'The Average Joe' Passed the NCLEX 2016

Quick Background: Graduated May '16 and took the NCLEX in August '16.

GPA 3.0 (as hard as I tried lol)

• In January '16 before my final senior semester, I took Bola Review (content course)
  
• In June '16: Kaplan Review & Prep, In-person (test-taking strategy)
  
• Mid-July '16: uWorld.com for 3 week (NCLEX practice questions)
  

RESOURCES: In the end, I didn't finish the Kaplan's Qbank, I didn't like their rationale compared to uWorld's. I only did some trainers. I decided to use my remaining time to study with uWorld's rationales VERSUS doing Kaplan's practice exams. I didn't complete the other trainers, sample tests, nor the readiness test (I know I know...)

*If you are on time a limit complete Trainers 6 & 7, at least.

Kaplan Trainers

Trainer 2: 57%

Trainer 3: 47%

Trainer 6: 54%

According to uWorld Results I averaged 46%, my practice exams would be 50s. I never got a 60% (there's hope!)

I definitely recommend uWorld. Try to overcome the score because it can be very discouraging. Focus on their rationale, it's the best I've seen. I used flashcards for the questions I got wrong and wrote the rationales.

STUDY: I studied for 3 weeks straight for about 6-8hrs/day. Two days before the NCLEX I reviewed my 3 weakest topics: fundamentals, safety infection control, and prioritization. I completed uWorld's Qbank for those 3 topics and felt much more confident in those topics. Embed those LAB values into your head.

The day/night before NCLEX... relax! You're done, give that brain a break before the big day.

NCLEX DAY: The exam itself is a mental test so if you feel that your judgment is being clouded, take a breather. The questions were noticeably getting harder after the 75 mark (for MY exam) which was a good sign, in a sense. PASSED with 85 Questions.

Strange, but I was actually more confident on the SATA versus the multiple choice. MC were the difficult ones.

• 13 SATA
  
• Around 15 MC Prioritization (my head was swirling lol)
  

My last tip: Your FIRST encounter with a certain topic/question, really focus and try to get it correct so that they will leave you alone with that topic.

For example.. I had ONE maternity question, I knew the answer, and that was my last maternity question, Thank God.

I hope this helps.

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." (Romans 12:12)