained more fully in the sticky at the top of this forum (NCLEX number of questions-clarification-ALL STUDENTS PLEASE READ).

Although everyone that has been successful on the NCLEX has their perspective on the best resources, the advice from most in this forum is that the Saunder's Comprehensive NCLEX-RN text is the best. I'm sure you will get responses from recent successful NCLEX test takers that will provide you with more specific information.

Also, you might want to search through this forum and read the many postings about the most effective way to use the Saunder's text.

There is absolutely no truth to the rumor that California has a harder exam...it is a computerized exam for the entire country, and you can actually take the exam in any of the centers all over the world for California. I hear the NY is the hardest from others. Unfortunately, most of those rumors are started by agencies in the Philippines.

If you use the Saunder's Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN exam, there is absolutely no reason that you should take a class there. Plus, 98.7% ( I think that number is still current or close to it) of nurses that pass CGFNS the first time, also pass NCLEX the first time.

And Welcome to Allnurses.com................

Thanks!

Thank you very much for the warm welcome. and THank you for clarifying my misconception. I will definitely run to the bookstore and buy the Saunders Comprehensive review and the Saunders Q&A. hehehehe I really hope I will take my California NCLEX in one take

Like Suzanne said Saunders. I also highly recommend Lippincott Q&A book and the Saunders Strategy book.

I believe in not sticking to once source. Know what works for you and go for it.

Good luck!
Tiffany RN

For foreign-trained nurses, using just the Saunder's Comprehensive Review is the best suggestion. They also have to learn the different things that we do in the US, as well as the different meds, etc. Saunders is the best review for that, I suggest reading quickly thru the book then doing the questions from the CD in this case. Something completely different than if you had your training in the US. The rationales are the best with the Comprehensive Review over the other publishers. I have not seen one wrong with this book, but I have seen them in some of the others.

If you stick with the one book, you should do just fine.

Big Thanks

Thank you very much for your suggestions, This is truly a BIG help!