failed NCLEX in 75 questions despite Uworlds blessing

Lvalen · Sep 15, 2017

Submerch I would like to help you. Email me at [email protected]

pink_kola91 · Sep 16, 2017

I agree with your statement about studying the fundamentals and core concepts. Everyone said start with the stuff you don't know first like OB or peds. I didn't do that. I started with fundamentals because I knew it would involve all areas of nursing. So even if I didn't know the exact disease process or testing procedure, knowing the fundamentals of nursing helped.

To submerche, I get why you're pissed. I'd be too. Not to salt your wound, but I honestly didn't know someone could fail at 75 questions. Instead of studying everything, focus on what kind of studying worked for you the best. I literally wrote out everything by hand. I've got a book full of notes for Uworld and ATI. I've even got notecards on the wall with lab ranges and drug antidotes. Also, chill...when you do pass and you get a job, no one will care if you failed the NCLEX once. You'll get your RN license number. Just breathe dude and then go kick the NCLEX's butt. Good luck.

RN 2017 · Sep 16, 2017

Hello submerche.

What you used to study for ?

Extra Pickles · Sep 16, 2017

submerche said:
Okami,
I think ramping up the number of questions I do a day will be important. After I had finished all of the questions in my UWorld account I dropped way down. I was doing only maybe 25-50 per day on average because I started to remember the answers. What I should have done is to search out more questions to maintain the high volume.
I think I may have also placed to much importance on getting the questions right. What I mean by that is that if I would get a question right I would feel like I was done with it. I may not have fully understood the pathophysiology or the order of interventions or what have you as to why it was correct. I would just remember from class or some other resource and move on. I would focus on rationales if I got something wrong but not so much if I got it right. Looking back on it, this was obviously a big mistake.
I have never heard of the NCLEX exam decision tree. I will be looking for that. Thanks for that tip.
Thank you

The bolded part explains why you failed. I have no idea how the predictor works with any of the review courses, but I understand rather well how the CAT system of the NCLEX works.

To fail in 75 questions, the minimum it is permitted to give you before closing, means that you weren't close to passing at all. It determined that giving you even one question more than the minimum was a waste of time.

Harsh sounding perhaps but I'm going somewhere with this. The type of testing system the NCLEX uses builds from asking you the most basic memory-based knowledge questions through to the higher levels of clinical application of that knowledge. If you fail to prove you are knowledgeable on the basics, it shuts off. If you can prove you know the basics but are unable to apply that knowledge in a clinical setting---which is where all those rationales and interventions and prioritization questions come in--it shuts off.

I can't know if you didn't understand the content sufficiently and failed on that alone, or if you were OK on that but couldn't demonstrate understanding of how to apply that knowledge. To be honest, I've found that people who fail at 75 questions usually have a problem with the content itself. Only you can know for sure.

I'd get set up with a tutor if it were me. Contact your school, ask for local resources and find a way to sit with someone to go over how YOU need to proceed. Those of us on the internet can really only guess for you and you want to pass next time! Good luck.

hopetopassnclex · Sep 16, 2017

blue85 said:
I've heard different things about the various study methods. First, Saunders is a great tool to help pass tests in nursing school and to practice how to approach SATA and other alternative format questions, but useless on the NCLEX, because the information is too easy. Others say to use either Pearson or ATI to prepare for the NCLEX.

It is wrong for you to say this because no review material is useless. I have heard some people say it was what helped them to pass. Many have used UWORLD and still fail, and some have passed using either only UWORLD or SAUNDERS or any other review. Use whatever you think is best for you. Sometimes overconfidence is an issue.

antelal · Sep 16, 2017

submerche;

I was in your same shoes, which is why I joined Allnurses. I failed the NCLEX in 76 questions the first time. Rescheduled for 45 days and passed in 75 questions. When I failed, it was the first experience I ever had in failing something. I felt humiliated and discouraged and afraid. I thought I would lose my new grad offer also. I was a 4.0 student until nursing classes and graduated with a BSN of 3.90. My employer paid for Kaplan class and I purchased Hurst. I made consistent 65-68 on Kaplan. After reading through forums, I purchased UWorld, NCSBN, Saunders, and NCLEX Mastery. I studied rationales on all correct and incorrect questions. I began doubting my degree, and sunk into a slight depression. I started feeling panicky, so I went to the doctor and got a Beta Blocker for the day of the test (to prevent me from running out on the exam) and to help with those pretest practice exams. I took well over 8,000 questions and went back through my notes on Hurst and went through Kaplan. It was not due to content on why I failed the first time. I feel it was more that I tried to apply all my knowledge into one simple question on the exam. It took awhile, but I finally forced myself to answer without thinking it was a "trick question". The NCLEX doesn't try and trick you. Also keep in mind the priority and delegation. Long story short, don't just take 100 questions a day, do more. Also, I joined a gym and worked out for a couple of hours each day. You can pass it, don't give up, and use this experience to humble yourself and let God take control of it all.

Ben_Dover · Sep 19, 2017

submerche said:
Ben
Ouch! Brutal honesty! As much as I don't want to admit it, you might be right. Well, I failed, so theirs the evidence. I hear what you are saying. It does sound as though I am blaming Uworld. That is not what I mean to convey. I own this. This has been a bitter pill to swallow and I am still trying to get it down but I know that I failed the NCLEX, not UWorld. I do fully plan on continuing to use UWorld. The one take away that I would advise to anyone, and I think this is my main point related to UWorld, is to not let the fact that UWorld says you have a high likelyhood of passing make you complacent. I will be taking a second look at how I have used it up until now. I will report back on any areas where I may have not used the resource to the best benefit. I also welcome any one else that has advice on this to chime in here if they wish. Any (constructive) advice Ben?

Advice... well coming from personal experience.... since you asked for it, here's my spill.

During my time, Kaplan and Hurst reviews were the only two big guns for NCLEX preparation. I opted to use Kaplan and literally read their book front to back 4 times, yes, 4 times, and did I say front to back?!

I studied daily, from 0800-22:00 for 30 days straight and was still reviewing the day before my exam.

For some reason, I did not like Saunders and preferred Lippincot's review book over it. But Saunders seems to be popular around nursing students even to this day.

But what I think truly worked for me was this review book called NCLEX-RN Questions & Answers Made Incredibly Easy. What I love about this book was the questions and rationales were right on the same page and I did not have to flip the pages back and forth to look for the correct answers and rationales... Thus, it saved me a lot of time. As far as I know no one mentions this book on this nursing forum. But then again, what works for me may not work for others.

NCLEX Day: During the exam, I noticed that you can eliminate all 3 answers but the last two great choices, I was like going back and forth. And I can vividly remember the way I approached the questions and that is -- once I eliminated the bad choices and now simply focusing on the last two great options was...I was simply asking myself: Why would I choose Answer A. over the Answer D. Then I realized, the questions and the answers became like a a jigsaw puzzle. As I mentioned, I just had to figure out why I think one is better than the other is or what really makes sense. Anyhow, I stopped at 75 and I thought I failed big time. But fortunately, I had only had to take it once and never looked back.

OP....I didn't mean to write a novel but I've never really shared my NCLEX exp. here on AllNurses.com since there's already a whole bunch of wealth about it.

P.s.

I'm not a big fan of studying fervently but I've always enjoyed challenges - such as test or exams.

Also, I did not buy review books instead I was hanging-out at some Barnes and Noble where they served some "Fivebucks" coffee, and I was set. The only money I spent on for my review was with Kaplan and that one book I mentioned above and wherever I go I had it with me.

Good Luck again!

Makens · Sep 24, 2017

Lvalen said:
Submerch I would like to help you. Email me at [email protected]

Please I need help also preparing for my exam too

DoseofRN · Sep 26, 2017

I used uworld also . It didn't work for me first time either . Now I have done ncsbn and hurst . Testing again soon to see how this one goes

K9lover, ASN, RN · Jan 28, 2018

Okami_CCRN said:
One of the things you have to understand about the NCLEX-RN exam is that it is one of safety.
When I was studying for the exam, I would brush up on concepts that I was not comfortable with such as delegation and obstetrics. I would do about 100-200 questions every day for about 3-4 weeks before I took the exam, make sure you read the rationales. Take a peek at an NCLEX-RN exam decision tree.
Things to keep in mind for the day of the exam is to eat a well balanced breakfast/lunch. Do not study the night before or the day of (no use cramming or freaking out). Give yourself ample time to arrive at the testing site.
Remember it's a test of safety, if you do not know the answer think about what is least likely to cause harm.

Yep, I remember, it was not a lot of clear cut math/drug dosage equations it was mainly scenarios wherein there were two of four answers which could be correct and you had to use nursing judgement discerning which of those two was the better of choice. I did not want to spend time attempting to guess what was going to be on the test and study for it, I felt best course of action was to take it ASAP upon graduation while everything was fresh in my mind and am glad I did as I passed with 75 on 1st attempt. I had done very well in college and was a confident test taker, no cramming. It is better to learn material as you go, it will not be retained in a night of stress/cramming.

That being said I hated the first few years of nursing, intelligence was of no use in combating the stress and fatigue I encountered...I am amazed I did not throw in the towel.

MorganAHill87 · Sep 18, 2020

On 9/13/2017 at 11:53 PM, submerche said:

I am completely dumbstruck. I failed...I FAILED. How did this happen? I studied my orifice off for a month before I took it. I did all of the almost two thousand questions in UWorld. My UWorld assessment said I had a "very high probability of passing". My scores on individual tests were regularly above the average test taker. I studied my Saunders book. I was always above average on my class tests. Then I fail in 75 questions on the actual exam...what the ****? Now I have to wait 45 days. Tomorrow I have to tell the ED to give the job they have waiting for me to someone else because I failed the NCLEX. I am seriously going through some DABDA right now y'all. I just had to vent to those who might understand.

I literally had this EXACT thing happen to me...what did you do for the second time around? And did you pass the second try?

blue85 · Sep 19, 2020

14 hours ago, MorganAHill87 said:

I literally had this EXACT thing happen to me...what did you do for the second time around? And did you pass the second try?

Google Mark Klimek Reviews and find some of his study material. I don't think I would have answered so many questions correctly without his memorization techniques and strategy principles. You may be able to find his review book material on quizlet.