Failed the NCLEX-RN for the 5th time!

Silverdragon102, BSN · Sep 18, 2008

I just found out yesterday that I failed for the 5th time and here's whats even worse, I failed at 75 questions! Which means I am only getting worse each time I take it! I was so prepared and worked so hard and now all I want to do is crawl in a hole and never leave I was seeing a personal tutor whose past students all passed except me. I just sit down and freak out and can't concentrate! I am never going to full fill this dream that I thought was so close! I signed up for the PN exam today bc I feel as if I am never going pass the RN exam even after graduating from the nursing program here in WI.. I found out too that they raised the passing standard here to 95%! How can anyone have a chance to pass?! All my friends that passed after graduation only needed a 78-85% passing average. Does anyone think that I even have a chance to pass the PN exam?! Or any advice for me?! Please help! All I want more than anything in this world is to be a nurse.

Sorry to hear you failed. Have you considered Suzanne's plan? It is worth considering.

ZeldaJane · Sep 18, 2008

I failed the NCLEX-RN for the 5th time! Wisconsin raised their passing standard to 95%! How am I ever going to pass with an average like that?!

fairytell427 · Sep 18, 2008

I know it's hard but keep a positive attitude. You know what you have to do so you have no choice but to do it. Keep taking the test until you pass. I 'm going for the 3rd time in November. You are not alone.Good luck!

suzanne4, RN · Sep 18, 2008

Sorry, but the state did not change anything. It is a national exam as well and the scoring is the same for all states.

All that test get 50% correct and 50% incorrect. It is the level where you are getting the majority of the correct ones at that determines if you pass or not; this is the simplest that I can explain it to you in. There is not one state that has a different passing score than the others. Just not going to happen.

Please read the response that I made to your e-mail to me.

Kevin RN08 · Sep 18, 2008

I have relayed my story here a handful of times. I was in a similar state during second and third semester. During the second semester (fall 07) I was able to get by with and 80 avg, but the third semester (Spring, Second level) I tanked the first 3 tests were in the 60s and dropping with each one (62% avg). I met with the instructor prior to spring break and she suggested that maybe it was test anxiety. At her recommendation I saw a hypnotherapist for 5 sucessive weeks and was able to raise my semester grade immensely to the point of missing the 76% by approximately 4-5 questions with 4 more tests (82, 84, 90, 86).

As I would believe you are doing, I was studying in excess of 40 hours per week and when test time came I was a pile of dung. Through the weeks of working my hypnotherapy plan I learned to relax, and stick to the subject matter vice trying to "know everything". For me, cutting my study time to 1.5-2 hours a day was the key. At any rate, that is what worked for me. My therapist had a free consultation that provided me with immediate results, I could have walked away at that point but decided to make the commitment to get as much as possible out of the experience and am very happy with the results.

PennyNickelDime_RN · Sep 19, 2008

I failed the NCLEX-RN for the 5th time! Wisconsin raised their passing standard to 95%! How am I ever going to pass with an average like that?!

I'm real sorry to hear you did not pass. I'm from WI too and as far as I know the passing standard is the same all over the country. Try to keep a positive attitude, take some time off and hit the books again :). Good luck.

jhebi · Sep 19, 2008

Just keep on trying~ good luck!

PEBBLES1 · Sep 19, 2008

Don't take the PN test, you went to school to become a RN and you will be. Take a break, then try suzanne's plan. You can do it. At the hospital where I work, this nurse failed her boards 7 times and she finally passed. So if she did it so can you. Good luck on your next exam.

truern · Sep 19, 2008

Come on...the NCLEX is not that hard. If a person gets THAT torn up just taking the test, how will they react with a patient emergency??

Sure it was stressful...a lot rides on the results. But nursing is as stressful if not more. And LIVES ride on the results of a nurse's actions/non-actions.

OP, I would advise you to take a break from even studying for NCLEX until your nerves are calmed. Then study a few hours a day and go over any questions you didn't understand. Don't try to know every little detail of every little thing. There are probably 20,000 questions available and no way to know each and every one of them.

Then calm down. Get up early and have a good breakfast (avoid sugar!!) before taking the test. Take it a question at a time. Take breaks if you have to. Do the best you can do and RELAX.

Dark Avenger · Sep 19, 2008

dont be sad..

just dont give up...

take every unfavorable experience as a challenge and oppurtunity to learn rather than discouragement. never get discourage when things go beyond your expectations. always remember that the greatest glory in life is never falling... but RISING everytime you fall..

i, myself, didnt pass the first time i took nclex for many reason. but i will try it again.

jadu1106 · Sep 19, 2008

zeldajane~

:icon_hug:

it is very discouraging to learn you were unsuccessful on the nclex exam. but if you really want to become a nurse, then follow your goal and dream and don't give up. some of the posters may state their own opinions and this may deter you into preparing for the nclex again, but please listen to the other posters that support you and encourage you to keep trying and keep aiming for the pass results.

how are you preparing for the exam? i used kaplan the first 2 times along with class notes, obviously that didn't work for me. the 3rd attempt i studied from another review book, and failed horribly at 99 questions. for my 4th attempt, i am following suzanne's plan. have you thought about preparing with her plan? she is such a big supporter for people just like you and me who struggle with test taking, especially the nclex. if you don't have it, i would suggest you get the most recent saunders review book (4th edition) and just use that to prepare for the exam.

don't be discouraged, many people pass on their 6th, 7th, even 8th time on the nclex, and there are many threads here on allnurses.com that prove that. don't give up, just practice questions, and read and re-read the rationales to all of the questions you do regardless of whether you answered them correctly or not.

this is something a nursing instructor from my school once told my entire lecture class:

you could be an a or b student in lecture, and perform poorly in clinical and with patients, or you could be a great student nurse performing in clinicals and be making poor grades on the lecture exams, either does not determine how you will be as a nurse. you choose your own path and your grades do not determine how you will perform as a nurse. in the end no one is going to ask, how your grades were in school or how many times you take the nclex, but that you are a nurse taking care of your patient with the best care you have to give.

i still keep in touch with this instructor simply because she is so student pro-active. her teaching method is like no other. i hope after reading this you have more faith in yourself that you are capable of passing the nclex just like the person who passes on their 1st attempt or 10th attempt.

take care~!

jadu1106