My NCLEX Experience: Preparations, Study Tips, and Acing the Exam

[lilmonsterkray]

I am a registered nurse from the Philippines and I started working on my application for New York State last year. It took me 6 months to process everything, from CGFNS to NYSEd. Received my ATT last July and took the exam last October 27. It was very challenging for me to study in less than 3 months since I am working in a hospital. Time management, hard work, and determination will push you to achieve your goals in earning a US-RN license.

STEP 1: TOOLS AND RESOURCES

Best books/materials/online resources to study:

1. La Charity & et al. Prioritization, Delegation, and Assignment
2. Saunders' NCLEX RN Book (Esp. the Safety chapter)
3. Kaplan Online (very difficult questions but a good endurance test)
4. Hogan's NCLEX exam (software, this is my main Q&A practice tool)
5. Audio Tutorials
6. NursesLab.com (NCLEX q&a)

I answered 100-300 questions per day and after each test I would always review which areas I need to focus on based on the summary of the exam. Answering this much will help you in sharpening your knowledge, endurance and test-taking skills.

Studying with a buddy will also help, especially those who friends who have experienced taking the NCLEX. These people are the most reliable sources of information regarding the exam.

STEP 2: DAY BEFORE THE EXAM

✔️ DO NOT cram! Keep focused and relax. If you think you have prepared well, then you should not be very anxious with the exam.

✔️ Give yourself a treat. Learn to unwind, watch movies and listen to music. This is the best therapy you can give to your self to lessen anxiety while counting the remaining hours before the exam.

✔️ Visit your testing site if it's near you. Getting familiar with the place will also help.

STEP 3: ON THE DAY OF THE EXAM

I took the NCLEX last October 27, 2016 9:00 AM. Answered a number of SATAs, hotspots (drag and drop, etc), prioritization, delegations, ECG tracings, and the typical multiple choice questions. SATA questions were hard, you really have to choose the best answers. Never get tempted to check all the boxes. Take time to contemplate which items you will check.

You will know that you're doing well if your questions are getting along the way. For example when you correctly answered a simple multiple choice item the succeeding questions will be SATAs and hotspots like drag and drop.

Take note: the last item before your computer will shut down is not a determinant if you will pass or not. Others said that if the last question you answered is difficult, you will surely pass the exam. I beg to disagree. My last question was very easy (multiple choice).

Take your time in reading each question carefully and make sure to use theories when you are not sure. Other questions will really challenge your critical-thinking skills.

My computer shut off after answering 75 items. This is really my goal.

I finished the exam in just 1 hour and 30 minutes.

STEP 4: AFTER THE EXAM

Tried the PVT trick after 12 and 24 hours and the "GOOD POP-UP" displayed. I think the trick is still reliable as a screening tool if you pass, but still the Quick Results is still the confirmatory test (sounds like lab exam LOL). Paid for the Quick Results after 2 days and received the good news.

I passed! Officially an RN of New York State.

STEP 5: FINAL THOUGHTS

Pray hard. Study harder. Manage your time well in preparing for the exam. Never cram and always be confident.

Good luck to all aspiring nurses who will take the NCLEX!

[Sunnyacez]

Congratulations! I will be taking the NCLEX at the end of next year hopefully!

[Anne72]

how much you have to pay for the Exam?

[johsonmichelle]

I would highly recommend U WORLD, very good review and helped me pass my exam on my first try. I did not even finish the whole q bank. Its about $60 for a month subscription.I did kaplan and it was complete waste of money.

[nowim clean]

Ok this is my 2 cents and don't mean to offend. Stop thinking about getting by as cheap as you can, start thinking about this as an investment in your future. If you go the cheap way and fail you just cost yourself a boatload of money in test fees and the money you could have made for the last 90 days before you could retest. You're basically losing 7500 dollars. I strongly suggest you do Hurst or Kapalin they teach you how to eliminate answers and why what you chose is correct. It is Christmas time ask friends and family to donate to a review class for you instead of gifts same with graduation presents you'd be surprised how quick that adds up to 350 dollars plus it's tax deductible as well as your scrubs shoes books classes. Don't go at nclex as cheap as you can get by go in to succeed cause it is unlike any test you've ever taken. With the reviews you also get a practice nclex to prep you for the real deal. Good Luck

[the_murse_factor]

What I did was purchased the NCLEX mastery app. Originally it's $30 dollars, but if you buy it and play around with the free version for a week or two they most likely will send you a coupon for half off and you can get it for $14.99. It's a great app. Over 1600 practice questions with rationales. Also I purchased the Saunders book new for $7.49 plus $3.49 shipping. You can use it to review content and brush up on certain week areas. If you don't have money for the book go to your local library and you can check it out or other nclex review books as well. Good luck!

[saraleigh, ASN, RN]

Quote

Get a couple of review books the ones with NCLEX-style questions and most importantly, that give you the rationales for the correct answers [b']AND THE REASON THE WRONG ANSWERS ARE WRONG[/b]. Sorry to shout, but that's the most important thing to know. Get to the point where you get most of them right and can instantly identify where you screwed up on the other ones, and go to the testing center with confidence. You got this.

I second this advice. And you are fortunate to have attended a school that utilized HESI. My LVN education was all HESI, and was all I used to study for the boards; I passed at 85 ?s. I will add that you should schedule the test for no more than 4 weeks after your last instructional day of nursing school. And definitely relax the last 24-48 hours prior to testing. Oh, and if you haven't already, do learn some stress relief techniques like breathing exercises and such. I know this kept me from a panic attack at about ? number 60 or so. Good luck!

[zurus, BSN, RN]

email me, i will send you the link of free website "NCLEX 3500 RN"there are more than3500 questions and its free. also i will email u pdf versions of NCLEX preparation books. i have a ton of stuff don't worry you dont need to spend a single penny for books, study materials . just email me ,i will send you everything after December 7th. coz i have my last final exam and will be graduate.

:)

[NICUismylife, ADN, BSN, RN]

The UWorld rationalizations are very detailed. They tell you exactly why each wrong option is wrong, and why the correct answer is right. They even review A&P! I cannot recommend them highly enough. I graduate next week and several weeks ago, I began doing 75 Uworld questions per day to prepare for ATI comprehensive predictor exam (baby boards), and I scored in the 99th percentile. Although obviously nursing school itself helped to prepare me, I don't think I would have scored that high if I hadn't been practicing Uworld questions leading up to it. I bought it before graduation, so I bought a 3-month subscription for $109. But a 1-month subscription is only around $60.

[mlss94, BSN]

Well the thing is my school's cohort behind me was a passing rate of 73%. The faculty and staff were of course freaking out because our pass rates in the past have always been around 90%. I have no idea what happened with that cohort but one day a couple of the students from that cohort came to talk to my cohort in class. They pretty much explained that they thought they were prepared enough after graduation and so the majority of them didn't do further preparation. I'm really hoping that was the case. But thanks for your advice :)

[mlss94, BSN]

I understand your point. I truly wish I had the family and friends to do that, but I don't. It is not that I want to go "as cheap as I can." I'm honestly forced to. I need resources that actually work that won't cost me an arm and a leg because I can't afford a review and neither can my family. I have a very small family that are pretty much my grandparents and single mom. I've already asked them to scrape up the money to give me $300 to even take the test. Pretty sure that was my graduation gift and I'm very thankful for it! Believe me, I know how much the test is the determination of my entire life on a computer screen and I'm investing everything I have. I appreciate your insight and the good luck :)

[mlss94, BSN]

Thank you everyone for your advice so far! I've started doing the Lacharity PDA book and it is really great! I do the questions and make notes on them. I'm getting Uworld next week! Those seemed to have been the most advised to use. I also got the NCLEX mastery app and it is pretty great too. Someone had mentioned it is like a game and I totally agree. I like to do when I'm waiting in line or something. I think I am okay for now for resources. I heard doing having too much resources will just overwhelm you! I might have to take a little break of like a day because my pinning ceremony and graduation ceremony are next week two years go by so fast! Thanks again!

[Ackeem, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN]

200 can get it done, 2 months of UWorld, nclex mastery and lacharity PDA.