Low KAPLAN scores!! Passed the NCLEX RN!

Nursing Students NCLEX

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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.

Hi i have couple of questions for you

did u take self paced or online for kaplan?

which one will you recommend me to take

what will i miss if i take self paced for kaplan?

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I took the self packed since it's much convenient for me because I work. Not so sure with the online though. I think the online will require you to attend the online class.

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thank you i registered for online,,which is inclusive of self paced,,,i failed 2 times,,,can u suggest me how can i start over now,,with the kaplan,,

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I quickly wanted to share my experience with people who got low Kaplan scores. Mine were mostly between 50-60 and I would have been discouraged if others hadn't posted their low scores. Others passed with low scores and so did I. I did every single question and I passed nclex in 75 questions. They key is doing lots of questions!! Also, Kaplan was much harder than nclex. So my advice is that don't let your grades bother you and do all the questions! Read rationales and you'll be fine! 😀

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I just wanted to add onto this post to give everyone who's feeling hopeless a little more hope! I graduated nursing school with my BSN in May 2017. I was an A, B, and C student. I just took my NCLEX in July 2017. I took the Kaplan course and that is the only resource I used to study! My scores were as follows:

Question Trainer 1: 53%

Question Trainer 2: 56%

Question Trainer 3: 45%

Question Trainer 4: 55%

Question Trainer 5: 51%

Question Trainer 6: 57%

Question Trainer 7: 55%

Readiness Test: 64%

Qbanks ranged from 47-67% (mainly 50's)

I still had 500 questions left in the qbank and I would recommend doing all of them (Kaplan says you have a 99% chance of passing if you do)! I was just burnt out. I made a word document as I reviewed all my exams of just random things I wanted to look over the day before the exam (yes, they say not to study the day before but I was too nervous not to). I watched around 30 of the Kaplan videos on common topics. There's also a 30 page NCLEX study guide on the internet that I skimmed over. And that's all I did to study!

The day of the exam, I had my mom drop me off and I arrived almost an hour early for my 2 o'clock appointment. They took my picture, some finger prints, and let me begin right away! There was about 12 other people testing in the room (not all NCLEX). My test went to 123 questions. I had over 30 SATA questions, 2 put in order, and no med calculations! My results were up the next morning by 8 am that I passed!!

I hope this post helps someone who's not getting the best scores on Kaplan feel more confident!!

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I told my self i would give a testimony for all those feeling discouraged about NCLEX and kaplan. Well like Jenni i was not the best student in nursing school, but by His Grace i still got by. When i first started studying for NCLEX using kaplan my scores were low, most of them averaging around 58-60% with the occasional 49-50% (which made me even feel worse). My question trainer grades did improve from 49% to my final test being 58% (never went above 60%), I got a 63% on my readiness exam. I graduated in December and took my test March 2nd as close to my start date as possible (March 12th), everyone i graduated with, took theirs beginning of February ending of January so the pressure was on! I was so nervous on the days leading up too the actual test, i could barely sleep, eat, and i was having dreams about the test! But THE GOD I SERVE WORKED MIRACLES, i literally prayed before answering every question and I passed the first time around with 75 questions!! Kaplan was good and i felt like it helped alot . wish all of you who are taking it all the best!

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