Ok, Nervous wreck here. I just took the NCLEX this morning, and like a lot of you, I walked out feeling like I failed. It seemed like every other answer was wrong.. The computer shut down at 77 questions, and I just stared blankly at it, thinking "Ok, this could be good." and that thought was immediately replaced by, "This could be BAD!" What if I missed so many questions that the computer felt there was no need to continue its torture? I know most people say they passed around 75, but strange enough, that doesn't seem to console me, as that nagging "what if" voice keeps reverberating through my brain! I practiced and practiced for this test, but none of the questions seemed like anything I had been asked anywhere before!
I thought I read somewhere on here last night where someone posted about failing at 75 questions. That seems really harsh, as there are potentially 265 questions. I understand that it's not how many questions answered correctly that matters, but that the computer looks to see your competency level. Man, I just feel like if I was on the floors today and some of these issues came up, I would have been proven the most incompetant person ever.
This anxiety is already eating me alive, I have no idea how I'm supposed to make it until Monday.
It matters not what was on another candidates test. Each and every NCLEX exam is different. They also pick at random people to do the entire test. No, you are not told. You just take the test. I know people who shut off at the minimum of 75 and I know some who did 100+ questions and all passed. You will find out on Monday; I have a good feeling you passed. Those I know who were most afraid of failing, passed!!!
No body is picked at random to take the whole test. If one takes the whole test then that person was borderline. Wish I could remember the official NCLEX site so I could post it. If I find it I'll post.
I do know that people are not picked at random to do the whole test. I do know that if you get 75 questions, then only 60 of them counted, 15 were pilot questions. I think that 20% of the questions are pilot questions that do not count in your score. Of course you do not which 20% does not count....And the NCLEX is changing or has changed as of this April...I know there going to be more Pharmacology ?'s on it...Side effects....Interactions....Doses...And drug calculations. Probably, some more prioritization skill questions also will show up....The GN that take it on the computer should feel lucky...I took it when it was still paper and pencil and 2 days long...Now that was nerve racking...And then had to wait 10 weeks to find out if I passed.....
Good luck to those who will be taking it soon.....
I know how you feel. I took the nclex 2 times and failed and both times I got 265 questions. I just took yesterday for my third time and only got 100 questions. I am still waiting to hear. I think I passed this time. As for the format of the nursing test changing well I only got multiple choice questions. I had a friend take it last week took and he didn't get any new format questions only multiple choice
I took the online ncsbn course, and I also took the nclex review excel. I failed 2 times and just took it yesterday and I am waiting to hear. The book that helped me the most was Kaplan's ......Some times you have to figure out what your down side is and for me it was my test taking skills,,,
I just took my boards and I know I failed. I had to because it was giving me a mixture of easy and hard questions and ended at 75. God help!!! I was waaaayyyy too nervous.
Specializes in PICU, Nurse Educator, Clinical Research.
It matters not what was on another candidates test. Each and every NCLEX exam is different. They also pick at random people to do the entire test. No, you are not told. You just take the test. I know people who shut off at the minimum of 75 and I know some who did 100+ questions and all passed. You will find out on Monday; I have a good feeling you passed. Those I know who were most afraid of failing, passed!!!
Not true about randomly picking people to take the whole test. Check out the pearsonvue website; there's a FAQ section that dispels some myths about the test. There's also a comprehensive explanation of how CAT works. It's tedious, but worth reading; the bottom line is that each question's difficulty is determined by the answer to the preceding question being right or wrong. There's a passing line, in terms of question difficulty- once you've answered a certain percentage of questions above that passing line, you pass.
I just took my boards and I know I failed. I had to because it was giving me a mixture of easy and hard questions and ended at 75. God help!!! I was waaaayyyy too nervous.
You cannot judge whether you passed or failed based on "hard" or "easy" questions. What seems like an easy question to you may be a hard question for someone else. There are very detailed psychometric procedures that determine if a question is "hard" or "easy" for purposes of the NCLEX exams. So, please try not to worry. It will not help you to worry and it won't change anything. Whatever the outcome, you have achieved a major accomplishment - you got through nursing school. Please try not to think about this too much and let us know how you did.
Not true about randomly picking people to take the whole test. Check out the pearsonvue website; there's a FAQ section that dispels some myths about the test. There's also a comprehensive explanation of how CAT works. It's tedious, but worth reading; the bottom line is that each question's difficulty is determined by the answer to the preceding question being right or wrong. There's a passing line, in terms of question difficulty- once you've answered a certain percentage of questions above that passing line, you pass.
good luck!
Exactly rach,, that is what i have always heard also. There isnt a predetermined number for any exam before you sit and start answering questions.
I remember all to well the nauseating feeling in the pit of the stomache when i finished my NCLEX. First time in my life i felt physically ill following a test.
I took the LPn test paper and pencil and the NCLEX on computer. I guarantee that the paper and pencil test is even more stressful because you were in a room full of others elbow to elbow writing that test (RN's took 2 days to write their exam, LPN's were one day). Anyway, it would be a mistake not testing under somewhat stressful situations. Anyone who works in nursing better be able to think on their feet under the most stressful situations. That is nursing, and those who make that test want to be sure you know it. So if you were stressed, good. You will be fine, and if things go a different way than you hope, keep your head up and try again. Its all in that head and sometimes we dont even know we can pull it out, it just finds its way back without us realizing it.
I like the CAT because, unlike the old paper and pencil testing format, the CAT is designed to help you pass. Fifteen of the questions are not scored, which increases the odds in your favor. At the begining, the CAT tries to determine your knowledge base and your critical thinking skills. This allows the CAT to customize your test just for you. It varies the level of the questions it presents to you based on how you answered previous questions. It continues to do this until it pinpoints the 50/50 threshold where you're answering at least half of the questions correctly, and this becomes your baseline. The CAT uses the 'baseline' method of testing so that you do not get questions that would make it too easy or too difficult for you to demonstrate minimum competency.
If you're giving wrong answers, it will throw in some slightly easier questions to give you a chance to prove yourself. If you're answering most of the questions correctly the CAT will begin to randomly present more challenging questions. This is why so many people who pass at 75 questions walk out of there feeling sure that they failed. If the CAT determines that you understand the nursing process and the basics of the physiological, psychosocial, and pharamacological aspect of nursing, it will also begin to throw more priority type questions at you (what should the nurse do first, which task should the nurse delegate, etc).
I'm hoping that you passed and that the stress of all this is behind you now. If you did not pass I recommend that you do an NCLEX prep course with a lot of practice questions that will help you to beat the CAT. I recommend the Kaplan Q bank and/or the Saunders CD review course. Both are very good, and if you practice with these questions and read the rationales for the answers you should do well on the test the next time.
And a note for the moderator: I think this thread needs to be moved to the NCLEX discussion area.
Hello I am so nervous I need to take my nclex on dec 7th and I dont know what to study I am so overwhelmed!! I just wanted to say Hi and never give up !!
I just took the NCLEX PN yesterday, it stopped at about 90 questions, I was only there for a hour and 15min. I have been doing nothing but bawling, I'm pretty sure I failed & I can't focus on anything but when my results will be in. The questions I had were hard, I know I had questions like this on previous med-surg tests but the answers were crazy, some questions I had never seen before. I had to stop twice & calm myself down, I know the only thing I can do is take it over if I pass, but won't I be demoted to a CNA if I fail? I feel like a huge failure, & I don't even know the results yet. This is driving me crazy, I have to go to work as a GVN in an hour & in a few days I may be a CNA again. Sorry I'm such a whiner, but maybe some folks know how I feel.
jessnurse, what kind of questions did you have? i take my nclex pn on november 6, i am studying like mad, i have 4 different books that i am doing practice questions from.
I just wanted to say Hi and never give up !!
hock1
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