Got my Test Date now I'm a nervous wreck

Madhuri Dixit · Aug 30, 2005

AH!!! I thought I was ready so I scheduled myself for the NCLEX September 26.. which is still about a month away but now I'm panicking...
I'm about 3/4 of the way through Saunders, finished Lippincott but there are still some questions that make me really think OMG I am NOT ready for the boards...
Anyone else out there feeling the way I do... I just don't think I will ever know enough to feel 100% confident to take the boards.
1. How much studying have you done so far?
2. What are you using (text, cd-rom, books)?
3. When are you planning to take your boards?
4. How confidant are you feeling right now?
5. Any tips for me (the eternal drama queen)?

You have a whole month to go. Relax.

cajam6 · Aug 30, 2005

You have a whole month to go. Relax.

You never really feel that you are 100 percent prepared. I used Kaplan and saunders . Practice questions made the difference for me. However, you have to relax and take care of yourself. Study, but keep things in perspective. Don't forget to review content also. I know how you are feeling though. Took NCLEX in July and passed with 75 questions. If you need more tips, feel free to e-mail. Good Luck to you. Julie

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · Aug 30, 2005

Now that you have the time frame hit those study guides and give it your all. Good luck. :)

ManyRN2B · Aug 30, 2005

Congrats for scheduling that exam. I know how that felt.

This was my study schedule.

I set aside 6 wks.

1st week, I did 100 q/day.

2nd week, 150 q/day

3rd/4th wk 250+ q/day (this was my balls to the walls study time) I studied like 6 hrs a day.

5th week, 150+ a day

6th week, did the Kaplan trainer CD that had 7 exams. I did one exam a day. Read my notes from a notebook I kept of things that I got wrong and needed to remember.

I highly recommend getting a spiral notebook and when going over rationales taking quick notes if you didn't understand etc. I wouldn't write everything I got wrong just things that I just knew I wouldn't remember again. I looked at this notebook a lot and every day the last week before my exam.

I studied lab values my last week really good. I actually wrote out all my lab values on an index card and kept it with me when I did review CD's and if I didn't know the answer, I would look it up. I know that sounds bad but I remember stuff better if I look it up right then and there.

I always did the review mode for my CD reviews. I mainly used the Lippincott Q&A book. I photocopied the exams and wrote right on them. I would then review the answers and write the rationales right on the exam. I kept a folder full of exams I could always go back and review. The Lippincott exams to me were the hardest, had the best rationales and after taking the exam, the were like the exam to me. The always had 2 really good answers to choose from just like the nclex. Even though this book frustrated me at times, it helped me more than I knew. It has 5,000 questions and I probably did about 3,000 alone from this book. If you feel weak in a subject you can focus on that diesease or area. The CD that comes with the book is not worth it thought. The questions were too easy. The book had more challenging questions.

Get a good mix of stuff. I would do questions from all kinds of books each day. Just do comprehensive reviews. If you see on comprehensive that you suck in ped's. then pull out the lippincott book and do the peds section. I did that and my ped's score jumped tremendously after that.

good luck and it's nerve wracking but it will be over soon!!!

Tiffany, RN,BSN