NCLEX....how bad is it REALLY...

[Joanie49]

SOO, I just graduated nursing school with an ADN. I feel as though my school prepped me well and I have learned a lot from them. I have always gotten good grades throughout the nursing program and scored high on my HESI exams. What I am wondering is if the NCLEX is as bad as everybody says?! Are the questions pretty general or very in depth? Were there a lot of questions where you narrowed it down to two possible answers, and just chose one? Really, any info you can give will help! I just graduated so I do not have my test date yet!

[bsyrn, ASN, RN]

I passed with 75 questions in 30 minutes. There were a lot of SATA questions. I did multiple test questions prior to the exam but did not study the day before at all. Good luck!

[SWimbish, BSN, RN]

What sites did you use for practice questions and how were your scores? When did you test? Thanks!

[Joanie49]

What sites did I used for studying for nursing school and the HESI exam? I have not passed my NCLEX test yet.

[SWimbish, BSN, RN]

I was asking bsyrn :) sorry for the confusion

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

The best advice I got before taking NCLEX was:

Take the day before the test off. If you are not prepared the day before the test then cramming the night before will not help. Go out with your friends, go for a walk, watch a movie. Anything to get your mind off the test.

Go to bed early and get a good night's sleep. You need all the brain power you can get.

Eat a good nutritious meal and a multivitamin several hours before the test.

If you did well in school and did well on practice questions then go into the test not with the mindset of Pass/Fail, but with the mindset of "I am going to pass, but how many questions will I have to endure to pass?"

You will have the unconscious impulse to rush through the test to get it over with. Keep your hand off the mouse. Read the question and answers (and make sure you read the question correctly). When you have a definite answer, place your hand back on the mouse and choose the answer. This helps eliminate picking the wrong answer due to stress (How many times did you get a test back and say "I knew the answer was B, why did I pick C?").

Every 10 questions close your eyes and take 10 slow, deep breaths. This will help keep the anxiety level down. Only thing that will prevent you from passing the test is anxiety and stress. Don't let anxiety beat you.

If the test stops at 75, walk calmly out of the testing center and to your car. THEN jump up and down and scream "I PASSED". When the test stops at 75, there are only 2 possibilities: You did very well and passed or very badly and failed. It is extremely unlikely that a person that did well in a quality school and did well on practice questions would have the test stop at 75 questions and fail. You would have been able to keep taking questions until you passed. NCLEX tests minimal competency, there is no way that you would not be minimally competent.

[SWimbish, BSN, RN]

I love the "keep your hand off the mouse" because I love to JUMP to a answer and the minute I click it I think that wasn't it. Thank you for these tips. ❤

[Joanie49]

Wow thanks for taking the time to write up some great advise! What you said was helpful! I will remember to take those pieces of advise before the test and during the test

[Joanie49]

Swimbish, BSN- I saw you sent me a message but unfortunately I can't reply- I think it is because I am a new member or something?

[SWimbish, BSN, RN]

:) I just saw you figured out how to reply to my message!

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

Joanie and SWimbish, are you sisters, friends, or a psychic connection ? Both of you sent me Friend requests at the same time.

[SWimbish, BSN, RN]

Haha must be psychic connection! I have never met her before here! I think the "fear of the NCLEX" brings people together lol

[Joanie49]

HAHA, that is so funny we sent friend requests at the same time- so weird! We have never meet but as Swinbish said the fear of the NCLEX really brings people together hehe!