How I Passed NCLEX-RN the second time.

I wanted to share my story for anyone who is struggling with fear about the NCLEX...Fear held me back for so long, but with patience and perseverance, I was able to finally pass. If I can do it, anybody who has finished a nursing program can do it. Yes the road is difficult and at times tiring, but keep believing, and no matter how long it takes, it will happen.

How I Passed NCLEX-RN the second time.

When I was a student in the BSN program, I found it very difficult. Each semester was a struggle for me trying to comprehend all the information. I worked hard and I gave it my absolute best. I survived nursing school by giving it my all, though there were many times that I felt I was going to fail and be expelled from the program.

My last semester of nursing was a relief in that I knew that it was the last time I was going to struggle to survive. At the same time, the work load was so much that I started to think of my day to day activities. Although graduation was only a semester away, it did not feel real to me. The time when we finished all our assignments and took a few days before graduation is when I felt it.

Graduation was the happiest day of my life. With the happiness I had fear in the back of my mind about the NCLEX-RN. When we took HESI exit exam which they say predicts success for NCLEX-RN, my score was so low only about 450 out of a thousand something. I was very afraid that I felt I was the only student who is totally unprepared for NCLEX. I also felt like I may never pass.

I graduated on December 2012 from my nursing program. After graduation, I was very overwhelmed I did not know how to study, I did not know what to study.

I brought the Saunders book the 5th edition and I also had access to the Kaplan classroom anywhere. I attended the Kaplan class but I did not see the tap for the q bank or q trainer. All I did was read the entire Saunders book. Then to practice some questions I did the Kaplan strategy book.

Five months later on May 2013, I went to the testing center. I did not know what to expect. I arrived at 12 PM and the test began. I tried to concentrate on each question, and after two hours, the computer asked me if I wanted a break. At that time, I was almost at 100, so because my friends told me their test ended in about 130, I assumed I only had 30 or so questions to go, thus I rejected the offer for a break.

Then I tried hard to keep concentrating on each question, and before I knew it, the next break was offered. This time I was starting to feel tired, so I took a bathroom break. I went back in and I started to just give out answers hoping the computer would stop giving me questions. At this point, I was not thinking critically, I was just picking out answers that appeared to make sense to me without any kind of evidence support.

I remember I wanted the test to end so badly because my mind was not concentrating. Finally at the maximum 265 questions the test was over. I raised my hand to get the assistance of the lady who was conducting the test, but because I had been there for so long it was another lady that came to assist me. I went home very glad that it was over.

I did not know what to expect when I paid pearsonvue to find out the result. I opened it and I saw the word FAIL. I was devastated but I got over it overtime.

I went back to studying. I regretted not doing the Kaplan resources. So this time I did everything they said to do. I read the E-book, watched lecture videos, did all the qbank and q trainers. I studied all the rationals. Finally on January 31,2014, I went to the testing center to begin my test at 8am. I prepared to expect all 265 questions. I brought lunch. I promised myself I will take breaks this time.

I concentrated on each question, and I remember it was getting harder and harder. An hour and a half later I reached question 75. I promised myself that I will take the break then but when I clicked next the computer shut off.

I don't know how to describe what I felt. But I remember feeling like I failed it. I left the testing center feeling defeated but then on my way home I decided to go to a local community college and do the pearsonvue trick. When I arrived at the college I saw a guy with a laptop I asked him if I can please check an important message. He allowed me and when I tried to re-register my heart was racing and when I had the good pop up I was relieved. It really took the stress away and exactly 48 hours later my official result said pass.

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Tesfanurse

About Tesfanurse

BSN, RN

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Congrats. And Kudo to that nice guy letting you use his laptop.

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i was under this same stress when i took my entrance exam. I failed badly my first try and retook it again a month later and made in the top 10 for my group of applicants :) all things are possible. Keep pushing forward!

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Specializes in Operating Room.

Haha I was thinking the same thing! Hopefully it didn't break from the joyful jumping up and down of victory! :p

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Congrats to you I am suffering with much anxiety about Nclex RN myself.... thanks for Sharing that post and all you did to prepare the next time! Not giving up and to keep going that is the great thing...

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I must also add.....I took my RN NClex yesterday and received that dreadful 265 questions....was no way at all prepared to sit that long and really freaked out!!! I tried that trick and it allowed me to register..... and put in my credit card info so now I am really bummed out. But I plan to take a two week break....take a trip, and get back at it. I am just soooooo exhausted from school, stress and everything and on top of it all about to move in less than a month.. But thank you again for aharing and I too will post my success story soon!!! Just joined today ;)

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I'm new to the site as far as being able to comment but I saw a comment by another nurse RN to an LPN and I just had to register. I will be back to share my whole story possible another time but I read a thread that was telling an RN graduate that had failed NCLEX but wanted to take the the NCLEX PN now I'm also an RN graduate now a practicing LPN...so this nurse was telling the other person that if she didn't pass the RN boards she didn't think she was prepared to pass the PN test now that's why you should never and I reiterate never listen to people that says you can't you never will...she went on to say that the scope of practice was different and I agree however if you had a higher learning degree above a lower degree why wouldn't you be able to pass the PN boards. I say all that to say I graduated an RN and I pass my PN boards and it's because if I'm trained to boss around LPNs and i was trained to delegate then you the RN graduate should be able to ace the LPN boards. I took LPN and pass on my first try. So to the nurse that fail RN boards don't give up and if you want to try LPN go ahead and don't listen to people that don't have a clue what they are talking about.

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I had the dreaded 265 questions the first time I took the NCLEX and I was so overwhelmed after the the max time. I studied the Hurst Review, and I was confident that I'd pass the first time, but no. I had to change the plan of attack the second time. I ended up doing the Kaplan Review, and I found it more precise and more similar to the NCLEX exam than Hurst. Kaplan has all the necessary tools to pass the NCLEX, and I would advocate to those who failed the first time to do the Kaplan Review over Hurst. It was night and day. I got my license this year and now, it's job hunting time.

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Oh my does that story have so many familiar elements....some of my friends got 75 questions, others 100, and still others closer to 265. I wasnt sure what to expect but studied Kaplan, took qbank and q trainers, used ATI until my fingers bled and studied Saunders over and over. I sat for that exam not knowing what the turnout would be. I got all 265 questions with no understanding of why that happens! Thankfully, I made a massage appointment for after the exam and put the results out of my mind. I too, tried the "re register" trick although I had no faith that I passed the exam considering I had to answer all the questions posed to me. By the grace of God and all the time I put in studying, I passed. I believe it was Kaplan that really saved it for me in the end.

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Hi, I took my RN nclex on November 11,2014, went all the way to 265, after I found out that I had failed, received my report, in all 8 categories I was at near passing standard, which I was close, I am reviewing to retake exam maybe in a month or so, any advice, I am reading Saunders, ATI review, Kaplan strategies, Lacharity priority, delegation, and assignments, any other advice, thanks

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

The nurse mastery app was amazing to me! I was able to do questions wherever basically and I felt that increased my ability to understand the way nclex wants you to answer. It's definitely worth buying if you will use it.

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OK thanks, I will check it out, thanks

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