Failed nclex-rn.. Now what?

Tesfanurse · Jul 21, 2014

I recommend Kaplan because their questions are written by nursing experts. Do your best to study content then questions. Kaplan teaches strategies on how to answer NCLEX questions and I don't know of another program that does that... If you don't feel ready in 40 days you can reschedule. I wish you success on the NCLEX. I also failed NCLEX but I passed the second time thanks to Kaplan.

this is from an email from my Kaplan instructor

You are ready to take the test when:

1. You have Read the Entire book in depth one time

2. You have watched all the online content lectures

3. You have completed all the Question Trainer Questions

4. You have reached the targeted scores on the Question Trainers (QT4&5=65 /Q6&7=60)

5. You have completed the entire Qbank questions

6. You have reached the targeted scores on the Qbanks (minimum averaging 60)

7. You have remediated all the questions, read all the rationales for correct and incorrect answers

8. You understand why you missed incorrect answers and why you got the ones you did right correctly!

9. Now you can be confident! Knowing you have prepared completely!

amandapanda2011 · Jul 21, 2014

Sorry to hear you didn't pass. That's my biggest fear when I finish school. Just like the person above me said try Kaplan. But I'm also trying this NCLEX app on my phone called NCLEX Mastery that's supposed to really help, and from what I read online it really seems to help. It gives you questions with the rationales after you answer it. The only downfall of the app, is that it costs $30 to unlock the whole app. With that, your gonna have 1,500 questions with all of the subjects for the NCLEX. They will refund your money back if you don't pass. Just a suggestion. Good luck :)

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Jul 21, 2014

Before anyone can recommend anything to you, we'd need to know what your CPR said: when you fail NCLEX, you receive a notice telling you what your weak areas are, in what areas you did not meet the passing standard.

Can't make a valid recommendation without knowing WHAT you need to work on.

scarletta10 · Jul 22, 2014

thank you all for getting back with me! i did buy the Kaplan online course!! hoping it works. i did use the NCLEX MASTERY app before the first time :/ it was helpful idk that test was really hard!

RNEABV · Jul 22, 2014

Hi Scarletta10,

I used Kaplan when I first took the NCLEX, didn't quite work for me! I must say I didn't study as much as I should have, was super nervous and didn't get enough sleep the day before of the exam!

I used Saunders Comprehensive review for the 2nd time and it worked! I used a variety of resources-youtube videos, Hurst audio, NCLEX 4000, prioritization delegation and assignment aka PDA by La Charity!

What I did differently for the second attempt:

I went over content and used Saunders! I read/skimmed the book on areas where I though I was weak on. If I felt like I am missing a lot of questions on med surg. I would go back,read and make sure that I understood the concept. I answered questions at the end of the chapter. I wrote my notes, made flashcards/diagrams.

If you want, you could read my post for more information on what I did to prep for my second attempt!

Goodluck!

RNeabv

scarletta10 · Jul 23, 2014

thank you so much!!! i didnt get much sleep the night before mine, not blaming it on that but it does have a big factor!

RNEABV · Jul 23, 2014

Yes it does play a big role! Try to get as much sleep as you can the night before the exam. Take care of yourself and study hard! You can do it! :yes:

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Jul 23, 2014

The fact that it took 122 questions to determine that you failed means you're probably closer to passing than you realize. Wait a little bit for your report to arrive. Read the report and see where you faltered. You very well could be "near passing" in all categories. If that's what you see, it very well could be that you don't really need to study content, but rather how to read NCLEX questions and answer them. I used Saunders and NCLEX 4000, but NOT for content, but rather for practice pulling apart the questions, seeing how they're constructed, and how to look for key words and phrases that can point me toward the correct answer.

My program's exams were ALL written in the NCLEX style, and probably well above passing standard. While that prepared me for how hard the NCLEX would be, the Saunders and NCLEX 4000 helped me actually read the questions the way they should be so that I would have a better chance at picking the right answers.

Something else that I did which helped a lot was with each question, I took a slow deep breath. Then I read the question, answered it in my head and then compared that answer to what was on the screen. If something matched, I knew something was close to right. Then I'd go back and re-read the question and look specifically for any key words and phrases that related to the answers. Then I'd go over the answers again and then answer which one was likely the right one. Then once I click "submit" I'd go on to the next question. The one I just answered didn't matter and the next one that I was going to get didn't matter either. The one in front of me was the only one that mattered. Also, I was prepared mentally to go the full 265/6 hours. Anything less than that would be a bonus. In my case, it shut off at 75 and I passed... but I was ready to go much longer than that.

Oh, and yes, the NCLEX was most definitely the hardest test I've ever taken. It's designed to find your limits and it certainly found mine. Don't be afraid of it... embrace it because if the questions are hard, you're working. If they're easy, well... you're not and you should be!