How long did it take you to take the NCLEX?

enuf_already · Jul 6, 2016

Took me two days--6 hours each day. (2 hours for each of the three subjects for the day). Every question on the paper was answered with a #2 pencil.

Then after two days of testing, I drove home 2.5 hours from the only testing site for the state. Waited ten weeks for the results.

Did not use any test material because I didn't know about any study material.

No such thing as a computer to test or receive results. February 1981.

Good luck on the boards. It's not the amount of time or the number of questions that make you a nurse. Take your time. Read the question thoroughly. Do your best!

JohnIsB · Jul 6, 2016

Less than 1 hour. Stopped at 75 questions. I used UWorld mainly, the NCLEX mastery app when I got bored of UWorld, and a little bit of lacharity prioritization.

whatwasithinking75 · Jul 7, 2016

Thank you :)

I cannot even imagine what that must have been like. Goodness!!!!!

CSTtoRN · Jul 7, 2016

I had 75 questions, and it took less than 2 hours

Edited to add: I used UWorld, the NCLEX mastery app, and reviewed the 35-page study guide. Our school made us do a live review, but that was at the end of April, and I tested on June 22.

Guest957596 · Jul 7, 2016

whatwasithinking75 said:

Thank you ?
I cannot even imagine what that must have been like. Goodness!!!

Are you testing soon, or have you tested already? If it's the former, good luck to you!

Guest957596 · Jul 7, 2016

75 questions in a little less than one hour. I would disagree with the comments against ATI. I found it quite helpful. I did use NCLEX RN Mastery a bit.

GuineaPigs, BSN, RN · Jul 7, 2016

Passed my NCLEX-RN 2 weeks ago. Took me about 1.5 hours for 75 questions.

jackie062206 · Jul 7, 2016

Wow, what did you use to review and study?? Congrats, by the way.

noelhead · Jul 7, 2016

First off, congratulations on graduating! Probably doesn't feel like it right now, but that is the hard part. NCLEX, while intimidating and anxiety provoking, is nothing you should fear. As long as you prepare, you will, more than likely, be fine.

Now to answer your question, or at least what I think your question was. Many on here answered how long the actual test was; I have a feeling that isn't what you were really asking. Anyhow, my school did a Kaplan-based, in-class review at the beginning of May. We took our exit HESI on May 9th but didn't actually "graduate" until May 19th; we finally got our ATT on May 26th. I had planned on doing very little from our exit exam until a couple of days past graduation, with the thoughts of rebooting my brain a little. In the end, I had a hard time self-motivating until I got the ATT and did very little until after Memorial Day (May 30th).

I wanted to give myself 30 days to prepare but also be done before July 4th, so I scheduled my test for June 28th. As I stated earlier, my school had an in-class Kaplan review, and it had some useful information for sure. However, what I found most beneficial from Kaplan were their 1290 question bank, their 7 test trainers, and their diagnostic and readiness tests; in all, I think it was like 2500 questions. If you look on this site and others, many people don't finish the whole "q-bank," but I really wanted to finish it completely (Kaplan actually pays your money back, $500, if you finish all of their questions and fail NCLEX). It was a lot, but I sometimes get into a question "zone" and strangely find it kind of entertaining (I know, I am a weirdo, haha).

I can honestly say, after answering all of the questions and doing the proper "remediation" for all questions, even the ones I got correct; the boards were kind of easy. I was not as quick as some that posted here; I finished my 75 in an hour and a half, taking about 10 minutes on the orientation part that precedes the test. As someone else posted, I made a point to read the questions very carefully. One lesson I learned from my Kaplan tests was I would sometimes glance over a "NOT" or read effectively when it actually said "INEFFECTIVE". Again, I can only speak for myself, but I felt the Kaplan questions were harder than NCLEX and felt they had me more than prepared.

I also had some friends that spoke very highly of the world, and it is much cheaper (I think one mint costs like 60 dollars). They said their format was the same as the boards, and they have very good rationales.

Sorry about being a bit long-winded. Whenever you schedule your test and whichever method of preparation you use, best of luck to you. If the work is put in during your preparation, I feel most will be fine. Congratulations, again, on graduating! Godspeed.

phuturenurse1988 · Jul 7, 2016

I just passed mine yesterday! Holy buckets. The things that I thought helped me (as I process that it's real!) were. UWorld about a month before. $59 and similar to the format of the NCLEX. It will help you think about the nursing process. Read the rationales. I bought a huge Saunders book that I glanced at every now n then, but mainly it sat in my backpack. I used the NCSBN learning extension program to study. And also the NCLEX mastery app. I took about a month of a couple of hours of study, exercise, healthy eating (kind of LOL), having a little bit of life, and working on my confidence. We used HESI, and I would always do absolutely horrendous on those test-out tests. Like really bad, but you know the material. Just answer a bunch of questions. I can't give you an exact amount because it's hard to say when it's so easy to look at your phone and answer question after question.

The nursing school makes sense when you take a bizarre NCLEX test. It's like seeing an old friend you had a rocky falling out with and are catching up. In the end, you hope you work out your differences with them and become friends again. That's the best way I can explain the NCLEX, and we worked it out after 95 questions in about an hour and a half.

The truly hardest part is the self-doubt for 24 hours or so after, but let me tell ya, when you pass (AND YOU WILL), the feeling is insurmountable.

whatwasithinking75 · Jul 8, 2016

"Nursing school makes sense when you take bizarre NCLEX test. It's like seeing an old friend you had a rocky falling out with and are catching up. In the end, you hope you work out your differences with them and become friends again. That's the best way I can explain the NCLEX, and we worked it out after 95 questions in about an hour and a half."

This made me smile!! Thank you. I really needed it!

I'm using Saunders and UWorld ?

jaluo2014 · Jul 9, 2016

I used Quizlet for review. It took me 2hrs 40mins for 75 questions. English is my 2nd language, and it takes forever for me to understand this language, especially with NCLEX type of questions. :sarcastic: