8 days left! How can I use the time effectively?

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I have 8 FULL days left :uhoh3: before my NCLEX on July 14. Not counting the last day before the test, I will have only 7 days. I have been rescheduled the test so many times because I felt that I didn't study enough.

This what I have done so far (I prepared much less than many of you guys):

1. Listen/ scan through all Kaplan content lecture online. Read Kaplan course books (content) and reread some parts twice.

2. I have only done 900 questions so far (mostly kaplan)!

3. listen to kaplan test questions explanation online.

4. take Kaplan classroom course

the NCLEX materials I have are 1) Kaplan course book(content) 2) Kaplan question bank (1,000) and question trainner 3) Saunders comprehension review with question (no CD)2ND EDITION 4) Sandra Smith's Review Nclex-RN. 5) Mosby's review cards (1,000 questions) and Springhourse review cards(30 questions)

My questions are:

1. It is impossible to do all the questions and read all the materials I have in 7 days. Which one of those I should use or concentrate on? Should I discard the reviews cards and concentate on Saunders and Kaplan!!

It seems to me that Kaplan question is more difficult than other books.

Is Mosby's review cards helpful? Should I go back to reread the Kaplan course book or should read something on Saunders content review book (more details)?

2. Most people say to me "just do the questions"... but I concern about the content knowledge which prevent me from doing more questions........ Should I just ignore to look up content knowledge and only do the question!!

3. Should I postpone the test date again? I have only done 900 questions and read/scan through the entire Kaplan course book (took so long to do this. This is why I didn't do a lot of questions as others).

4. what is the minimum numbers of questions I should practice?

I have to get through this :) ... I can not progress any further without passing the test... MY state does not have "GN" status... can't do anything even an externship until getting the license :crying2: ...

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Well after I read the thread "Any Study Suggestions--NCLEX RN? " posted by jlp2778, I got answers for most of my questions above... sorry for posting redundant thread... Thanks you all for inputs.

I will concentrate on Kaplan product and the 2nd resources will be saunders...

Will ignore all the reviews card unless I can finish all Kaplan and saunders questions (impossible!!)..... such a waste of money... shouldn't have bought those... anybody read Mosby's review cards... are they useful?

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... anybody read Mosby's review cards... are they useful?

Are you talking about the review cards that came in a yellow box? If so, I bought those during nursing school, and I thought they were extremely helpful in nursing school. When I pulled them out after I graduated to start studying for the NCLEX, I felt that I had gone over them so much in school and that they seemed a lot easier than Saunders or Kaplan. But that could have also been because I felt like I had those cards memorized since I used them so much in school :chuckle Keep plugging away at Kaplan and Saunders. Use the printout from the readiness test on Kaplan, or any of the other tests on the Kaplan cd (test 5,6,7) to hone in on areas where you might need more improvement. I find doing the Saunders and Kaplan cd to be beneficial. I sit there and read over all the rationales and that works for me. But do what works best for you and what you feel comfortable with. As for pushing your test date out, that is really up to you. When I got my ATT, I wanted to take it much earlier, but all the dates were already taken. I had a month to study, so I took a calendar and wrote out what I was going to study everyday, and vowed that I would do that and stick with the day. Sure, I want to push my date out (I test 7/7) but I also want to strike while the iron is hot. Good luck!!!

PS - I know of two people in my class that took Kaplan and just took the boards. They did the Kaplan questions in class and then the CD trainer and went and took the test - and passed! So I think as far as how many questions you should do, is really up to that person. I know they ONLY used Kaplan, no Saunders, Mosby, etc - and they passed (and they didn't watch those content videos online with Kaplan either!). So it really varies person to person.

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Specializes in NICU.

I'm in the EXACT same situation you are in! I test on the 14th too!

I feel like I haven't prepared as much as some others, from reading what others are saying about how they're preparing. I've done about 2500 questions and plan to just keep working on those up until the 12th (taking the 13th off).

I feel like I haven't covered a whole lot of content, I'm going through my Saunders book tonight just trying to get an idea of where I'm lacking. I think I'm really lacking in medications, but I have no idea where to start!

I've been doing questions mainly from Saunders, I started doing some from Kaplan the other day and will keep doing those too. I bought the Mosby review cards too but I haven't even opened them yet, I think I'm just going to take them back and get my money back .... I see no point in opening them now, I wouldn't have time to go over them much.

I don't think you should postpone the test though! I scheduled mine for July 14th and I'm sticking with it. I'm just trying really hard to keep the attitude that I WILL PASS this thing. I want to get it over with. I'll do as many questions as I can but from reading what other people say there's really no sure way to prepare for it. We just have to go in and do the best we can. I figure the absolute worst thing that can happen is that I fail, it happens sometimes and I'll just take it again. But WE WILL PASS this on July 14th, we will! :)

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I started doing some from Kaplan the other day and will keep doing those too. I bought the Mosby review cards too but I haven't even opened them yet, I think I'm just going to take them back and get my money back .... I see no point in opening them now, I wouldn't have time to go over them much.

I opened the review cards package already :o Anyway, thanks you all for suggestion...

I will just concentrate on Kaplan for now.. until I run out of Kaplan Questions.... may be two days before the test...

If you enrolled in Kaplan course, I suggest printing out the Question trainer from the website... It hurt my eye and caused headache when I have to look the computer all the time...... reading from the paper is less painful than the computer...... I will print it all out and do it in paper based version... save my time from having to rest after watching computer....

Good luck!

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Hello! Even if I took the NCLEX-RN almost 3 years ago I can still recount the feelings of waiting and studying for the test. I found Saunders useful for reviewing and content. I took all the tests and utilized the CD as well. The week before the exam

I used Kaplan as a means of practicing my test taking skills. After taking the exam, I noted that Kaplan's questions were written very similar to that of the exam questions. Mosby? Didn't use it.. thought it was a waste of time.

Don't forget the nursing basics/fundamentals... Take a deep breath and relax. You got through Nursing school... so you can do this! God bless and Good Luck!

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I just took the NCLEX on Tuesday and I found out yesterday that I passed! I was so nervous too! I took the kaplan course and I did the kaplan cd question trainer. I thought that really helped. The questions on the cd were very similiar to the ones I had on the NCLEX. I had 75 questions. A lot of them were priority questions. Just try to relax! You will do fine, and try to take a break from studying one day and just do something that you enjoy it might take the tension off a bit. Good Luck!

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