Re: What are the differences between Higher and Lower type questions on NCLEX
NCLEX is not testing you on every bit of material that you learned in school. They are trying to decipher if you will practice as a safe nurse, even though you are just beginning. There is a certain level that they consider you to be safe, and to issue you a license. They know that every nurse that is taking the exam has had to get thru a math exam in nursing school to just stay in the program. So, under usual and normal circumstances, those are not considered at being of a higher level. They put more focus on priority type questions. What would you do first? Who would you see first? If a patient needed to be discharged from your unit because of patients needing those specific type of unit beds, who would you pick to transfer off, etc.
When you begin to take the exam, they start with easier questions and as you keep getting them correct, they become more difficult. Once they feel that you either know the material, or that you don't, they go onto the next area. As long as the level of what you are answering questions at, is at or above the required level, then you pass. Only
pass/not pass scores are given, there is never a numerical score issued to you or the Board of Nursing.
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