Failed my First Attempt, Completely Lost

Im sorry, this must be tough on you. As far as Kaplan, I know a few people that failed even after taking it. I would suggest buying a few fairly inexpensive question banks such as Uworld and Kaplans question bank(no content). Do 50-100 question per day and review each question whether right or wrong. When you start to grasp the concept if HOW to answer the question thats when you will be ready for another attempt. Doing content might help, but in my opinion it is far too much to go through, besides thats what the nursing school was for. Buy Uworld, you wont regret it.

Good luck!

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses

From what I have gathered, Kaplan helps more with questions/strategies and Hurst helps more with content. I did the Hurst Review, not Kaplan, and I am scheduled for the NCLEX this Thursday:nailbiting: But because I have heard that Kaplan questions are much more difficult than Hurst's and are more NCLEX-like, I googled to try and find some free Kaplan questions to practice those too. Luckily just about anything I could imagine is on quizlet;) If you search Kaplan Trainer Questions on quizlet you'll find #1-7. These are all from the Kaplan Review-for free:up: Looking at those (and the ample posts on allnurses about Kaplan), might give you some insight into the course... Like I said, I haven't taken the NCLEX yet but I can check back once I have gotten my results and whether I pass or fail might help you decide what you wanna do.

I am so sorry that you didn't pass. I know what you must be feeling, because I was supposed to graduate in May but after 3 FAILED attempts, I couldn't pass the HESI Exit Exam, so I didn't get to graduate on time:dead: After my FIFTH attempt this summer, I was able to finally pass and graduate. Give yourself time to be sad, as that is healthy. But after that, keep your head up hun. You passed nursing school so you ARE smart and capable. Try to figure out your weaknesses and go from there.

Goodluck:) And happy to answer any questions you may have.

Well I probably did literally thousands of questions before my first attempt at the NCLEX (a few days ago). I did a ton of ATI and then supplemented that with some Kaplan questions (a friend gave me her login credentials). I really thought I was going to pass, I know the $500 is expensive but the price honestly doesn't matter as I just need to pass at this point. I really can't see myself passing by only doing 50-100 questions a day. I did at least a hundred/day 4-5 times a week leading up to my first attempt. Thats really why I thought I was going to pass and I feel so lost at the moment

From what I have gathered, Kaplan helps more with questions/strategies and Hurst helps more with content. I did the Hurst Review, not Kaplan, and I am scheduled for the NCLEX this Thursday:nailbiting: But because I have heard that Kaplan questions are much more difficult than Hurst's and are more NCLEX-like, I googled to try and find some free Kaplan questions to practice those too. Luckily just about anything I could imagine is on quizlet;) If you search Kaplan Trainer Questions on quizlet you'll find #1-7. These are all from the Kaplan Review-for free:up: Looking at those (and the ample posts on allnurses about Kaplan), might give you some insight into the course... Like I said, I haven't taken the NCLEX yet but I can check back once I have gotten my results and whether I pass or fail might help you decide what you wanna do.

I am so sorry that you didn't pass. I know what you must be feeling, because I was supposed to graduate in May but after 3 FAILED attempts, I couldn't pass the HESI Exit Exam, so I didn't get to graduate on time:dead: After my FIFTH attempt this summer, I was able to finally pass and graduate. Give yourself time to be sad, as that is healthy. But after that, keep your head up hun. You passed nursing school so you ARE smart and capable. Try to figure out your weaknesses and go from there.

Goodluck:) And happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you for the kind words and I hope you do well on the NCLEX, no one should have to experience what I'm going through right now.

Also. As the previous poster said, I have heard wonderful things about Uworld.

I definitely suggest UWORLD. You mentioned you can't see yourself doing 50-100 questions a day and that you have to do a couple of hundred. Please remember quality over quantity! Are you really retaining info doing a couple of hundred questions a day or are you just doing that many to say you did a certain amount before testing? I ask because I failed after doing 250 questions a day for a month. I heard everyone say you need to do 3000 or more questions before nclex.

My last attempt I did 25-50 UWORLD questions a day and passed with 75 questions.

I definitely suggest UWORLD. You mentioned you can't see yourself doing 50-100 questions a day and that you have to do a couple of hundred. Please remember quality over quantity! Are you really retaining info doing a couple of hundred questions a day or are you just doing that many to say you did a certain amount before testing? I ask because I failed after doing 250 questions a day for a month. I heard everyone say you need to do 3000 or more questions before nclex.

My last attempt I did 25-50 UWORLD questions a day and passed with 75 questions.

I have never even heard of UWORLD before I joined this website, what exactly is it and what do you get for the price. Whats the price? Thanks so far everyone :)

I would also recommend the App NCLEX Mastery. I used it as my main source to study. Put is on my phone and when I had time here and there, I would pull it out and do a few questions in addition to doing a more intense session each day.

Since you have failed, I suggest that you might want to take some time off from studying much. It's OK to study some, but not very intensively. You need to wait for your Candidate Performance Report. The CPR will indicate which area or areas you had trouble reaching a passing standard. It's entirely possible that the majority of the exam is "near passing standard" with one consistent area below standard. About the only way you can be sure you miserably failed is if the computer shut off at 75 questions. If you get 76 or more, then you were close but not quite "there" until your answers match a pass/fail rule and the computer shuts off.

I happened to pass at 75, but since I knew the above, passing well or failing miserably at 75, and the exam was quite difficult, I was very unsure if I'd passed or failed.

Remember that there is a whole second bit of taking the NCLEX - actual test taking skills. You can do great on the test strategies and content preps, but if you have test anxiety or anything like that, you can actually select the wrong answers simply because you misread the questions or answers simply because of your anxiety. I've lost whole letter grades because I misread questions or answers and I'm not prone to test anxiety at all... so if misreads happen to me, they can happen to anyone!!!

If you're on Facebook find the group NCLEX Uworld and do the 7 day trial then renew it for 30 days for $40

Don't feel discouraged. I failed my first attempt on June 2014, decided to take the summer off and studied some more. Went back the end of August 2014 and passed it!!!

Try simple nursing with Mike Linares, I felt his material was way better than Kaplan which in total honesty was probably a waste of money. Here is the link: Simple Nursing Good luck and don't stress it.

Since you have failed, I suggest that you might want to take some time off from studying much. It's OK to study some, but not very intensively. You need to wait for your Candidate Performance Report. The CPR will indicate which area or areas you had trouble reaching a passing standard. It's entirely possible that the majority of the exam is "near passing standard" with one consistent area below standard. About the only way you can be sure you miserably failed is if the computer shut off at 75 questions. If you get 76 or more, then you were close but not quite "there" until your answers match a pass/fail rule and the computer shuts off.

I happened to pass at 75, but since I knew the above, passing well or failing miserably at 75, and the exam was quite difficult, I was very unsure if I'd passed or failed.

Remember that there is a whole second bit of taking the NCLEX - actual test taking skills. You can do great on the test strategies and content preps, but if you have test anxiety or anything like that, you can actually select the wrong answers simply because you misread the questions or answers simply because of your anxiety. I've lost whole letter grades because I misread questions or answers and I'm not prone to test anxiety at all... so if misreads happen to me, they can happen to anyone!!!

This.

To add:

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, 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.