Am I ready? Help. Exam on April.

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Hi! I've been visiting this site and reading threads about NCLEX a lot of times already and it helps lessen my anxiety and I'm able to learn from other people's experiences, but I recently decided to sign-up here and wasn't really planning on posting anything until now.

The reason? Few days ago, my sister asked me if i'm ready to take the exam. I told her that I think I'll never feel ready for this because I really don't know what questions are gonna show up during the exam. I asked her if she felt ready when she took her Pharmacist exam and she said yes. After that I asked myself, am I really ready?

I'm going to take my exam on April 1st.

I graduated last year, enrolled myself in Kaplan for their live and online class which was held last year of December, then after that I just do self-review until now.

I considered several review materials such as:

Saunder's comprehensive review but I thought that it would be too time consuming to read all of it so I just decided to read topics where i'm having difficulty and need clarification

Saunders Q&A but i didn't finish much maybe just 100 questions?

Kaplan 2015-2016 Premier book almost finished it, I really like the 265 questions because of the rationale

La Charity book I'm almost done with it

NCLEX Mastery App i didnt have the premium so i finished the free questions it really helped, it's more on knowledge and content

i also have other materials but i decided not to use them because i might get confused and too overwhelmed.

for online Kaplan I've watched focused review videos..

I did Qtrainers 1,2,3,4,5 but my scores are 50-60's more on 50's of percentage (will answer 6 & 7 the next few days)

I also did the sample test, for ST1 got 48%, for ST2 I got 52%, ST3 - 90% (prioritization), ST4 - 22% (full of SATA - my problem with SATA is most of the time i answer one that is not included or one that should be included, some drag and drop and computations, though i wasn't able to finish last 4 questions)

I also answered focused review questions, I answered it before I took live class and some of them are low and then I recently retook them and it scored higher.

for Qbank I answer 50 questions a day, sometimes 75 questions

I already have 28 sets and scored five or six sets with 40's% and the rest 50's to 60's of percentage. I get upset if I score within 40% i feel like I still lack and didn't learned anything -_-

every after I answer, I make sure to do notes to study after.

I read here that they say Kaplan is harder than the NCLEX, while for some they think NCLEX is harder than Kaplan but I don't wanna base on that.

ARE THESE SCORES GOOD OR ENOUGH? HELP.

i'm not contented with it. i want to study more, but i'm afraid i might drown myself into this and feel burnout which i'm trying not to by still allowing myself to do other stuffs (btw, i'm not working), but when i do that there is this side of me that i'm wasting my time, i should be studying. i kinda feel guilty when i'm not able to study due to some errands but i allow myself to have a day off from studying.

GAAAHH! :(

AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO FEELS THIS? HAVE YOU FELT THIS TOO?

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I think kaplan wants 60% atleast to be ready...i dont know i didnt use kaplan.

I used uworld + PDA and i scored above 60s. I did 75 -150 questions a day and with every questions i got wrong, I wrote down the rationale and try to understand why.

If youre good with content practice questions as much as possible. Do all select all the applies.

i stopped at 75, i want to say more than half my questions were select all the apply. You have to get used to doing them and learning how to answer them.

april 2016, theyre adding additional stuff to nclex such as cultural considerations and religious beliefs?

not too entirely sure of whats being added, but i would look into those for a start.

https://www.ncsbn.org/RN_Test_Plan_2016_Final.pdf

or you can change your nclex date to march 30 or 31st :p

good luck with your studies!

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ohh, thank you. then i must practice more SATA then :)

yes, i saw that too. my original plan date was March 28, but they gave me limited choices of dates so I had no choice but to pick April 1st. the date next to April 1st is already April 19, which I don't like because it's too far already. the other choice is March 22, but I was having doubts taking that day. :s

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

What subjects are you missing out on, not just the SATA, but are there particular SATAs are you getting incorrect?

The issue may not necessarily the source of the review, but how one approaches the NCLEX itself: understanding the four concepts of becoming a competent, entry-level nurse:

1. Safe, effective care;

2.Health promotion;

3.Physiological Integrity;

4.Psychosocial integrity

Will determine WHAT the question is asking you; the question may be Respiratory related-but is it a Health Promotion or a Safety, or a Physiological or a Psychosocial one? Would you know the difference and choose the BEST answer?

Once one understands the concepts of NCLEX, they can do so successfully.

Don't look at content; you know most of the material because you passed nursing school; begin to do questions related to each concept; review all questions and rationales; ANY rationale you struggle with, THEN review content. Lather, rinse, repeat.

When practicing the questions, prepare the questions like a mock NCLEX exam, review the minimum and then work up to the maximum for endurance purposes.

After looking at your report from each question you got incorrect, focus on the weakness and review questions and rationales; make mock NCLEX tests and start with the minimum and gradually until the maximum; you have to have an endurance in answering application questions.

After each "exam", make sure you are reviewing the rationales; any rationales you are not clear on THEN

look up the content.

Best wishes.

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Hi,

You are not alone! When I was studying for my NCLEX to even the day of the exam, I never felt ready. I honestly don't think you can ever feel 100% ready for one of the most important exams in your career but you have to have faith and confidence. I know it is hard to have when you feel that you aren't going through questions with ease but I felt the same exact way. I had my good days but I also had my bad days where I would keep getting questions wrong and those were the days where I took it a little easier. It's important to take a break every now and then too!

My advice to you is to keep practicing. If you know the content, all you need to do is practice NCLEX-style questions and with the resources you are using now, you're on a great path. Don't focus so much on the grades you are getting on Kaplan and put emphasis on knowing why you got those questions wrong and studying / remediating in your weak areas. Chances are you know the answer but how the NCLEX formats the questions is to trick your ability to test. Remember it is a minimally competent exam! KEEP DOING QUESTIONS!

You will pass! If you don't, that's okay too. No one has ever walked out of that exam thinking they passed. If they did, they were getting too easy questions! You can do this. Keep doing those questions!

Another resource suggestion, if you have Instagram, follow Tootrn. Great NCLEX-style questions you can do whenever you have spare time.

Good luck :)

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Thank you. I'll keep in mind everything you said.

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Wow. It's such a relief that I'm not the only one to experience this. Yes, I'm holding onto faith and believing that I will pass, and trying to be confident even though sometimes I doubt myself. Me too! I have my good days and bad days! Aahh! It's really such a relief to read your message. I try to take a break by going out with my friends even just one day, or go somewhere by myself though sometimes I'm scared that I'll get carried away from taking too much break because I might forget everything in my head :blackeye: You're right, I really shouldn't be focusing on the grades. When I see low scores it upsets me and gives me anxiety.

Thank you.

You enlightened me and made me feel better.

I will keep on practicing and keep in my mind everything that you said. :shy:

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when i said i might forget everything, i meant i might lose my focus on studying :bluecry1:

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