Passed The NCLEX-RN With 75 Questions!

Hi all,

I am writing to say that I passed the NCLEX-RN! I sat for boards on Saturday, March 3rd. I took the Kaplan class for preparation and also used the LaCharity book, which was the most helpful. In all honesty, I think that the benefit of Kaplan was the access to so many questions with the Qbank. I used textbooks to brush up on weak areas. The "Decision Tree" was good as long as Kaplan questions were being answered, but not so much on boards. There's just no way to apply the Kaplan strategy with drag/drop and SATA questions. I believe that the key to success on NCLEX is a strong content base and critical thinking skills. And please, though you know you must study, keep it to a level that is realistic for you. By that I mean that people say "make sure you answer at least 200 questions per day to be prepared." Huh?? I am a full-time employee and just could not make time for that many questions without being up before and after work on a daily basis. Kaplan tells you not to answer more than 150. Out of the 7 Kaplan tests, I only got through 5, to include the Diagnostic and then the Readiness, along with answering over 1,000 questions in the Qbank before becoming burned out. I got in the 60's on most tests and deemed myself ready. I studied diligently for about 8 weeks. I got to the test site 45 minutes early and they had room and allowed me to go in. I don't remember my first question, but do know that after about question 3, I got one SATA after another. I thought "are you kidding me?!" I was so frustrated! There were many prioritizations and infection control, too. I also had medications that I never learned about. Yikes. By question 30, I thought I'd failed and took the rest of the test on the verge of tears. When I got to 74, I stopped and prayed. I answered 75, clicked the mouse and the screen went blank. I felt so relieved that it was over, pass or fail. The minute I stepped outside the room, I started bawling. The staff said that 75 was a good number, that I shouldn't worry so much. Easier said than done. I got outside, powered up my phone and realized I'd been in there for 1 1/2 hours. My daughter picked me up, we went out to the beach and, after an hour, logged into to Pearson Vue. With my hands shaking, I entered my info and....there it was....the long-awaited "good pop-up." Yay!! I was so excited. Two days later I paid for the Quick Results and a day after that, my license appeared on the BON site. To all who are studying, I say be good to yourself. Study, but eat right, take time for yourself and know that you can indeed pass the NCLEX!! Study at a pace that is right for you, not everyone else. This has been a dream of mine for the last two decades and it feels so surreal to have achieved my goal. I am grateful for all the tips and support I received along the way, to include posts from some of you reading this. Now it's on to the BSN. Good luck to all! :)