NCLEX in 4 days... Needing advice.

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Specializes in GYN/Med-Surg.

I'm taking the NCLEX on Aug. 20th. I'm really nervous and unsure of myself because my scores have been all over the place in the past 3 weeks (been studying for a solid 3 wks), ranging from 46-78. I'm doing Kaplan and have pretty much exhausted the Q-bank - about 30 questions left in the Q-bank with an overall percentage of 59%. Lately I've been scoring in the low-high 50's and I'm starting to freak out a little. My last few 50-question test scores were:

66

64

68

52

58

52

56 (this is my most recent test)

I'm baffled as to why this has happened and I'm so worried. I graduated in May but am just taking the test because of several reasons: I just had a baby in March, my husband is in the military and has deployed, and we moved out of our residence in July. I know that you need an overall of 60% to be good to go but with a 59% I'm not sure where I stand right now, 4 days before the exam. I've read the entire Kaplan RN course book too (although I read most of it about 2 months ago) and I've been listening to the Question Review videos in the past few days. Am I overreacting? Thanks for any advice or encouragement.

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Hey I took the Nclex once before feb of this yr...first time for me I failed....but guess what I was not discourage...it brought out the fight in me for several reasons....It was not as hard I as I thought it would be....Kplan is way harder that the nclex...the areas that made me fail was psycology and pharm....I did not study ANYTHING in that area...when I got my result in the mail it showed...I got above passing in every sec. but those two....I felt the question was really easy....I only used the Saunders comprehensive 5th to review...I think you scores are great....I started to use the Lacharity and review NCLEX 4000 boy let me tell you oh how similar are the questions....the priority question are VERY similar.....review that and you are ready to go...Im testing in late Aug...so I'm working on my weak areas now....good luck.....Know ur priority.......

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Specializes in GYN/Med-Surg.

Sapple - thanks for your post! I actually am strong in the psychosocial area and decent in the pharm. I struggle with the Management of Care and Reduction of Risk Potential questions, apparently. I've never been a good test taker, much less a good standardized test taker. The select-all-that-apply (SATA) questions really get me and I'm so afraid of them! I've heard that the exam is mostly SATA questions...

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Listen to Sapple and do the NCLEX 4000 questions especially for the SATA questions. I just took and passed the NCLEX PN with 85 questions and I did the NCLEX 3000 and it was soooo similar to the test it felt like deja vu, lol. But that made me feel good. Also, I felt like the Nclex 3000 questions prepared me for the numerous SATA questions I got, which were about 23! Don't be afraid of them, just keep practicing answering them. Good luck! You can do it!!l!

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Specializes in Cardiology, NCLEX instructor.

Get to those areas of weakness and study content, to try to do questions and then study based on wrong answers is backwards and will lead to gaps in your knowledge. Good luck you still have plenty of time!

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Specializes in GYN/Med-Surg.

What is NCLEX 4000? I'm going for my RN not PN, don't know if that makes a difference? I've been doing Kaplan because that's the program that my nursing school set us up with. Remembered I was given a Saunders book by my professor so I think I may try to answer some questions in that as well. Yesterday I retook the Question trainer #4 that I took back in the spring (150 questions) and got a 69%. Not sure if that is a good thing because I think it's pretty much the same questions just in different order, OR questions pulled from previous exams (I exhausted the Q-bank). I think I'm going to try doing Question Trainer #7 on Saturday and see how I do. But then I'm torn between practicing test-taking and reviewing content. Two days left to study. Grrrrr....

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NCLEX 4000 has tons and tons of questions you can practice from and the questions are similar to those you would see on the NCLEX RN exam. I only mentioned the NCLEX 3000 since for me I took the NCLEX PN though honestly I didn't see a whole lot difference in the questions. I studied both RN and PN materials. Like Sapple mentioned, the priority questions are very very similar. Give it a try, even if you only have a day left. You can do it!l Sending blessings your way ;-)

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Your ready and your scores are not bad, I know people who got kaplan scores in the 48-52 range and passed! Think positive!

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Specializes in GYN/Med-Surg.

Thanks for the encouragement, everyone :) The support really helps. I took the comprehensive test in the back of the Saunders book and scored 65% out of 75 questions. It seemed a lot easier than kaplan's questions though. Took a Sample Q-bank test today (cause I've exhausted the Q-bank) and scored 46%... It really put a damper in my spirits and it's so close to test day that I just stopped studying at that point. I don't think studying anymore would've done me any good, besides going over lab values. I feel like I'm going to fail the NCLEX :(

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Think positive! Don't forget to pray. God bless and good luck!

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Specializes in GYN/Med-Surg.

So... I walked out of that exam yesterday after 2.5 hrs and 75 questions feeling like I failed big time. After the exam I did the pearson trick and got the good pop-up... Just checked the board of health site this morning and apparently, I PASSED!!!!

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So... I walked out of that exam yesterday after 2.5 hrs and 75 questions feeling like I failed big time. After the exam I did the pearson trick and got the good pop-up... Just checked the board of health site this morning and apparently, I PASSED!!!!

congratulations... wow youre done with all the sleepless night i wish i could read content i dont know how to start... help...

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