Practice question scores and other issues

Nursing Students NCLEX

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Specializes in ER, Nursing faculty.

Just started poking around in the NCLEX discussion forum. Wow, there are so many threads. I spend much of yesterday and today trying to glean as much info as possible. It is almost overwhelming.

I have received my ATT and scheduled my exam for Feb. 2. Like the majority of you -who have not yet taken the NCLEX - I have been getting rather nervous. I have been offered a position as a new grad in the ED of a local hospital. The specialty of my choice. However the position is contingent upon passage of the NCLEX. Just a little bit of pressure. As far as grades are concerned, I had a 3.7 although I understand that GPA has little correlation with success. My school has just recently adopted the ATI predictor test to evaluate how we will do. My score on the 180 question proctored exam was a 65.5 which equates to a 96 percent pass rate. This was encouraging for a while and I felt confident.

Then, after taking a number of 100 question comprehensive tests from the Saunders, Delmar, Lippencott MIE CD's, my confidence has eroded. The Lippencott MIE seemed too easy (scored in the high 80's and low 90's. The Delmar scores in the low 70's and the Saunders in the low to mid 60's.

With these scores, my confidence is shaken. I did purchase the Kaplan book with the CD. I read this book a little yesterday and took the Saunders today using some of the strategies and only scored in the mid 60's again.

I am planning to keep on studying and reviewing content areas and taking more and more of the practice exams.

Are my scores too low?

What scores should I be getting consistently to pass the NCLEX?

How good is the ATI predictor?

Should I purchase the Mosby's CAT

What about the NCSBN's Review?

I know these questions have been addressed in various threads but there are so many I find it difficult to keep going through all of them. I apologize for this repetition in advance and to also those of you who may take the time to answer some of my questions.

Yours in nursing

NHDEMN

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

The actual NCLEX exam has a much lower standard of minimum competency than these practice tests and quizzes. In fact, the average NCLEX test-taker only answers about half of the questions correctly.

The NCLEX is a test of the bare minimum competency. If you're scoring in the 60s when doing the Saunders practice test, I'd opine that you're off to a decent start.

The actual NCLEX exam has a much lower standard of minimum competency than these practice tests and quizzes. In fact, the average NCLEX test-taker only answers about half of the questions correctly.

The NCLEX is a test of the bare minimum competency. If you're scoring in the 60s when doing the Saunders practice test, I'd opine that you're off to a decent start.

It's not that the NCLEX has a lower standard of minimum competency. The NCLEX is administered and scored differently than the practice tests. If the NCLEX had a lower standard of minimum competency, everyone would be remarking on how easy it was. The reason NCLEX candidates answer only half of the questions correctly, is because the exam is designed to get you to that level of difficulty. This level will be different for every candidate. In essence, the test is customized to each individual's ability. Some people do come away from the exam thinking it wasn't very difficult. These people are usually very high ability candidates that passed, or very low ability candidates that failed.

Specializes in Pediatrics.

Very useful...Thanks for the info...

Can anyone explain what the difference is between the Saunders Comprehensive Review by Silvestri and the Saunders Q&A Review also by Silvestri???

I have the Saunders Comprehensive Review. I have been using this to study but should I also get the Saunders Q&A Review???

Thanks a bunch!

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