Kaplan Predictor? - NCLEX Tuesday

Goat_Boy · Jun 22, 2014

Hello. I'm still waitin on my ATT. Congrats on passing nursing school and your job. I'm also enrolled in Kaplan. I have taken the diagnostic and got a 61 and the readiness I got a 68. I don't know what that translates to but they say above a 60 is good. The q trainers I'm waiting to do the rest. I did q1 and got a 51. Q2 I got a 59. So I'm not sure where I am at. I feel like Kaplan sort of helped a bit. Hopefully I'll be ready for NCLEX and you will too.

rob4546, ADN, BSN, MSN · Jun 22, 2014

So lets look at this a little closer. What changed since you did the Kaplan review? What were the Kaplan tests that you were getting 70-80% on?

Is your scores hurting because you are applying the decision tree now or are you taking tests that are fundamentally more difficult? If I remember correctly the first few Kaplan exams were pretty easy, more about testing you about what you know not applying critical thinking skills. As you go on they add more and more application/critical thinking questions so that in the end you are taking tests that mirror the NCLEX.

If your problem is the decision tree, then I might suggest not using it anymore. I also did very well on the early Kaplan exams but the first exam after the live review I tried using the decision tree and scored more than 10% lower than before. I dumped that strategy and my scores improved immediately. Reason? I had a fairly good test taking procedure before adding the decision tree so it didn't help much, created more problems.

If your problem is applying critical thinking skills to increasingly harder questions then go back and study the rationales to the questions you get wrong (and right for that matter). Learning why you got something wrong is really important here. Only other thing is practice, practice, practice.

The NCLEX can be overcome, just use good reasoning and a systematic approach to solving this problem and you will pass it. What ever you do don't get frustrated! If you don't get the score you think you should get, figure out why and make the necessary changes. You can do this!

LindaLeslieLogan · Jun 23, 2014

So lets look at this a little closer. What changed since you did the Kaplan review? What were the Kaplan tests that you were getting 70-80% on?
Is your scores hurting because you are applying the decision tree now or are you taking tests that are fundamentally more difficult? If I remember correctly the first few Kaplan exams were pretty easy, more about testing you about what you know not applying critical thinking skills. As you go on they add more and more application/critical thinking questions so that in the end you are taking tests that mirror the NCLEX.
If your problem is the decision tree, then I might suggest not using it anymore. I also did very well on the early Kaplan exams but the first exam after the live review I tried using the decision tree and scored more than 10% lower than before. I dumped that strategy and my scores improved immediately. Reason? I had a fairly good test taking procedure before adding the decision tree so it didn't help much, created more problems.
If your problem is applying critical thinking skills to increasingly harder questions then go back and study the rationales to the questions you get wrong (and right for that matter). Learning why you got something wrong is really important here. Only other thing is practice, practice, practice.
The NCLEX can be overcome, just use good reasoning and a systematic approach to solving this problem and you will pass it. What ever you do don't get frustrated! If you don't get the score you think you should get, figure out why and make the necessary changes. You can do this!

So I think its what you said - The Decision Tree. I feel I had a good test taking practice before. I tossed the Kaplan Decision Tree and my scores have improved drastically. Back to where they were prior to the review.

Our school pushed and pushed for Kaplan review making us come to campus to sit and take it as a group there. Looking back I feel like it was a waste of time going to campus and sitting there. I could have spent those days doing stuff on my own and been farther ahead in preparation.

rob4546, ADN, BSN, MSN · Jun 24, 2014

So I think its what you said - The Decision Tree. I feel I had a good test taking practice before. I tossed the Kaplan Decision Tree and my scores have improved drastically. Back to where they were prior to the review.
Our school pushed and pushed for Kaplan review making us come to campus to sit and take it as a group there. Looking back I feel like it was a waste of time going to campus and sitting there. I could have spent those days doing stuff on my own and been farther ahead in preparation.

You know I wouldn't see it as a waste of time, I used some of the test taking strategies for my personal use. The number one question on the decision tree ( do you need to access or implement) helped my determine if the stem of the question required more information or should I implement next. But overall the decision tree never really worked for me.

I am glad things are better now. Good luck and stay positive! You will do this!

LindaLeslieLogan · Jun 25, 2014

I did decide to postpone my NCLEX to feel more confident about things. I was able to get a 48 hour delay so I test in the morning!

rob4546, ADN, BSN, MSN · Jun 26, 2014

I did decide to postpone my NCLEX to feel more confident about things. I was able to get a 48 hour delay so I test in the morning!

Good luck and be confident.

CeceStar5, ADN, BSN, LPN, RN · Jun 26, 2014

Good luck. Keep us posted