Devastated just took the pvt

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i just took mii nclex today for the second time and i checked the pearson vue trick and it went too the cc im crying soooo bad i just want to give up on this the nclex is very hard i had 204 questions today *** :mad::confused::crying2:

Cilla, I am in Illinois too and if you got the good pop up then I think that you can begin celebrating. I didn't pass a couple months ago & it went to the cc page, everyone else that passed got the good pop up.

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Sinah, thank you for the encouraging words! Did you retake your test already? I know its tough, I woke up this morning with puffy eyes from crying so much. (I don't know anyone who "ran out of time" with out finishing all the questions). Anyway, I'm wishing you all the best in your future career as a RN. :)

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Same to you!!!! I am re-taking on Tuesday and going in praying....

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According to the PVT, It is accepting my payment again. I took the test this morning, got 265 questions. Does the trick works on a Saturday? I took kaplan, did saunders and used La Charity. I need help, because I want to get on with my life!!!

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Specializes in "Wound care - geriatric care.

Read this, take your time...Good Luck

This might be good for those who are struggling and have taken the test more than ounce but it could also be useful for first time takers too. This post reflects my experience with the NCLEX and the changes I had to do in order to pass. The NCLEX is a passable test and perhaps, not even as hard as most people think. I like to point out some aspects I think are not well explained or easy to miss for some of us. We all hear stories about students who are smart and yet have failed, so this is an exploration into what could be possible issues some of us are missing. Not everyone thinks alike, so what works for some might not work for others.

The NCLEX has a few important components: knowledge and how you apply knowledge quickly are the two main ones. Another major component is how to take the test. I think that for those who are struggling is very important to re-think the test in a brand new way; also to realize that the test does not work as other traditional tests. There are a few points I like to go in detail and it is important to understand them well. It might set you free from the deceptions and traps of the NCLEX but ultimately it reflects what nursing practice will look like. If you are trying really hard and still not passing, it's time to do a whole evaluation and change the way you think about the test, so read on and have fun.

1)TIMING: as they say, timing is everything. This might be one of the most misunderstood components of the NCLEX. The bottom line is: you must walk in the test room and even if you are completely clueless DON'T TAKE MORE THAN ONE MINUTE FOR EACH QUESTION, I cannot stress this point enough times. The NCLEX is testing your knowledge but most of all is testing how well and how quick you can think through difficult situations you know little about. So if you study a lot and still not passing you MUST improve in this area. All the knowledge you have acquired is useless unless you can answer the questions fast and (hopefully) correctly. You must remember that the NCLEX will not punish you for getting wrong answers; you only need to be at the knowledge level they are looking for. I am not sure about this but I now believe there is an algorithm which measures the time you use for each question crediting or discrediting you. The NCLEX really likes when you go fast. And that makes sense for nursing where emergency situations come up and you know little about and only have a minute or so to make a decision. So when they say "don't over think", is more like you don't have the time to - "over think". Have you ever noticed how some questions keep coming back? Even though you might have answered them correctly, but because you took too long, they (the NCLEX computer program) is not sure that you really know it well or just guessed. So if the questions keep coming back two things can happen: you get too tired which is not good because your performance go down or, you run out of time which is another problem. They want you to look at the questions, read it carefully, make a decision select the best one, and move on. You must have the ability to answer the questions like you playing ping-pong game and be able to play a long game and not get mentally fatigued. So there is not much to figure out at the moment of the test; you either are there or not. I know it sound a little fuzzy and fluffy but you have nothing to lose at this point; do you? Another timing issue is how long you delay to re take the test. Don't. You are never ready for it; put that in your mind. If you take too long between the tests you get cold, so use your failure as a practicing match and go take it again while you still hot. So go to PearsonVue website and schedule that test right now and go face the beast! Smile at fear.

2)YOUR KNOWLEDGE: this is also one of the most misunderstood aspects of the NCLEX. Most people think they are being tested on their knowledge and the subjects you've learned in school. This is partly true but you must understand that knowledge here plays a different role. All you have to have is "NCLEX type knowledge" and that you can get by using the so many books available out there. After you have acquired this NCLEX knowledge, then it becomes all about how you use it, apply and retrieve it. The NCLEX is not looking at your knowledge level per se; they are looking among other things on HOW YOU PAY ATTENTION TO DETAIL, HOW YOU DECIDE ON THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT, HOW YOU IMPROVISE, and HOW MUCH TIME YOU TAKE TO ANSWER. In the other hand if you knowledge base is weak, you'll be stuck at the lower level questions which will not pass you and will lead you away from going up to the passing questions (assessment & implementation). Here's an example of NCLEX type knowledge: when they ask about chest tube, they usually want to know a, b, or c (about chest tubes) and usually it does not stray too far from a certain number of options: know these options by heart. These are the building blocks NCLEX is made of and you must have a significant collection of those in order to pass. The more you have these building blocks in your mind the better because it will help you to answer fast and correctly without thinking too much or using too much energy.

3)STUDY TIME: don't drive yourself crazy. I would practice 60 questions a day in one hour only. Buy a timer and keep the pace, don't ever take more than one hour (to answer 60 questions). If you are getting above 65% in one hour you looking good but try to get higher. One day a week go all the way to 265 (ouch!) because most likely this is what you will face! So in essence studying for the NCLEX means you are building up endurance with that kind of knowledge rather than becoming a nurse genius. Have fun with it; if you drive yourself to pain you will also learn pain so when you get to the test that's what you will remember, so try to have a good time. Humor is intelligence and intelligence is a good thing to have in the NCLEX.

4)THE TEST: it's important to know about this test and its components. One fact I think is interesting is that the NCLEX will test everyone differently. The NCLEX has two ways to make a decision about you: (1) you will pass or fail with an "X" number of questions, so if you are really good you can pass as little as 75 questions and if you are doing really badly you will fail with 75 questions. (2) but at a certain point the computer makes a decision, it can't figure you out, you have missed a bunch of questions but you've also hit some important ones, so it decides that you need to be tested with all the questions, so you are going all the way to 265 baby (ouch again). However you must remember, if you are not consistent and begin to do poorly because you are tired you can fail too and not go all the way, or go all the way and fail (dang!). So you must stay in the game and perform consistently all the way to the end. If you are struggling forget about the magical "oh a passed with 75 questions", be prepared to go all the way to 265 and most importantly be consistent throughout the entire range and that's why is so important to train yourself to endure long periods of time answering these type questions. The NCLEX will reward your consistency and you will be credited for that. Remember, the NCLEX is not about getting questions right or building up points like in regular tests, the NCLEX is testing how you perform under stressful situations and in certain ways your ability to improvise.

5)TAKING THE TEST: you must understand what is critical thinking. Some people are there already, but if you are not for whatever reason you should begin to pay close attention to "what is to critically think". You must focus on that question in a way you never did before, you must zero in that question only and not stray one bit from it. I developed this way of thinking in which I would imagine myself there, at the bed side with a real situation at hand and then think "what would I do here...for real?" What is safe to do? When you take the test you must be confident in your intuition. Another way to interpret when people say: "don't over-think" is that your mind goes into this overdrive mode where decisions are made quickly and without thinking but they are the correct ones. It's like playing a video game where you only have a split second to make decisions but as the rhythm speeds up your mind speeds up and you actually make better decisions than if you think it over. This is the kind of mind set you have to have when you take this test. In my opinion this is exactly what they are trying to test: your ability to quickly decide emergency situations. How many of those did you get right?

6)GUESSING: there is nothing wrong with guessing. You and everybody will guess about 10-20% of the test. The test is designed that way, otherwise you would know what to study for the test as you did in your nursing classes. So learn how to guess right, and in order to do it right you must be completely random and not go on a hunch. It is an irresistible impulse to guess following a hunch, that you know something about the answer which makes you feel safe. The problem with that is that you might fall in the trap set up the writers. So first eliminate as many as wrong answers you can than guess RANDOMLY. One safe way to do that is to always pick the first one bellow the last question you have eliminated, if you have not eliminated any of them pick up C or any other but randomly.

7)PLAY TETRIS (if you are not an old fart like me you might not know what that is, just Google it): and here's why, Tetris is one of the first video games made for computers and in my opinion it stimulates some of the same brain functions, speed, required in the NCLEX. It will help with the brain stamina you need to endure all the 265 questions without lowering your performance. To play the game you must make quick decisions in shorter and shorter amounts of time. It forces your brain to critically think faster and faster as the geometrical shapes fall down and you have to figure out where they fit. I was amazed to find out how much I improved as I played it every day. If you don't believe me, just play for fun and it will at least distract your mind and help you relax.

8)PRAY FOR ST. JUDE THE PATRON OF THE IMPOSSIBLE CAUSES AND THE BEST LUCK TO YOU.

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PVT was correct! I can hardly believe it, but I passed! :nurse: When I ran out of time, I seriously thought I had failed. I took the Kaplan course ($450 :eek:) and the instructor kept saying "time is your enemy" she told us not to worry about the time & not to "rush". When I ran out of time I just kep thinking "at least Kaplan has a money back gaurantee" because I just knew I failed. Then after reading the last post of how spending to much time with each question is a bad thing, I pretty much figured I bombed my test. I'm not saying to be a slow poke like me, the advise in the post was great. All I'm saying is if your a slow test taker, don't feel rushed. Think it through, and be confident because it's better than rushing. If you do run out of time, and your answering questions at the above passing level you have a good chance of passing. Thank you all for the advise & Good Luck!!:lol2::yeah::lol2:

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Congratulations Ms. Cila!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Is it really wise to answer NCLEX questions quickly? Because I am now reviewing for my 2nd take. My first time I remember getting SATA's and there was no way I can answer that in just one minute. I had to think through it...

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Read this, take your time...Good Luck

This might be good for those who are struggling and have taken the test more than ounce but it could also be useful for first time takers too. This post reflects my experience with the NCLEX and the changes I had to do in order to pass. The NCLEX is a passable test and perhaps, not even as hard as most people think. I like to point out some aspects I think are not well explained or easy to miss for some of us. We all hear stories about students who are smart and yet have failed, so this is an exploration into what could be possible issues some of us are missing. Not everyone thinks alike, so what works for some might not work for others.

The NCLEX has a few important components: knowledge and how you apply knowledge quickly are the two main ones. Another major component is how to take the test. I think that for those who are struggling is very important to re-think the test in a brand new way; also to realize that the test does not work as other traditional tests. There are a few points I like to go in detail and it is important to understand them well. It might set you free from the deceptions and traps of the NCLEX but ultimately it reflects what nursing practice will look like. If you are trying really hard and still not passing, it's time to do a whole evaluation and change the way you think about the test, so read on and have fun.

1)TIMING: as they say, timing is everything. This might be one of the most misunderstood components of the NCLEX. The bottom line is: you must walk in the test room and even if you are completely clueless DON'T TAKE MORE THAN ONE MINUTE FOR EACH QUESTION, I cannot stress this point enough times. The NCLEX is testing your knowledge but most of all is testing how well and how quick you can think through difficult situations you know little about. So if you study a lot and still not passing you MUST improve in this area. All the knowledge you have acquired is useless unless you can answer the questions fast and (hopefully) correctly. You must remember that the NCLEX will not punish you for getting wrong answers; you only need to be at the knowledge level they are looking for. I am not sure about this but I now believe there is an algorithm which measures the time you use for each question crediting or discrediting you. The NCLEX really likes when you go fast. And that makes sense for nursing where emergency situations come up and you know little about and only have a minute or so to make a decision. So when they say "don't over think", is more like you don't have the time to - "over think". Have you ever noticed how some questions keep coming back? Even though you might have answered them correctly, but because you took too long, they (the NCLEX computer program) is not sure that you really know it well or just guessed. So if the questions keep coming back two things can happen: you get too tired which is not good because your performance go down or, you run out of time which is another problem. They want you to look at the questions, read it carefully, make a decision select the best one, and move on. You must have the ability to answer the questions like you playing ping-pong game and be able to play a long game and not get mentally fatigued. So there is not much to figure out at the moment of the test; you either are there or not. I know it sound a little fuzzy and fluffy but you have nothing to lose at this point; do you? Another timing issue is how long you delay to re take the test. Don't. You are never ready for it; put that in your mind. If you take too long between the tests you get cold, so use your failure as a practicing match and go take it again while you still hot. So go to PearsonVue website and schedule that test right now and go face the beast! Smile at fear.

2)YOUR KNOWLEDGE: this is also one of the most misunderstood aspects of the NCLEX. Most people think they are being tested on their knowledge and the subjects you've learned in school. This is partly true but you must understand that knowledge here plays a different role. All you have to have is "NCLEX type knowledge" and that you can get by using the so many books available out there. After you have acquired this NCLEX knowledge, then it becomes all about how you use it, apply and retrieve it. The NCLEX is not looking at your knowledge level per se; they are looking among other things on HOW YOU PAY ATTENTION TO DETAIL, HOW YOU DECIDE ON THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT, HOW YOU IMPROVISE, and HOW MUCH TIME YOU TAKE TO ANSWER. In the other hand if you knowledge base is weak, you'll be stuck at the lower level questions which will not pass you and will lead you away from going up to the passing questions (assessment & implementation). Here's an example of NCLEX type knowledge: when they ask about chest tube, they usually want to know a, b, or c (about chest tubes) and usually it does not stray too far from a certain number of options: know these options by heart. These are the building blocks NCLEX is made of and you must have a significant collection of those in order to pass. The more you have these building blocks in your mind the better because it will help you to answer fast and correctly without thinking too much or using too much energy.

3)STUDY TIME: don't drive yourself crazy. I would practice 60 questions a day in one hour only. Buy a timer and keep the pace, don't ever take more than one hour (to answer 60 questions). If you are getting above 65% in one hour you looking good but try to get higher. One day a week go all the way to 265 (ouch!) because most likely this is what you will face! So in essence studying for the NCLEX means you are building up endurance with that kind of knowledge rather than becoming a nurse genius. Have fun with it; if you drive yourself to pain you will also learn pain so when you get to the test that's what you will remember, so try to have a good time. Humor is intelligence and intelligence is a good thing to have in the NCLEX.

4)THE TEST: it's important to know about this test and its components. One fact I think is interesting is that the NCLEX will test everyone differently. The NCLEX has two ways to make a decision about you: (1) you will pass or fail with an "X" number of questions, so if you are really good you can pass as little as 75 questions and if you are doing really badly you will fail with 75 questions. (2) but at a certain point the computer makes a decision, it can't figure you out, you have missed a bunch of questions but you've also hit some important ones, so it decides that you need to be tested with all the questions, so you are going all the way to 265 baby (ouch again). However you must remember, if you are not consistent and begin to do poorly because you are tired you can fail too and not go all the way, or go all the way and fail (dang!). So you must stay in the game and perform consistently all the way to the end. If you are struggling forget about the magical "oh a passed with 75 questions", be prepared to go all the way to 265 and most importantly be consistent throughout the entire range and that's why is so important to train yourself to endure long periods of time answering these type questions. The NCLEX will reward your consistency and you will be credited for that. Remember, the NCLEX is not about getting questions right or building up points like in regular tests, the NCLEX is testing how you perform under stressful situations and in certain ways your ability to improvise.

5)TAKING THE TEST: you must understand what is critical thinking. Some people are there already, but if you are not for whatever reason you should begin to pay close attention to "what is to critically think". You must focus on that question in a way you never did before, you must zero in that question only and not stray one bit from it. I developed this way of thinking in which I would imagine myself there, at the bed side with a real situation at hand and then think "what would I do here...for real?" What is safe to do? When you take the test you must be confident in your intuition. Another way to interpret when people say: "don't over-think" is that your mind goes into this overdrive mode where decisions are made quickly and without thinking but they are the correct ones. It's like playing a video game where you only have a split second to make decisions but as the rhythm speeds up your mind speeds up and you actually make better decisions than if you think it over. This is the kind of mind set you have to have when you take this test. In my opinion this is exactly what they are trying to test: your ability to quickly decide emergency situations. How many of those did you get right?

6)GUESSING: there is nothing wrong with guessing. You and everybody will guess about 10-20% of the test. The test is designed that way, otherwise you would know what to study for the test as you did in your nursing classes. So learn how to guess right, and in order to do it right you must be completely random and not go on a hunch. It is an irresistible impulse to guess following a hunch, that you know something about the answer which makes you feel safe. The problem with that is that you might fall in the trap set up the writers. So first eliminate as many as wrong answers you can than guess RANDOMLY. One safe way to do that is to always pick the first one bellow the last question you have eliminated, if you have not eliminated any of them pick up C or any other but randomly.

7)PLAY TETRIS (if you are not an old fart like me you might not know what that is, just Google it): and here's why, Tetris is one of the first video games made for computers and in my opinion it stimulates some of the same brain functions, speed, required in the NCLEX. It will help with the brain stamina you need to endure all the 265 questions without lowering your performance. To play the game you must make quick decisions in shorter and shorter amounts of time. It forces your brain to critically think faster and faster as the geometrical shapes fall down and you have to figure out where they fit. I was amazed to find out how much I improved as I played it every day. If you don't believe me, just play for fun and it will at least distract your mind and help you relax.

8)PRAY FOR ST. JUDE THE PATRON OF THE IMPOSSIBLE CAUSES AND THE BEST LUCK TO YOU.

I just finished my exam today. It's my first time and my computer shut down at 75. I browsed the whole site to look for people who failed on their first try. Surprisingly, most of us (yes, us. I failed.) are educated outside the United States. I prepared for two months. I got the biggest shock of my life when I took the test. I was caught off guard and it was not what I expect. The wording, the way the questions were presented was entirely different to my basic foundation.

Your first point makes sense because I took a lot of time in answering questions. And you hit the nail right in the head when you said that the same type of question reappears. I got back to back infection control, prioritization and health teaching. I was also wondering why the same question appeared three times. My mind went blur when it shut down at 75. I told myself that if I will not go over 75, I will fail. I knew it. I got stumped on the first 30 items that when I gained my ground, it was a little too late.

Failure is hard, but it isn't something we can't chew. I'll retake in 45 days. I'm not gonna stop. This failure won't stop me from reaching my dreams.

To all those who passed, CONGRATULATIONS. :)

To all those who failed, we can do this. Let us not give up on our dreams. Maybe this isn't the right time but God is good. He will give it to us soon. :)

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