Is it advisable to take the IELTS first before the NCLEX?

tobby_walter · Feb 10, 2009

take ielts first though it is only valid for 2 years since there are lots of oppurtunity outside usa and gain further experience needed and take the nclex-rn exam. the decision lies on your hand so decide right away which will you take first. goodluck!

suzanne4, RN · Feb 10, 2009

My recommendation is to always go for the English first if possible. Sometimes the understanding of a certain phrase is all that one needs to pass the NCLEX exam in the first place. Those that train out of the US have a passing rate of about 1/2 of those that train in the US; and much is because of skills or lack of in the English langauge. We have different idioms that are very common to the US that you may not be aware of but will learn while practising for the English exams.

Best of luck to you.

And as was mentioned above, you are going to need ther English for any other country, the NCLEX is only valid for the US and you are going to be looking at years before you will have a chance at a visa for the US.

echo23, RN · Feb 11, 2009

Thank you guys for your recommendations and suggestions.

I appreciate it!

I am now deciding to take the IELTS first. :)

Hushdawg · Feb 11, 2009

According to NCSBN statistics, the longer you wait to take NCLEX, the greater the risk of failure. It was determined through examining the scores of more than 344,000 test-takers that delaying NCLEX only 2 months after the end of education created a pass rate drop from 84% of those who took only a few weeks after to 44% for those who waited more than 63 days.

In the Philippines you should progress your course toward NCLEX as quickly as possible to increase your chances of passing and only pause for IELTS or TOEFL iBT if the state you are applying wants it in order to obtain eligibility to sit for NCLEX.

What we've seen here in the Philippines is that over the course of the last two years is this trend of waiting to take NCLEX is causing a large number of failures since nurses in the Philippines have a much longer road to travel than US nurse candidates in order to take NCLEX.

Also, when you are taking an NCLEX review course, whether it is self-review or using a review center; make sure you schedule it with your test-date already in mind so that you can have the review completed, then do a continual low-level review all the way up to taking the test. This will keep the knowledge active and increase your chances of passing.

suzanne4, RN · Feb 11, 2009

Sorry, but I disagree with you 100% on this. The major reason that only 44% pass the NCLEX the first time is because of language skills, and not when they got out of nursing school.

Things are also done so very differently in the US than what is practiced in the US as well, then there is the issue of the meds and the lab values added on.

I still am sticking with what I have posted above.

What you are quoting has to do with students that graduated from US programs and not from out of the country as well.

suzanne4, RN · Feb 11, 2009

One is also looking at probably a seven year wait before getting a chance to the US, and they are going to need the English for any other country if they wish to actually obtain paid work experience as an RN.

Makes no sense whatsoever to focus on an exam that is not going to get you anyplace for a very long period of time, especially even more true with the economy the way that it is.

Hushdawg · Feb 12, 2009

Sorry, but I disagree with you 100% on this. The major reason that only 44% pass the NCLEX the first time is because of language skills, and not when they got out of nursing school.

I would agree with you for China, India or even Korea but Filipinos on the whole understand English very well. Particularly educated Pinoys. The IELTS test scores indicate that Filipino Nurses score outstandingly in reading, writing and listening English skills but only poorly on Spoken scores (mostly due to confidence issues).

English is part of the curriculum for almost all schools here and even young children have a grasp of the language.

Tagalog and English are competing for first place as the dominant language in many areas of the Philippines, especially Metro Manila.

Besides, most NCLEX review centers worth their salt are already teaching in English because the lecturers are USRN with clinical experience (granted, that's only about half of the review centers).

suzanne4, RN · Feb 12, 2009

Still do not agree with you based on what you have posted here. The majority do not pass the English exams the first time, and especially with the speaking section.

Having a grasp of the language and being able to speak it well are two very different things. Understanding what someone else is asking is also very important. Does not matter if one is shy or not, that is another issue.

And the majority of the staff at the review centers do not have any US work experience as an RN as well. That just is not the case. Quite a few also have never worked one day as an RN either.

Again, if it is going to be probably 7 years or so for someone to have a chance at a visa for the US, then it is always better to go for the exams that can be used in other countries so that they can actually gain experience. Stating that it is best to take the NCLEX as soon as possible after graduation may be true in the US, but not when one trains in another country. There are so many things that are done differently just as far as procedures, etc., then add into it the different meds and even how they are ordered here. Examples: Ativan is used for seizures here, does come in IV as well as oral forms. Not so in many other countries. Midazolam, or Versed as we call it, is used in the US in IV form; in SE Asia, usually is used orally and for other reasons. Lab values are also with different ranges and categories. If one actually begins to work in another country, then they will find it easier to pass the exam once they begin working and see how things are actually done as well.

I have been teaching foreign nurses for many years, and still stand by what I have stated above. Always better to have a firm grasp of the English first, then the preparation for any other exam will follow. Not the other way around. This is also why the passing rate on the NCLEX is only 44% when one has trained out of the US. And Canadians have trained in English and speak English fluently, but still have issues with passing our exam the first time as well.

You can have your opinion, and I can have mine. I stick by what I am posting.

To go to Canada, Australia, NZ, or any other country is going to require the English exams before they will even be considered. For the US, the majority of states are now requiring at least the CES, and for some, that also will require the English as well if the state has a language requirement. So what are they going to do if they have prepared for the NCLEX but failed to pass the English and therefore cannot even get permission to write the exam in the first place? Guess that you forgot about this.

5cats · Feb 12, 2009

Hushdawg,

I work with many Filipinos and I agree absolutly with Suzanne.

Some are speaking english very well others not, all their main language is Tagalog and all of them switch to Tagalog if they can. If it comes to different dialects and speed understanding can be big problem. And that does not only go for Filipinos btw. it goes for everybody who's first language is not english. So it's better to tackle the language first.

5cats

joeturtle · Feb 13, 2009

I suggest you take the IELTS first and keep your options open. The queue towards working in the US is very long.

bettyboop09, LPN, LVN, RN · Feb 13, 2009

yes i agree, ielts first. cos u can never really can't tell. what if you'll got a good job offer in other countries?what will you do now with your US license?problems for application, then for the exam itself, then now what, for the license's renewal without being there?usually, being able to have and passed nclex, and being able to work in he US would be always seen as a prestige. never did other nurses nowadays know that countries that are not often heard in our everyday life, can give you better compensations and even best experiences as a nurse. you know, sometimes, it's really your strategies with your career path are the ones that affect what you are, what you have, and who could have you been in the end. it's not on how many exams were you able to take and passed, but it's more on how you handle yourself with your work, how you learn, how you become more passionate, and how you love more your profession through service to other people.