Officially an RN & LVN now :some tips&scores :)

Hello my AN family!... first of i would like to thank everyone who has helped me relieved my overrated anxiety and those people who replies to my messages (really helps alot) ..I am beyond thankful to everyone here!.. this has been like a facebook site to me that I checked every single day.. reading posts of other people's success and failure ,also learning from it and its my turn to give back to the community. I hope this helps.

So I am a BSN graduate in the Philippines 4 years ago and

I took two board exams here in California the NCLEX-RN and LVN. I reviewed for 4mos. I am a First time taker for PN and a repeat test taker for NCLEX-RN , the first I did NOT review at ALL, I went in just took it with ignorance and I failed, worst! I wasted $200 2nd time I took It I was busy with work I can't study that much I always fell asleep..and so now, I reviewed really well..and I quit my work and focused reviewing..So if you resemble like me..my advice.. stay focused, otherwise your dream of becoming an RN or LVN will be delayed and I assure you 100% I REGRET DOING THIS!!.. 1 life lesson learned!...

I took first LVN a month before my RN exam

In my LVN exam I had 16 SATA, about 2 or 3 ordered response and all my multiple choices are Priority questions, no math. ( I stopped at 85 questions)

In my RN exam I had 16 SATA, 1 ordered response and

all multiple choices are Priority questions, No math (I stopped at 75questions)

Before I started my review I basically started from scratch since I graduated a couple years ago. My review style is focused for RN, all books and materials are for NCLEX-RN:

*SAUNDERS NCLEX-RN Book 5e : this book I read it cover to cover since I graduated like 4years ago. It helped me understand the diseases and along with this book I had supplemented Brunner and Suddarth MedSurg book.. helps on pathophysiology of diseases..

I read 1-2 chapters a day and then summarized it in a book (I have a binder book the summary of this book that I wrote)

after finishing this book ,I made a calendar like every monday i read OB, every tues MS, and so on...

*I did50-150 questions a day or 200(including plain SATA ques.) if I'm in the mood . I also have a scores sheet where I tally all my scores from all my practice questions , I think I answered about close to 8k questions before I took my RN exam

*Kaplan NCLEX-RN review : with class ( I wish I had took the Qtrainers and Qbanks only) because in class they just discuss strategies which is already in the Kaplan website video

Dx Test : 52%

Qbank: 52% first take- redo @ 58% (I was so ****** off at my scores here I rarely get 60s) but when I redo it i get around 70-80s

QT1: 63%

QT2: 67%

QT3: 62%

QT4: 63%

QT5: 57% (I was sleepy when I took this so don't do questions when you are sleepy:blackeye:)

QT6: 60%

QT7: 63%

Sample#1: 52%

Sample#2:56%

Sample#3:62%(priority questions)

Sample#4:40%(this is all SATA questions)

Readiness : 55% ( I wish I had took this couple days after my NCLEX RN exam , I took it after class) so I really don't know where I stand..

*Kaplan Strategies Book 2014-2015 : I was looking for the other version but Barnes & Nobles in my area were out of stock

I read this cover to cover..

Ch4: 80% Ch6: 60% Ch8: 68% Ch10: 73% Practice Test (265 Questions): 70%

Ch5:76% Ch7: 90% Ch9: 64% Ch 11: 64%

*NCSBN PN & RN REVIEW: I only did the questions I did not read the whole content , on the PN review I read the management of care , and answered all questions w/o reading content at the end of the chapter.

my scores were:

DX test PN:72%

Chapter postests: 50-75%

Practice Banks: 40-80% (most on 60s and 70s)

DX test RN: 65%

Chapter postests: 50-85%

Practice Banks: 40-88% (mostly on 60s and 70s)

*LaCharity PDA : this book helped me alot in prioritization and understanding *by heart* how to delegate certain tasks to different positions. I am glad that I didn't get mixed up when I took both exams because they have different scope of practice, and this book did that work for me.

here are my scores:

CH 1 55% - 62% CH 11 82% CS 3 67%

CH 2 48% CH 12 57% CS 4 50%

CH 3 77% CH 13 83% CS 5 67%

CH 4 58% CH 14 71% CS 6 56%

CH 5 56% CH 15 62% CS 7 50%

CH 6 63% CH 16 66% CS 8 43%

CH 7 62% CH 17 60%

CH 8 54% CH 18 47% *I did not finished the entire book , I dont have time

CH 8 79% CS1 73% because I still have to read rationales from Qtrainers in

CH 10 43% CS 2 33% Kaplan.

*after passing my NCLEX-LVN i rested for 1 week then went back to review again..

*Every time I answer questions, while reading rationale I type it in MS Word then printed it out and read it at night before I go to sleep (this is my sleeping pill, since its hard for me sometimes to go to sleep thinking about my exam)I had about almost 200+ pages of rationales.

* 2 days before my LVN exam i did 100 alternate SATA questions and 150 for my RN 2 days before my RN exam = doing this helped me built my stamina in answering SATA during the actual exam.

*Read CDC for couple rare diseases and infectious diseases I don't know.

*Also download the 35 pages that circulated here at AN and read it.. really a good one :)

*Also when answering questions, think that you are solving a REAL life patient - that -- in that question you are trying to save his/her life and so you have to figure out how to save that patient.. this thinking helped me in answering my questions and also I know ALL of us don't want to commit mistake/s to our patients ...so Its better to make mistake during Practice Exam , but not in NCLEX exam or Real Patients :)

*ABOVE ALL!.. PRAY!!! .. Everytime I answer my nclex question/s , before clicking the next button I say to Jesus "Jesus guide my answer" ..I prayed that may he hold my hand and direct my hand to the correct answer and he did and even passed both exams:) ..

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Good Luck to Everyone! Pray! , Have Faith, and You GOT THIS!! :)