Unfortunately I have failed the NCLEX RN exam 7 times. I was near pass on all my sections expect 2 that were below average on my last attempt DEC 2015. I ended up w 248 questions that last try. I need suggestions on what helps.
I tried hurst the last 2 times and there was improvement but need more. One thing to remember is that I graduated in 2012 and didnt take my test a year after that. I kept trying but that wait (due to family/personal matters) affected me more than I thought.
I want your input on what worked with you. I am trying my best to remain positive as I do have very bad test anxiety.
What books are good for material review.
What programs are good for test practice. I would like a program that allows me to customize my quizzes that way I can improve a section at a time.
I agree with Rose Queen. Failing a minimum competency exam seven times is not a good sign.
Did your program not prepare you? Most programs really focus on teaching students *how* to answers NCLEX style questions throughout the curriculum and use NCLEX type questions in their testing. This should have prepared you pretty well if the program was a decent one.
Three years have passed and I worry your knowledge has decreased and EBP changed.
Have you looked into going through another nursing program if you are still committed to the idea of becoming a nurse?
I agree with the quote.
It is great that many nurses here are advocating for your determination to become a nurse.
Keep in mind, those that are "discouraging" you are not trying to stop you. They are protecting the patients that you may handle. Failing a competency test makes me worry a lot for patients under your care regardless of how much compassion you show them.
Though I don't discourage you to stop trying, I do worry.
Like many others have explained, I used UWORLD and passed with 75 questions. I believe the difficulty of UWORLD is much higher than the NCLEX.
Hello everyone! It is good to read your comments from here as they give insight. :) I took the NCLEX for the first time about 2 months ago and did not make it.. I was doing self-study, relied on Lippincott's Q&A Review, and availed of Kaplan's Qbank that time. Now I am prepping up to do a second attempt at becoming a US-RN. I am a foreign trained nurse, LPN in Canada and I am wondering if KAPLAN's NCLEX-RN Prep for International Nurses would be a good choice to prepare for the exam this time, any advice? Or UWorld, Hurst and other non-expensive online reviews? I am on a tight budget actually so your comments and suggestions will be much appreciated. Thank you very much.
Hi, I just graduated and passed the NCLEX 1/8/16. The ATI Review in my opinion is the best out there. It's about 24 hours long. I did 2 hours every day. So in about 10 days or so I was done. This was in conjunction with an in class review. I also have the ATI app, and bought Lippincott's flashcards for $19.99 on Amazon. It has 1000 questions in a box. I tell you it helped me tremendously. Also are there any tutors at your prior school willing to help as well?
I was required to use Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN Exam by Linda Anne Silvestri and HESI Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN Exam throughout nursing school. The Saunders book has a CD with lots of practice questions and the HESI book has a code to use online for more questions. I also had to attend the Hurst review and a HESI review, they are different and both help a lot!
Since it has been so long since you were in nursing school, a review course would help you to go over all the information you need as well. There are websites, like nurselabs.com and mightynurse.com, that have tons of condensed information and practice questions. The NCSBN also has a review course that you can take. It does cost (3 week course for $50), but is worth it if you pass.
If you graduated in 2012, the test plan for the NCLEX has changed and will change again this year in April (or around then). You can go to the NCSBN website and view the test plan to help you know how to focus your studies more. Maybe take your performance report to a previous instructor or a mentor and get them to give you some advice.
Make sure you know the information, REALLY know it!! I wouldn't schedule my appointment until I felt extremely prepared, like OVERprepared. For me, the more questions I did, the more I understood because there is just so many times you can read something. Make sure to not only find out the correct answer for each question, but also the rationale. When you test, don't worry about your previous attempts. Go into it like it is your first time and be confident. Take all the time you need, take all the breaks you need, and read, read, and reread the questions and answers. I recently took NCLEX and was extremely nervous and I could tell when it was just getting too overwhelming for me. If I couldn't focus, I would take a break, walk around a little, look out the window, or anything until I calmed down and was able to do my best.
It is hard, and it is supposed to be. While I want to encourage you to do your best and hope that you are able to pass, I also want to tell you that if you are doing everything that you can and still aren't able to pass, it might be better to pursue a different course. There are still other good jobs you can have and still be in the healthcare field. I will be praying for you!
I passed my nclex with less than 80 questions last week. I was taking virtual ATI with a predictor of 94% chance of passing but did not get the green light because I still needed to improvement in 2 areas where I was lower than 65% but higher than 63% - Since i was also doing UWORLD I did my remediation and took my boards on Jan 8th -
I would also suggest using the app NCLEX Mastery for studying. You can put it on your phone and do it while on the go. Make sure you read and understand the rationales. Really helps with answering more questions.
Hi, my exam is next month. I work 4 to 5 days a week and on those days I work I only study at most 2 hours. On the weekends I study more. I also graduated dec. 2014 but never took the exam due to family problems, distractions and test anxiety. So you can see I have already forgotten a lot of information. I tried Saunders but it's too overwhelming for me to read the whole book. So, I was so happy when i found out about uworld. I love it and I learned so much using it. But for some reason I still don't feel prepared to take the test. I have a really hard time organizing my notes and have difficulty remembering some details (eg. Medications). I was wondering what is the best and efficient way of studying for the nclex. Should I take notes from uworld, read a review book while doing questions, or don't take notes at all (since i have little time to study) I have until Feb. 8. Thank you I appreciate all the feedbacks. And congrats to those who passed! 😊
Do NOT listen to the people who are discouraging saying nursing may not be for you. You are determined which is so important and good.
Good luck on your next exam. I'm sure you will pass if you review the content and how you decide your answer.
People are being realistic. The OP has failed 7 times and said themselves they did the Hurst review twice. Just because someone makes it through nursing school does not mean they should automatically become a nurse, no matter how determine they are.
LDAthleteNurse, BSN, RN
407 Posts
I used hurst. Passed in 75. First try.