Don't get caught up in NCLEX Hype

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Hi Everyone! I know the NCLEX is one of our huge milestones. For me it was one of the defining points in my life. I found myself getting caught up in the hype and scaring myself to death.

This is just my opinion so do with it as you may. I personally think the test was a lot of hype and not as hard for me as I anticipated. I'm wondering if anyone else felt that way.

I took the test on monday and I had 75 questions. I took the test in 40 minutes. I prepared with the Kaplan class and CD and the Lippincott book and CD. The Kaplan CD was HARD and it prepared me well. When I got into the test I actually thought the questions were a lot easier than Kaplan. Again this is just my opinion.

This is a word of advice to those of you who are taking the NCLEX in the coming weeks. Over prepare yourself. When you don't think you can study anymore, do one more quiz. When your friends are telling their NCLEX horror stories listen but take it with a grain of salt. Don't get worked up. The most important thing to do is prepare yourself and make yourself feel comfortable with the material. Relax, take deep breaths, and plan ahead. Make a study schedule and stick to it.

Every question I got wrong on a quiz I took, I wrote down on flash cards and read them over all the time. They were my "NCLEX Fun Facts".

The number one piece of advice anyone can ever give you is OVER PREPARE YOURSELF and RELAX!!! Don't let other people's stories sacre you! You can do it!!!

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Thank you so much for this....I take my test Monday morning & I can't stand hearing one more person tell me how insanely hard it was, how nothing I could possibily study will help, how it's full of stuff no one had ever heard of. I know the majority of people pass it, so how could it be that off the chart? I've nearly made myself sick worrying & studying..every time I get a question wrong, I freak. My stomach hurts, my face is breaking out like never before, I'm snarling at my husband & kids & all I want to do is sleep!!!! I have to pass..I have a job waiting that I needed to start yesterday just to keep us out of bankruptcy thanks to all the debt accumulated while I've been in school. I've done NCSBN, Saunders book, cd, and flashcards & part of Mosby's, so I hope I'm well-prepared. I plan to spend the next few days reviewing lab values & s/s of cushings & addisons & the different insulins..this stuff seems to be on all the practice tests. Wish me luck...and please, anyone else with good NCLEX experiences, please speak up!!

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Specializes in Telemetry.

I took my exam yesterday, shutting off at 75. I still do not know wether I passed or failed. But I can definatly say that NCSBN really helped me get use to the questions style that was used on the NCLEX. There is so much you learn in nursing school, it is almost impossible to refresh on every single thing although i did use the NCSBN, Lipencott, and Saunders review. The NCLEX wouldn't be so bad without the stress!!! A lot of people (myself included) have a lot riding the test, so when one takes it and doesn't feel very confident then it only makes the waiting worse.

Did you really leave the test thinking you passed? If so good for you (and I mean that sincerely, not sarcastically! :) ). The whole time I was taking it I used a lot of educated guesses. It wasn't particularly the questions that were hard but the choice of responses which made it difficult. Critical thinking it what is most important. Prioritizing was the key. I also got three questions on malfunctioning equiptment such as a ventilators, iv pumps, traction, etc...

Lookin on the bright side studying for the NCLEX did however pull together almost everything I learned in nursing school that made little sense to me at the time.........

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Let me tell you that the week before the NCLEX I was zit queen. I was nauseated and broke out with every thought of the test. After the test I can honestly say I was confident that I passed. A couple hours later I was in tears until I found out the next day that I passed. I second guessed myself after the test, but it turns out my gut feeling was right, I passed. Whatever you do, don't read into the questions and second guess yourself. Go with your first insinct.

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Thanks for your advice. I agree with overstudying. I would rather overstudy then understudy and feel like.....dam! "Should of would of could of"

I just don't know how to determine if I'm prepared. I take my exam in 13 days and I feel like I want to push it back just a week. I don't feel as comfortable as I would like to feel at this point. I have a busy week next week and not sure how much studying I can get done.

Also, I like your "cards" I have a notebook full of facts from information I found from doing questions.

I've been doing Lippincott, Saunders, and just started NCSBN.

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