Has anyone taken the PAX RN in March/April 2016?? Help please!

[helllonurse]

Hey y'all!

Not sure if this is the right forum, but I am wondering if anyone has taken the recently updated PAX-RN Exam? From what I've gathered, they shortened the test to 40 minutes per section and we're allowed to use calculators but I can't seem to find out how many questions are in each section? Any insight into this would be greatly appreciated, as I'm scheduled to take it 4/20/16 and I'm studying with the most current NLN study guide available, but it's geared toward the older, longer version where it had more questions and it was like an hour per section. Trying not to freak out here! lol Oh and I am applying for the Galen College of Nursing LVN-ADN Bridge Program to hopefully start in September 2016.

Thanks so much!!

[helllonurse]

Yay congratulations Dani A!! Thanks for reporting back! So glad to hear it went well for you, good luck in school! I'm sure you'll get in with that score! PS how did you feel about the science section? I'm stressing pretty hard over this chemistry stuff...

[Dani_A]

Thank you helllonurse! The science section was pretty similar to the book. There were like 5 or 6 questions I didn't know but the rest were pretty easy. The chemistry questions were very simple in my opinion. Some of the questions were almost exactly the same as the questions in the book. I actually found the verbal ability section the most difficult because of the reading comprehension (which I was fine with when studying). My best advice is to try to relax and take a breath during the exam. I feel like I rushed through the entire thing (I finished the whole exam in 1hr 20min) and I think if I had I taken my time I could have done even better. I'm not complaining about my score, but I did rush too much out of fear of running out of time. I think it really hurt me on the math section because when I took the practice tests I got 100% of the math right, without a calculator, in the allotted amount of time. On the real thing, I finished in half the time and the questions weren't any harder, so I'm thinking I didn't read them thoroughly enough. I still managed 93% in math but it's definitely possible to get 100%. I hope this helps! You will be fine if you don't stress too much (easier said than done lol)! Good luck!!!

[sam2121]

Hi! I'm taking the exam on 4/26. I am very nervous, and I'm hoping someone in this thread can answer my questions.

I feel comfortable with the math (but with a calculator).

1-Does anyone know if calculators are definitively allowed?

2- was there a lot of geometry?

2-the science section...was there a lot of physics? Physics is my week point and so is chemistry. It shows on the blueprint only 5 physics questions, can anyone confirm that? With chemistry, was it more defining terms or knowing how to solve?

3-any other tips? I'm really nervous.

Thanks!!!

[Dani_A]

@sam2121 As for calculators I'm not sure. I believe some schools allow it and some don't. Your other two questions are impossible to answer because the NLN PAX is a computer generated exam and the breakdown of questions on each exam will be different. I didn't get a lot of physics and chemistry, but my friend did. My best advice is to try to take a deep breath the day of the exam and not let your nerves get the best of you. Also you might want to practice the math questions without a calculator just in case. Good luck!

[shrimp]

Hi! I'm taking the exam on 4/26. I am very nervous, and I'm hoping someone in this thread can answer my questions.

I feel comfortable with the math (but with a calculator).

1-Does anyone know if calculators are definitively allowed?

2- was there a lot of geometry?

2-the science section...was there a lot of physics? Physics is my week point and so is chemistry. It shows on the blueprint only 5 physics questions, can anyone confirm that? With chemistry, was it more defining terms or knowing how to solve?

3-any other tips? I'm really nervous.

Thanks!!!

1 - we were allowed calculators at the Tampa Bay location. We had to give our ID at reception for a calculator. Once the exam was over, we turned in the calculators and got our IDs back. It was just a large, basic calculator.

2 - There was hardly any geometry for me. A lot of basic questions like fractions, decimals, and basic algebra for the most part. The math in the study guide was harder than what I encountered in the exam in my opinion.

3 - Science was my biggest worry as well. There were some physics questions, and I had to guess on the majority of them. I was lucky enough to fail it in high school along with everyone else in my class due to a poor instructor who was subsequently fired, and I never took it in college. I should've reviewed the physics section in the study guide more. Some were defining and some were scenario-based.

4 - As for tips, relax! I went in as relaxed as I could and reassured myself that I could pass that exam. My jaw dropped on the science section, but I made sure to remain composed and read every question thoroughly and make the best educated guess I could. I had maybe 2 minutes to spare with verbal (darn passages), but blew through math and science. The whole thing took me 1.5 hours. We need a 92 or better to pass. I scored 126 on the practice exam and 145 on the real thing today. My resources were the NLN PAX-RN study guide, practice exams on Study Guide Zone - Your Source for Online Study Guides, and the McGraw-Hill Pax RN app on my iPhone. I took the short practice quizzes on the app whenever it was slow at work lol.

You can definitely do it. Best of luck!

[sam2121]

@Shrimp

THANK YOU SO MUCH for that rundown! so nice of you to take the time in writing all that. One question more!! You mention 126 on practice exam. Where did you take this practice exam?

@Dani_A

thanks for info!

[shrimp]

@Shrimp

THANK YOU SO MUCH for that rundown! so nice of you to take the time in writing all that. One question more!! You mention 126 on practice exam. Where did you take this practice exam?

@Dani_A

thanks for info!

You're very welcome! Your anxiety is very much what I was feeling leading up to the exam. It was hard for me to find any help or advice on it, so I'm glad I could offer you some.

The PAX-RN study guide from the NLN, the makers of the test, has three practice exams for each of the three subjects we're tested on. It will familiarize you with the kinds of questions on the real thing. The book's available on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Review Guide For RN Pre-Entrance Exam / Edition 3 by National League for Nursing | 978

[Arnetha7]

I took it this morning, 4/29/16, and I only scored a 76, because I ran out of time on the reading and science parts! I used the NLN Study Guide, but the content in that book was not compatible with the exam questions. Can someone help me out on what topics were on the science section? I was so stressed until I can't remember now?!

[shrimp]

How many questions did you complete on the reading and science sections? Sounds like you struggled with time management.

With the passages, I read each of them once, making sure to understand the general idea of it, then answered the questions. The passage was always shown, so if I was unsure of a question, I could always look back to it. With the vocabulary, it's either you know it or you don't. Knowing root words, prefixes, and suffixes can help. As for science, it was my hardest section, but I went into that exam knowing that, so I made sure to be solid on the other two. Since you're going to retake it, I'd advise you to review the science section of the study guide again, Google some free resources, and find some more practice quizzes/exams if possible, so you can learn to pace yourself and finish in the time allotted. Best of luck!

[sam2121]

@Arnetha7

Time is absolutely key. You should use a time while practicing, as that is key key key. Do you know the NLN Retake policy? It might be 6 months. Don't worry! You will do amazing next time, as you know what to expect.

@shrimp

Thanks for the encouragement prior to my exam. Results were not so good. I scored a 112, I aced the math (easier than the book), and got like 35/40 correct. Reading I ran out of time, and I left questions out. Science was the hardest part. I focused on anatomy & physiology and bio, and they poured it all with chemistry and physics. Like lots of physics questions.

Although 112 is not bad, I was hoping for higher.

[Arnetha7]

I actually completed all the questions on the science and reading sections, but time management was a big problem, because I did a lot of guessing. I will test myself using a timer between now and the re-test date.

@shrimp, I was told that I can re-take the exam whenever. However, my school has a policy that they only allow 3 attempts, and your highest score will be used.

Specifically, my mind is a blur, and I cannot remember the specific topics that were covered on the science sections. Like, I remember that there was a lot of physics and some A&P material, and I remember a biology question. However, can anyone remember what physics topics were covered?

[shrimp]

@shrimp

Thanks for the encouragement prior to my exam. Results were not so good. I scored a 112, I aced the math (easier than the book), and got like 35/40 correct. Reading I ran out of time, and I left questions out. Science was the hardest part. I focused on anatomy & physiology and bio, and they poured it all with chemistry and physics. Like lots of physics questions.

Although 112 is not bad, I was hoping for higher.

You're welcome. I thought the math section was the easiest. I had a lot of chemistry and physics questions too. I hardly saw any of the topics I studied for. Physics is my poorest of the sciences and I'm pretty sure 30% of my test was on Physics lol.

Was 112 high enough for your school?