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Discussion

I thought I failed...

So I told myself since I've been reading literally every NCLEX post on here listening to people freak out and reassure each other that I would post my experience to maybe help someone else out. I don't know how much these posts actually help but I do know that I read a lot before I took the test!

I am a fairly good student, and I honestly have never been so nervous for a test in my entire life. I wasn't this scared for ACT, TEAS, or any test throughout nursing school. I felt like I couldn't function the days leading up to the test. Once I got to the testing facility I was shaking. I don't know how people go on with test anxiety like this for every test they take, because it was awful.

During the test I was so sweaty and my hand was literally shaking on the mouse! It was ridiculous! I stopped a couple times, closed my eyes and took a deep breath and that helped steady my nerves a bit.

After I left the test I felt awful. This was the most sure I had ever felt that I failed an exam in my life. There were so many disease processes that I was getting SATA on I thought there was no way I passed. I prepared myself to tell everyone that I had failed and would need to retake it, and was so upset with myself.

Well all of that was unnecessary. I passed in 75 questions, took about 45 minutes to complete the questions!

What I learned:

1. Use UWorld. I used both Uworld and a question book from Kaplan, and Kaplan's questions were a bit easier and less like the NCLEX so if you need to only get one I would suggest Uworld.

2. Give yourself a pep talk before going in. I went into the bathroom and seriously listed off all the things I did to prepare, that I knew I could do this and if I did fail I could always take it again.

3. Have a friend to discuss your test with. Obviously not the exact questions or anything from the exam, but someone who can help you keep your sanity when you are positive you failed and will have some kind words for you.

4. Stay well hydrated before the test. Don't gulp down water or do anything crazy, but just have some water of some variety throughout the day so that you're not distracted by thirst during the test.

5. Relax and breathe during the test. Now I'm not saying anything negative against people who take the full 6 hours for the test, but I think that has to be a very small minority of people, so remember that you have time. You have time to sit and close your eyes for a second and regroup after a question.

6. Remember you are not going to get all the questions right! At one point in the test I ended up not going with my gut on a question (also a bad idea) and as soon as I clicked the next button I started to worry. I was like, "Oh no, I know that wasn't the right answer choice! Now I have to get this next one right or I could fall below the line!" That is not a helpful way to think and you need to keep in mind that at a certain point the computer is going to be throwing hard questions at you in the passing phase.

Okay that's it, much longer than I intended but hopefully it helps someone out. If you have limited resources and would like the Kaplan book I was talking about I can mail it to you if you PM me. Good luck everyone, and remember, if you end up not passing it is NOT the end of the world! That does not mean you can't be a great nurse!

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    thank you......UWorld seems common i never studied with it but Hope i pass with what i have studied with

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    thank you......Uworld seems common i never studied with it but Hope i pass with what i have studied with

    I certainly don't think you need to study with Uworld to pass, just a suggestion for people who aren't sure what resources to use. Just have confidence in yourself!

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    thank you......Uworld seems common i never studied with it but Hope i pass with what i have studied with

    Uworld is definitely not needed. I promise. I know people sing their praises, but those questions are unnecessarily hard. They go way too in depth on content.

    This test is unlike any you have ever taken. Looking back, the only thing really needed is to do NCLEX style questions daily to keep you in the mode. You already have the knowledge in your head. It's about applying that knowledge safely. This test is about how safe you are. Not how much cardiac you know. Or diabetes. It's not like nursing school.

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    I agree NurseGirl525, I think it is certainly just NCLEX style questions that are important. It is such a strange test to describe! I just thought uworld really helped with my ability to do the select all that apply compared with Kaplan, and personally I struggled the most initially with doing the SATA.

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    Thanks. that seems reassuring

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    Done in forty five minutes eh?

    And I thought I was the only one lol. It was less than an hour for me, I remember that much but I'm not sure of the exact time it took.

    I just know, the place I went (and probably a lot of others) has people coming in every hour on the hour, over a five hour period. This staggers things, lets them deal with a few people at a time instead of one big maddening rush.

    I was the second person of the third hour to go in. There were an awful lot of people when I entered the testing zone. At least fifteen. So, I knew they all had to have been there at least one hour. Some probably had been there two.

    I sat down, started testing, took a break at some point, reentered the test zone and finished five or six questions later lol. Everything including the break, less than an hour.

    Most of the people who were there when I arrived, were still there. I was so stressed by this, thought for sure I had done so terribly the computer shut me off lol

    That wasn't the case.

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    • Author
    Done in forty five minutes eh?

    And I thought I was the only one lol. It was less than an hour for me, I remember that much but I'm not sure of the exact time it took.

    I just know, the place I went (and probably a lot of others) has people coming in every hour on the hour, over a five hour period. This staggers things, lets them deal with a few people at a time instead of one big maddening rush.

    I was the second person of the third hour to go in. There were an awful lot of people when I entered the testing zone. At least fifteen. So, I knew they all had to have been there at least one hour. Some probably had been there two.

    I sat down, started testing, took a break at some point, reentered the test zone and finished five or six questions later lol. Everything including the break, less than an hour.

    Most of the people who were there when I arrived, were still there. I was so stressed by this, thought for sure I had done so terribly the computer shut me off lol

    That wasn't the case.

    I think I was in a really small test area or something, there were maybe 5 people? And probably about 15 computers so I feel lucky I didn't have to deal with people coming in and out, although I was so focused I doubt it would have distracted me much.

    Everything seems like a bad sign when you leave the test, I swear. I'm always a very fast test taker so why that fact seemed like an omen of failure when I left the NCLEX I have no idea...

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