I thought about posting this in the nclex forum, but it seems more people are freaked and/or comforting each other and those that need to take it several times.
I think it's possible to pass on the first try, (please say it's possible) but what I'm getting at is what was your mindset? Did you go in confident or is that impossible with this test? I'm familiar with the content as I've read numerous posts on it, and I've even leafed through Springhill's book at the bookstore, I plan to start getting the various books around Christmas b/c I want to try to read a little each year, but maybe that's impossible.
Right now even though I'm doing well, I also feel these are basic classes and something would be seriously wrong if I couldn't do well! :chuckle I go into my tests, prepared, but still a bit nervous, I generally have a feeling for how well I've done, but I'm wondering for those that passed nclex on the 1st try, did you go in with a kick a** attitude, or did you think "oh I hope I pass". I fall to the later catagory even though I'm doing well...I like not being overly confident for some reason..and it seems to work well for me! Perhaps I have self esteem issues? :uhoh21: ...or perhaps I should just stop studying Psych...those folks ARE a bunch of nut jobs.
Sometimes I think being overconfident can also be deadly with tests and that's really at the core of what I'm getting at. Ex: I'm doing well with my Psych tests, I felt pretty confident about my next one, but I go online and take mock tests and really bombed! Either my cc is really dumbed down, or it matters what version is being taught! My son said just don't get cocky and study more! Now why can't HE listen to that advice?
Thanks...(and sorry you guys for my uber long posts...I just like to be clear ...I'm trying to give as much background so you understand the why's and what not but maybe it's TMI!...and once I get typing...I can just fill up space!)...my mom always did want me to be a writer (see? there I go again... )
The OP asked about the right mindset, which I think is the right thing to be focusing on. My advice: don't study too much, take really good care of yourself (healthy food, lots of water and sleep) for the week before the test, and relax. Have confidence that your schooling has trained you to think and react in the NCLEX way, and don't freak out when the questions get harder and crazier- just keep plugging and hang on to your calm.
If all goes well, I will graduate from LPN school in March, 2006. Our tests have been so difficult so far and are NCLEX-styled questions, that I have no fear of the NCLEX, if I can just get through school
i took my boards july 11 and passed on the first try with 75. i took a review course that was four weeks in length( two days a week for two and a half hours a day). she stressed reviweing questions over memorizing facts. i did approximately 3,500 questions before my boards.
by the time i took mine most of my girlfriends had already taken theirs. they all called me totally freaked out after their test then called the next day to tell me they passed. out of like40 people only one failed and she took boards only two weeks after we graduated, so she just didn't prepare.
i went in telling myself i would pass, i kept repeating this and saying to myself that there was no question i couldn't answer.
the best advice....do review questions, have confidence in yourself and don't let them psych you out. don't listen to your friends, listen to yourself. just because so-and-so failed doesn't mean anything to you.
it helped knowing that my school had a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX. I knew I was being well prepared for the licensure exam the last two years of undergrad.
our school offered us (haha, more like mandatory) a hearst review course for free, as marlene used to teach at our school and she does it as a favor. we didn't go over the delegation part of the review, but everything else was included. highly reccommend hearst review.
i bought a kaplan review book and another one but i forget the name, but it was more of a systems review......lots of questions, while kaplan was more about knowing the test itself and critical thinking. i kinda studied for them both.
i took the exam 3 months post graduation because i wanted a break....don't reccommend that! the day before the test knowing i hadn't studied much in the last 3 months kind of freaked me out.
i passed it in 75 questions (really really great or really really lucky depending upon how you look at it) on the first try. looking back i would NEVER have just coasted into that exam banking on my school's pass rate getting me through though. the review course was great, as well as the little self study i had.
Just for interest sake, I have the 2004 results from our state board of nursing for all schools in our state.
It's very interesting to note that one of the private schools (the one wanting >$10,000/semester) had a pass rate of 53.33% pass rate (15 students taking the test) and that both of the higher ranking pass rates came from state schools.
I was so relieved to have passed NCLEX the first time. I think I got 85 or 87 questions, I can't remember now. I was SO upset when the test didn't shut off after 75!
I studied a book from Kaplan that had a CD with a practice test. I also studied some practice questions from a disc that came with our Med/Surg book. I was pretty nervous to take the test, but tried to remain calm (deep breathing helped). The testing facility was about a 2 hour drive from home, so I ended up going down with my best buddy from school the day before. That helped a lot! We found out exactly where we were going ahead of time and then were there to support each other.
I found that most of the question were critical thinking and really seemed to have several "correct" answers. I didn't know if I'd passed or not - the questions were so difficult. It took 10 days before I found out that I had passed - it felt like a year!
I just finished it about 4 hours ago. I'm a complete wreck. I'm slightly encouraged after having read about everyone else's experience witn this as my own was not much different except I had to wait nearly four months from the time i graduated to take this thing so there was plenty of time for stuff to leak out. I borrowed a friends Kaplan review book and question trainer CD and seriously practiced prioritizing. I took about an hour to answer 85 questions that were mostly prioritization. It's going to be a long 48 hours.
Now why can't HE listen to that advice?
)
tiquicia
14 Posts
The OP asked about the right mindset, which I think is the right thing to be focusing on. My advice: don't study too much, take really good care of yourself (healthy food, lots of water and sleep) for the week before the test, and relax. Have confidence that your schooling has trained you to think and react in the NCLEX way, and don't freak out when the questions get harder and crazier- just keep plugging and hang on to your calm.