ERI vs NCLEX

[*Butterfly8*]

For those of you who have taken the ERI practice tests, are they very similar to the NCLEX? We always have to use them for practice in school. Also, did you consider the NCLEX to be very difficult? How did you study? What are the chances someone could pass on the first time?

[noahsmama]

I studied for both the ERI and the NCLEX by doing NCLEX practice questions. I found the questions to be very similar on both tests. I bought a box of NCLEX question flash cards and worked my way through the box. Any question that I didn't get right the first time, I put in the back of the box and redid the questions as many times as I needed to until I got them all right. I also bought a couple of NCLEX review books and did the practice questions in those.

I always read the rationale about why the "best" answer was the best, and after a while, became familiar with the logic used to choose the "best" answer. The only content review I did was to memorize normal lab values (you can't look them up, need to know them cold), plus if there were any topics I kept missing in the practice questions, I would read the relevant section in my textbook about them.

I passed the ERI on my first try, with a score of 68 (the passing score changes a little each year, but is usually around 60% -- I think it was 59% the year I took it, in April 2008). I passed the NCLEX on my first try, in 75 questions (you can be given anywhere from 75 to 225 questions, depending on how close you are to the pass/fail line while taking the test on the computer). I've heard that if you're getting at least 60% of the questions right on NCLEX practice exams, you should be able to pass on the first try. I was getting 70% or more correct on practice tests by the time I took the NCLEX.

Good luck!

Diane