How much did you study for the NCLEX-PN?

texasvagal · Jul 24, 2006

tlackey: It seems that away, but believe me the more you review your Saunders and Mosby the better off you are. My class started reviewing for boards in April and graduation was May 30. Our instructor was very strict about us reviewing at home, over and over and over.... get the point. I didn't take m nclex-pn until July 13th, and I had reviewed so much that I thought I would:barf02: then when I got to the test center and it started I was suprised to find out I had a lot of question on who you treat first and legal question, mainly the first book I had in the first year of LPN school, the one thing I reviewed at first but not that much. I just found out today that I passed the NCLEX-PN BOARD. So keep reviewing and stay calm.Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Texasvagal

JONlvn-np2b · Jul 27, 2006

come to think of it, my study habbits for the nclex was pretty bad. it was hard to help my family run an rcf(residential care facilty) and study at the same time. i studied whenever i can but it was always cut short because a resident always needed something. i took the nclex 2 months ago and i stopped at 85. a month later i got my results and it said i passed. the only advice i can give you is to know something about every deficit and be able to explain the deficits in your own words. if your able to do that, it shows that you know your material and youll have a lot more confidence in taking the test.

goodluckbear · Jul 28, 2006

I'm taking my boards next week, and am a little overwhelmed with all the study materials available. When I review books like Saunders or Mosby's, I feel like I'm redoing all the stuff I already studied in Med/Surg or Pharmacology. So I've been doing questions in the books and on the CD-ROMs, and I've been doing okay, but I've heard from other people who've taken the test that a lot of it is pure critical thinking and common sense more than memorized information.
Did you study for weeks on end? Do you think it helped or it wouldn't have mattered? Or did you not study much at all, and felt you should have studied more or were glad you didn't study too much?

Were do you go to take the exam? I am in an RN program, but have enough credits to be a LPN. I want to take the boards now, but I can't sign up for a test because I haven't graduated from a school. How do I work this out and take the boards w/ enough credits?

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jul 28, 2006

I studied 4 hours daily at my local library for one month. I also answered questions generated by the Saunders NCLEX review CD-ROM at home. I ended up passing on the first attempt with 85 questions.

The Kaplan strategies book for the NCLEX-PN was of the greatest help since it offered strategies on how to approach questions and come up with the best answer.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jul 30, 2006

Were do you go to take the exam? I am in an RN program, but have enough credits to be a LPN. I want to take the boards now, but I can't sign up for a test because I haven't graduated from a school. How do I work this out and take the boards w/ enough credits?

Inquire at your school and they will direct you. Many RN students go and take the LPN boards to experience NCLEX as well as to work as nurses while they complete their RN courses and make some decent money.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jul 30, 2006

I studied 4 hours daily at my local library for one month. I also answered questions generated by the Saunders NCLEX review CD-ROM at home. I ended up passing on the first attempt with 85 questions.
The Kaplan strategies book for the NCLEX-PN was of the greatest help since it offered strategies on how to approach questions and come up with the best answer.

I have to agree that the Kaplan book was the way to go for strategies. I used Saunders and Delmar's as well.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jul 30, 2006

I'm taking my boards next week, and am a little overwhelmed with all the study materials available. When I review books like Saunders or Mosby's, I feel like I'm redoing all the stuff I already studied in Med/Surg or Pharmacology. So I've been doing questions in the books and on the CD-ROMs, and I've been doing okay, but I've heard from other people who've taken the test that a lot of it is pure critical thinking and common sense more than memorized information.
Did you study for weeks on end? Do you think it helped or it wouldn't have mattered? Or did you not study much at all, and felt you should have studied more or were glad you didn't study too much?

I studied for 6 weeks and did about 4-5 hours a day, and did about 150-300 questions per day. Somehow, I thought that the questions did not really relate to what I studied, but I passed with minimum. If you are taking the boards next week, there is not much you can do at this point without cramming and stressing yourself out...you are at the end of your road to NCLEX. If you really think that you are totally not ready, consider rescheduling but I don't advise that you push it back more than about three weeks, because you really burn out from the questions and studying.

mel1977 · Jul 30, 2006

My school has been prepping us for boards since day one. on every test there are questions taken directly from previous boards and they were starred so when we graded them, we knew how we did on those questions. Then, we have Lippencot's NCLEX review book and there is a cd in the back of it. I downloaded it and have been practicing mock NCLEX since March. As part of our requirement for graduation we had to get 80% on 150 questions. Then, we did our LPN assess test, our IV cert test (given by the state) and another written mock NCLEX. I graduated on Thursday and the computer this stuff is on is being fixed-hoping I can get it back VERY SOON. I like to do 25-50 questions a night on the computer-see what areas I need to brush up on and then do some review questions (you answer and it will say if you got it wrong or right and the reason why). I know one area I need to focus on-neuro. I got a lot of q's for: myasthenia gravis, guillian barre, bell's palsy, beurger's, menieres and so forth. Some q's on ritalin and lithium as well.

Anyway-getting sleepy. I am going to not stress about boards, but I am not just not going to study. I am going to focus on keeping myself stress free but comfortable. You'll know if you are ready based on how well you do on the practice tests. I strongly suggest downloading the NCLEX study programs.

Good luck to you!

Bala Shark · Jul 30, 2006

I graduated in May 24, 2006..My test is on August 14..So far, I have read Saunders and I am 25% done..I am also doing the CD questions, maybe 30 questions a day at the most..I know that I am lagging behind but it seems like I cannot get into the study mode..I will start picking up the pace in studying thou.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jul 30, 2006

I graduated in May 24, 2006..My test is on August 14..So far, I have read Saunders and I am 25% done..I am also doing the CD questions, maybe 30 questions a day at the most..I know that I am lagging behind but it seems like I cannot get into the study mode..I will start picking up the pace in studying thou.

It can be hard to remain in study mode once school is over because there is no resource to ask questions anymore...you are on your own. As long as you are doing questions, that is fine; I'd say. NCLEX in most cases is nowhere near what any of us expected, there is no way to tell what they will ask, where they are coming from. I can actually say that there is no real preparation for it, in a sense. It is primarily critical thinking, and if you are keeping your mind in that mode, that may be all you need.

I practiced 150-300 questions per day, as well as read the comprehensive study guides backwards and forwards, and my experience was that the exam didn't ask any questions I recognized, per se. I still passed at 85 questions, and now, I think that I drove myself crazy for nothing. I assume that all of those questions helped me somehow with the thought process. And, it was at a point during NCLEX that I said "This answer is so INSANE that this must be what they want me to say...there is no way I would have done this on my own". Weird, isn't it??

Marisela01 · Aug 1, 2006

Same here... I actually have been out-of-school since last Aug. 05, and due to board issuse I was granted my ATT back in May 06....I prayed and prayed, and studied questions form Saunders (also content), Kaplan, NCSBN (did this for 3 weeks up to NCLEX on 7/25).... I believe the questions do help get you in that "Critical Thinking" mode; which is NEEDED to pass Nclex PN or RN....When I finished my exam I thought I had failed (My test stopped @ 85 ques.)...I drove myself CRAZY for next following 2 days, because I could not decipher if the questions were hard or easy. All, I know is that I just kept praying that I would know my results soon (Post-NCLEX Syndrome)...When I finally got my results on pearson vue, I was just so relieved that I had PASSED, because I sure did not want to study for that exam again. You know what is soooo weird, is that I can only remember some questions, like I had about 5-6 select all, and this one about a doctors order....Keep doing questions....It really does help.