1 minute for each question in nursing school

tara07733 · Mar 19, 2016

FYI, your post may be switched to the nursing student forum.

I believe our exams turn out to be 2 minutes per question. What I've always done is to start by answering all the question that I know without a doubt. I read them thoroughly before answering because you know how it's very easy to miss one word and be screwed. Then I double back to the questions that I left blank (I put checks next to them so I remember which ones) and answer those.

This is what I did for my first exam but I know this upcoming one I'll feel more pressed for time because we just started med dosing and I get very anxious about those so I'll have to really work on pacing myself and trying not to linger on any question too long.

For what it's worth, yours does sound like there's not enough time. I would be totally nervous with that little bit of time.

Whispera, MSN, RN · Mar 19, 2016

Where I've taught the standard expected timing is 60 minutes for 50 questions.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Mar 19, 2016

FYI, your post may be switched to the nursing student forum.

Thanks for the suggestion. Post has been moved to the General Nursing Student forum.

aeris99 · Mar 19, 2016

For our exams they don't allow us to skip around. You have one chance to answer, no going back.

Figure out the best way for you to pick apart questions. Get help with reading if that's where you struggle.

1 minute per question seems to be the norm, at least in my state.

CSTtoRN · Mar 19, 2016

We have 75 min for 50 questions and are not allowed to go back. You have to answer each question as you get them (Computer). I don't suggest coffee, it makes me too jittery before tests on top of my normal nerves.

RescueNinja123 · Mar 19, 2016

I don't mind my post being moved, since the website has changed around I don't know how to put it in the right place. So no one can tel me what the best way is to answer 50 questions in 60 minutes.

springchick1, ADN, RN · Mar 19, 2016

Buy an NCLEX book and practice taking timed test.

Leonardsmom,LPN · Mar 19, 2016

Agree with springchick about getting an NCLEX and practice doing questions. This will help you with answering NCLEX style questions and as with anything the more you practice at doing something the better you get at it. I have also seen variation of questions that I have done in my nclex books come up on different exams for nursing school. When doing the questions you might want to try underlining what is important in the question (what you are looking for) at first to help getting you to focus on the stem of the question and not getting distracted by the fluff. Making copy of the pages will allow you to review the questions again at a later time without all the markings made. There are also apps available that you can download onto your phone for practicing NCLEX questions.

pmabraham, BSN, RN · Mar 19, 2016

One minute is short. We get 1.5 minutes per questions that don't involve dosage calculations, and two minutes per question that do involve dosage calculations. According to https://www.ncsbn.org/089900_2016_Bulletin_Proof3.pdf (which is the latest NCLEX candidate bulletin) one gets up to six hours which accommodates the maximum number of questions one might be asked which is 265. 360 minutes to answer 265 questions is 1 minute 36 seconds (1 minute 35 seconds if not rounding). I believe the overall time does include the tutorial time; even so that should still give 1 minute 30 seconds per question.

It's my opinion that schools training students for the NCLEX should use the NCLEX format for questions AND use the same time allotments. If I were in your shoes, I would work to get a petition going to advocate for that 1.5 minutes per question.

203bravo, MSN, APRN · Mar 19, 2016

One minute is short. We get 1.5 minutes per questions that don't involve dosage calculations, and two minutes per question that do involve dosage calculations. According to https://www.ncsbn.org/089900_2016_Bulletin_Proof3.pdf (which is the latest NCLEX candidate bulletin) one gets up to six hours which accommodates the maximum number of questions one might be asked which is 265. 360 minutes to answer 265 questions is 1 minute 36 seconds (1 minute 35 seconds if not rounding). I believe the overall time does include the tutorial time; even so that should still give 1 minute 30 seconds per question.
It's my opinion that schools training students for the NCLEX should use the NCLEX format for questions AND use the same time allotments. If I were in your shoes, I would work to get a petition going to advocate for that 1.5 minutes per question.

Don't forget that any and all breaks that you take during this time also count toward your total time.. So in 5 hours that 1.5 min per question will decrease with breaks...

The reality is that some questions should take you much less than a full minute to answer thus allowing more time on questions that you need to think about -- but wasting time on a particular question hoping that the answer will suddenly "pop" in your head is a wast of time.

la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN · Mar 19, 2016

We only get 1 minute per question. I got really fast at these questions by practicing them. It's a learned skill to go through and read the questions and see what they were actually asking the first time around. The more you do them, though, the more natural it will feel and you'll be able to spend far less time on each question, especially when you breeze through what you already know. That way, you can focus on the harder stuff and really take your time. Practice, practice, practice!