Failed the NCLEX-RN for the 5th time!

Nursing Students NCLEX

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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.

snip: "take breaks if you have to. do the best you can do and relax."

i sure don't know what you mean here??? no such things as taking a break during the exam which is timed in sections for two days??? no getting up and taking a break-- what third world test site did you attend? not in the usa...

in response to this ^

the exam hasn't been done over a period of days for over a decade now. the way it's structured now is that you get 6 hours total to answer up to 265 questions (and a minimum of 75 questions), and you have scheduled breaks twice during the exam, which you can elect to take or not take. please check your facts before adopting this kind of dismissing attitude toward someone else.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Intermed, Neuro, LTC, Psych.

Have you ever tried the Kaplan courses? I didn't take them, but several people I graduated with did and they liked it. It teaches you HOW to take the test, and doesn't focus on nursing content, such as how to pick up key words in questions, etc. Maybe part of your problem is test anxiety and that could help you.

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Do you have to pass the NCLEX-RN before you take the actual exam?

the NCLEX-RN *is* the RN licensing exam; there is no other.

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Have you ever tried the Kaplan courses? I didn't take them, but several people I graduated with did and they liked it. It teaches you HOW to take the test, and doesn't focus on nursing content, such as how to pick up key words in questions, etc. Maybe part of your problem is test anxiety and that could help you.

i agree with this. a lot of people try to study as much content as possible, and try to know every nursing diagnosis for every disease process, but the NCLEX will purposefully ask you about obscure diseases to test your critical thinking ability. kaplan has a good reputation and a good pass rate because, like ehooper said, it teaches you HOW to take the test. NCLEX is a test of critical thinking and strategy, NOT content knowledge.

what i found also helped was going through the NCLEX for Dummies book (from the black-and-yellow Dummies series). i looked through it the night before and wished i'd picked it up sooner, and during the test, i used specific hints that it had given me to answer questions. it was really helpful.

good luck, ZeldaJane.

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my suggestion is drastic but you can always take the test in another state that asks for a lower passing grade. The test is the same, but each state has a different passing grade. Also, in Maryland once you fail the test 3 times you need to go back to school.

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Would you want to fly with a pilot who took the test 6 times?

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
my suggestion is drastic but you can always take the test in another state that asks for a lower passing grade. The test is the same, but each state has a different passing grade. Also, in Maryland once you fail the test 3 times you need to go back to school.

False the exam is national therefore pass mark is the same regardless on where you take it and with which state

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Show some compassion and try to relate to this situation. Put yourself in this situation! People learn in different ways but that DOES NOT have any impact of what kind of RN you will be!:nono:

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Specializes in PACU.

I did very well in school . . .and thought for sure I failed the NCLEX exam. I thought it was VERY HARD! And the waiting killed me, even though it was only 2 days. I have terrible test anxiety as well and took almost 2 hours to do 75 questions and started to panic when the girl next to me, who started about 5 minutes before me, left after only 30 minutes.

Dont lose hope --- you will get there. I used Kaplan and Saunders. I found the questions on the exam were more like those in Kaplan, but I preferred the Saunders rationales. I did about 5000 practice questions prior and wrote out questions in a notebook that I carried with me everywhere to review stuff. I know it is frustrating, but try and stay positive. My suggestion is to keep with the RN exam and not the LPN exam .. a friend of mine took the LPN exam after not passing the RN and she felt it was just as difficult.

Good Luck -- we all will be thinking of you.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

I think this thread has now run it's course and will close

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