Low KAPLAN scores!! Passed the NCLEX RN!

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Hello friends. I wanted to create this account to share and give my personal experience and give hope and maybe try to calm your nerves down about NCLEX-RN. I took my

NCLEX Friday 11, 2016 in Gardena, CA. My license posted Tuesday 15, 2016.

For starters, I am an ESL, C student, did not graduated with Honors or A/B in my Nursing classes. I do like to get things done though. I graduated December 2015. Took a whole month vacation January. Got my authorization to test the last week of January and scheduled for my NCLEX March 1, 2016. I did rescheduled my test once, and gave myself 10 more days, because I did not feel quite ready.

I always have a hard time deciding what to study or how to start studying so! I decided to focus in only one study plan: KAPLAN RN program.

I did every single question!! All Qbanks, QTrainers, Sample test. Although my scores were never great I remediated every single question. I was scared at first, but the key in my opinion on passing the NCLEX is getting used to answering questions. I started studying on February, I started by watching every single video there is, which by the way are really short and straight forward. That took a whole week. Then I started taking the test. This were my scores.

Readiness Test A: 50 %

Q TRAINER 1: 53.3%

Q TRAINER 2: 48%

Q TRAINER 3: 51%

Q TRAINER 4: 56.7%

Q TRAINER 5: 52.7%

Q TRAINER 6: 52.5%

Q TRAINER 7: 51.7%

SAMPLE TEST 1: 52.0 %

SAMPLE TEST 2: 58.0%

SAMPLE TEST 3: 83.3%

SAMPLE TEST 4: 30.6%

Q BANK AVERAGE: 51%

I also read the 35 page RN study guide floating around in this website.

I also keep reviewing over and over Lab values, and went over real quick q trainer 6 and 7 again the day before my test. I know that people say don't study the day before, but I CANT. Plus it wasn't learning it was just reviewing.

I want to add that I am Christian, and I prayed a lot. I listened to my favorite Christians songs every time I wanted to relax. The day before my test I drove to the testing center, picked my parking lot, parked, went inside the elevator and walked back and forth three times from the elevator to the door of where I was going to test. I am sure this calmed me down sooo much. I really recommend it.

I knew that with my low scores I was expecting to go over 75 questions. So Do not panic is okay! After 75 I stopped, close my eyes and pray. I keep answering the questions which by the way I feel that they were real hard. 100 came and I was offered the 1st brake, but decided not to take it thinking that I was only going to be there for a few more questions maybe 140 or 150. Every 25 questions I closed my eyes and prayed. At the 190 question I got offered the 2nd break and I took it! I went to the bathroom washed my face, had my banana a zip of water and prayed once again.

You got to think positive! If the computer is letting you get this far!! Is something good!!! YOU ARE STILL ON THE BORDERLINE OF passing! You haven't failed yet! KEEP GOING. I went back and felt better, like a little refreshed. I continued answering the questions and I felt that I was answering them right because I was getting a lot of SATA together and I knew this was a good sign. 200, 220, 240, 255, my last 10 I stopped close my eyes and prayed again. God is good! I got all 265 questions. Took 5 hours and 49 minutes.

I am not going to lie I did walked out of there feeling like I failed, went to my car and cried. You must go alone. Did not turn on my phone because I knew people were going to call me. I played my favorite song and went to eat. I tried not to think about the test. 1 hour had passed since I walked out of the testing center and I turn on my phone called my parents, and I was more calmed now. I got to the house and did the PVT TRICK AND GOT THE GOOD POP UP!! I cried of happiness and felt so relieved. I knew I had to wait for a few more days to see my name on the California license verify website so exactly on Tuesday 15 @ 12:05 AM. My name was there and now I can officially call myself Jenni RN.

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Thx for sharing your story very inspirational... Congrats RN.

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Specializes in None.

Congratulations!! I, too passed the NCLEX with low Kaplan scores. My scores usually were in the 50-57% range, with some being over 60 if I remember correctly. I knew for sure I was going to have 265 questions, but thank the Lord I only had 75 questions. Needless to say, I thought I failed. Again, Congratulations!!!

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Congrats! It's such a relief to get that pass! I just took mine yesterday and passed with 75. After taking the test, and talking with fellow nursing students that took it before me, I believe these study programs aren't worth the money. My classmates that did take these courses (I did not take a course and only "studied" 3 days before my exam, which I am NOT recommending by any means) said after it is all said and done, they would have been better off just doing a boat ton of NCLEX style questions, reading rationales (wrong or right) rather than pay for a program to "help" you pass the NCLEX. The reason people pass is the education they obtain from their school and what they've retained. My school DRILLED NCLEX constantly, prioritization, delegation, NCLEX boot camps, endless tests etc... They gave us a great foundation out of the gate which is the reason they have a 96-100% NCLEX passing rate year in, year out. I feel that anyone can pass the NCLEX without paying for these study programs, as long as you received a great foundational education from your school and you follow your own reasonable study plan. I am definitely not knocking those that do take a program for NCLEX, but it is my opinion they are a waste of money. Believe me, after taking it yesterday, I don't believe endless amounts of studying, nor a study course, could have prepared me for what the questions were like. All it took was me taking what I learned in school and applying that to each question.

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By the way, for those of you thinking of going to nursing school: Look at a probable schools NCLEX passing rate, if it's high, you know they're doing something right and that's where you want to go for your education ;)

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wow this really inspires me. my test will be over 2 weeks, i'm using Kaplan too. my scores range 50-60's. i do get 40's too. and everytime i get low scores i really get upset but that didn't stop me from studying even more. i'm very happy for you. congratulations! :)

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do you still have access to your kaplan account

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yes i do :) i still use it for my review :)

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Thank you for sharing your story! I just took mine and I am still waiting for my results. I am trying to stay calm while waiting for my results.

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Congrats, God bless!!!!!

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THANK YOU so much for sharing your experience in such detail! I am scheduled to take my NCLEX on Tuesday afternoon, and I am so scared. I am having anxiety attacks. My Kaplan scores have been good. Throughout school, I got some of the highest scores in my class. I got my ATT a month ago. But in that month, I had Christmas and a week of the flu. So my mind was NOT focused on studying. I feel like I have forgotten everything!

My Kaplan sample tests and trainer tests have ranged from 49-63%. Luckily the highest score was on the hardest one so far. I can't say that I have studied as hard as you did. But our scores seem to be in the same range.

Reading your story is helping me to calm down and have hope! Thank you!

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Good job! Will be taking mine this February 3 and I can't wait to take the nclex so I can get this over with. Already finished aanswering all the qbank questions as well as the readiness test which I got a score of 62%. All I do now is create questions from the qbank and do some more practice answering.

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