Kaplan questions scoring higher when answering faster?

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Okay, So hi first of all. New member but I've been turning to this forum for words of wisdom. Here's my situation. I took the NCLEX-RN last June and didn't pass. Then I enrolled for Kaplan and am schedule to take my second test Oct. 1 this friday. I'm 70% into the QBbanks and am scoring about high 50's and low 60%... My issue is, I've noticed that i score in the high 50's low 60's when I answer questions in a faster paced manner... So then I ask myself, "Hey, I should score higher if I take my time reading the question and really thinking each answer choice out." But I don't... the times I've answered a set of 50 questions on the Qbanks taking my time... I score disappointingly bad at 40 something percent!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't want to go into the NCLEX friday morning answering questions at a faster pace... but if the trend I've been noticing were true, then shooting for accuracy to pass at 75 questions and take my time answering, just might harm me... I'm lost and this isn't the feeling where I wanted to be at at this point in time...

I was confident Monday morning. It's Wednesday evening, and I feel terrible and lost.

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Welcome:) Don't try to set a specific pace for yourself, take your time, at least on the first 75. Heck, I took 2 hours on the first 75. But that's just me, AND I couldn't sleep the night before. Whatever strategy you are figuring with Kaplan, remember, that's Kaplan. The NCLEX is going to adapt to your responses on certain topics, not the time you spend on them. You are in the right percentile with Kaplan, so keep the faith. Read every question AND the answers before eliminating. Remember to ask yourself "is an assessment needed or an action(implementation)" and remember to apply your ABC's when needed. You got this~!

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Thanks for the response. =) It's not so much of setting a certain pace for myself, but more of, I think if really sit there on a question too long, it seems as though I'm reading too much into it and then second guessing myself. I try not to, and i WOULD like to take my time on each question to pass at 75 questions... But I'm afraid that I might start reading into it again...

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Good Luck DjKaeDae on your Nclex tomorrow...

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Do not psych yourself out. You know that you need to concentrate on knowing the material and studying the rationales.

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Thanks for the good luck. And yeah, I'm thinkin' positively all day today to keep from losing my nerves and psyching myself out today. Tomorrow prior to testing, I'm gonna have to double dose myself with guts so I don't crack. haha. I've burned a cd of all my favorite encouragement songs and that's all I've been listening to all week. It's the same songs I used to listen to before each nursing test in RN school... It helped me escape the nervousness just prior to walking into class and taking a test. Thank you for the support and advice.

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Okay so I've just gotten back home from taking the NCLEX-RN. This is my second take at it and I must say, I wasn't as nervous as I was the first time around. I was scared, yes, but not nervous. It shut me off at 79 questions at around 2 and a half hours. I was sh*ttin' bricks when I got 15 SATA's and so many med questions and quite a few math problems. I got questions that I didn't know what it was and could have sworn wasn't in my Kaplan book or other books (unless I just skimmed past them.) like Pheochromocytoma? WHY? but anyway, I hit the 75 mark and was about to freak out when I pushed next and it kept going. Then I freaked out even more when it stopped me at 79. At that moment, I was thinkin' to myself... the computer might not be sure if I'm passing... so i'll keep asking him stuff... oh waite, nevermind, i'll stop him here cause he got these wrong... BOOM. So I was too nervous to go home and confront my gf and family who I figured would be wating to ask me how I did and read the expression on my face to determine how confident I am in my results, So I went to a local coffee shop to do the pop up trick and it worked. So, at least that will keep my nerves in place for a few days until I see my name on the BRN website... 3-4 days for that to happen I was told?

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

Maybe when you're sitting there taking a long time it's because you're over thinking... and you second guess what you thought, and end up choosing another answer? Because everytime I change an answer, I get it wrong.. So I read the answers first, then the question, then the answers, and choose and move on. I always seem to do better that way. Take a few practice tests like that and see if your score improves.

I just read you took it. So hopefully you passed! Good luck!

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Oh man... It's Monday night in Cali at 6pm... I can't stop refreshing the BRN website to see if I'm on it. I got (and keep getting) the PVT pop up but I just can't stop waiting and refreshing!!!! I'm going nuts!!! lol.

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Specializes in Wound Care, LTC, Sub-Acute, Vents.
oh man... it's monday night in cali at 6pm... i can't stop refreshing the brn website to see if i'm on it. i got (and keep getting) the pvt pop up but i just can't stop waiting and refreshing!!!! i'm going nuts!!! lol.

congrats rn! don't sweat this anymore. you got the good pop up so you passed. i took my nclex-rn this morning at 8am and did the trick with a good pop up and i know without a doubt i am an rn now so not really sweating it. i will still do the quick results after 48 hrs because my job wants to see the word "pass" so they'll pay me rn pay.

we're rns now. relax :D

angel, rn

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High Five!! :yeah: At least you can participate in the quick results. Ca doesn't have that...

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Just a status update.... Status: ACTIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I passed!!! After taking the test Oct. 1 friday at 8AM, I got the good pop up but kept refreshing the BRN website and saw my name as an active RN this morning!

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