Feeling like I failed the NCLEX

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Okay, I took my NCLEX a few days ago and I just know I failed! At Q75 I was so upset that the computer didn't shut off. Then came question 100, then 200 and finally at 250ish it shut off. I am so discouraged that it took me so long and so many questions to finish the test. I was an excellent student, and now I just feel terrible. I feel like my questions were really hard and I had SO many SATA and what I think were priority. But I just know there's no way I got enough correct to pass. Does anyone have words of encouragement for me until I get my results in a few days? I'm going crazy! Is getting 250 a bad sign?? HELP!

Specializes in Cardiac (adult), CC, Peds, MH/Substance.

Getting 250 isn't a great sign, but it isn't necessarily bad. However, since the Algo selects the next question on the expectation that you have a 50% chance of getting it right, getting a lot of SATA is a good sign, since they're certainly not the easiest.

The type of question doesn't matter, having a lot of SATA isn't a good sign or a bad sign. It's just a format of question, they are not considered easier or more difficult than any other question. If you look at a SATA question as really just a True/False question you'll see that. So format means nothing. How you interpret the questions (priority, delegation, calculations) doesn't mean anything either. You can't know which questions were above passing and which were below.

All having 250 questions means is that it took the computer that long to determine with a 95% certainty that you are above the passing level and have the minimum competency required to pass. That's it. You didn't go for the whole 265 questions so I guess you can consider yourself lucky lol!

My words of encouragement are that you were still in the game at question #250. Think positive thoughts to keep yourself from crawling under the bed and I wish you good luck!

I thought that I failed too. If I was forced to bet my life on it, I would have said I failed. That's how sure I was. Guess what ? I passed. You're not out of the game at all. Try to stay positive. Hope you pass.

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