nclex doubts and worries

Nursing Students NCLEX

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Hello,

I'm about to take my NCLEX next friday (Feb 03). This will be my 2nd time taking the exam. I failed the first time using just Saunders 5th edition. I know deep down I failed because I took the exam and my review lightly. This time, it took me 4 months and I took Kaplan. All my friends and almost all the success stories I've read in this forum took Kaplan and passed. I did all I can this time. Gave up almost 3 months of nonstop everyday review. I took the online review by Kaplan, answered 100% of my Qbanks. Wrote down every rationale from every qbanks/qtrainer that i didn't know right or wrong and reviewed them every other day.

Diagnostic - with no review whatsoever 53%

QT1 - 60%

QT2 - 57%

QT3 - 50%

QT4 - 53%

QT5 - 60%

Qbank 100% complete - 58%

Sample test 1: 54%

Sample test 2: 48%

Sample test 3: 83%

**I swear sample test 1 and 2 mostly resembles NCLEX in my opinion. Maybe QT6 and 7 too, I'll find out.

Readiness test - 54% (I hurried through it because it was required to be finished by the last day of review. Shouldn't have though :(

I'm about to take my QT6 after writing this then QT 7 on Tuesday, then just taper down with my review on Wednesday and take a whole day break Thursday then showdown on Friday.

I've been feeling good and ready till I read a few recent posts from people who took Kaplan and failed. It brought me back to earth. What if I fail again? Everything is riding on me passing and finally getting a job and move on with my life. I'm sure all of us share the same background story. Truth be told, I'm scared to see that CC page again when doing the PVT. I have a phobia of that incident. I wish I didn't read the stories of people that failed with Kaplan..

My reason for writing this is for advice and guidance. What should I do? I know that if I have this mentality, I will surely succumb to failure next week. I know also that there's no way you can fully prepare for this exam. For those that have passed with Kaplan, what did you do when you were just hours away from taking that exam. Did you feel ready? confident? did the decision tree worked for you? Did the qbanks and qtrainers prepare you? is it easier or harder than the nclex?

Also is it wise for me to plan on taking about 2 hours for the first 75 questions? I don't do well in such long periods of concentrations. If i go past 75, i need frequent breaks to keep on going.

Please any opinions or advice, I will be truly grateful for. I can not afford to fail again. I want to move on with my life. With God's help I know he'll guide me. But what can I do to avoid these feelings of doubt in myself.

hey! thanks for the update! i write down all of the info from the rationales too... even the things that i got right just so that i am reenforcing it in my head! i have almost filled up a whole 80 page notebook. i am def not fast at the rationales. i think thats an important part. i learn better when i re-write things. so thats a good idea to read all of the rationales that you write down! i will def do that... thanks for the advice.

i tried to do a lacharity chapter quiz last night... not sure if you are familiar with it but i felt like their answers and rationales contraindicate what kaplan teaches so i think i am just gonna stick with the trainers like you said. i also did horrible on the SATA quiz on kaplan as well... i feel like they are impossible! i might re-take that quiz since its been a couple weeks since i first took it.

i'm glad you didnt reschedule!! it sounds like you are prepared... and your girlfriend is right i think we can over study at times. most of my friends have already taken their nclex and all of them have passed so i kind of wish that i had mine done and over with now! but i got married after graduation in december so i didnt start studying until january 8th- so i didnt want to rush it. my kaplan instructor said that there is a high percentage of passing when people take the nclex before 30-60 days after graduation. she said after that 60 days there in a big drop in the passing rate.

good luck with the QT7!! 265 questions will be tough! i get so antsy during 50 questions. i might have to go to a library or somewhere else to complete that so i can focus just incase i get that many on the exam. oh well! we will keep pushing!! let me know how you do!

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Update:

QT6 - 65%

QT7 - 60%

Oh man anxiety is building up. I'm one day away!!! my last night of full study tonight! Please pray for me passing this Friday!!

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Hey Rodmarkq ,

I hear you I take my exam on Feb 8th a week from now. This is my third time testing , last two times (used HURST ONLY) and failed in my last exam I was close to passing bc all the categories I scored near passing standard. After reading so many threads from allnurses and speaking w others. I have now come up with my own review. I have done TT#5-7 only bc these are harder ones....and passing level questions.....I'm reviewing NCLEX 4000 and practice SATA bc lately a lot of plp have been getting those in their exams and passed. I bought PDA by Lacharity book for prioritization qs that I first struggled in my first exam....and second two....and then I made post cards for med info from this book called Mosby's pharmacology Notecards.

I don't know if this will work for me.....but I guarantee you one thing....my critical thinking skills have improved tremendeously....and I feel the same you do....I feel like I'm going to fail again....stressing over.....studying hard every day....i study about 6-8 hrs a day before my test....and feel like i'm not prepared yet I've reviewed content at least 3 times....done over 2500 qs all together with books I have and nclex 4000. I can tell you this.....take a qs one at a time....read wisely and use wat you know to answer the qs....can't figure it out.....look at the answers for clues....and pick the one that doesn't apply to the topic or implied topic in the answers.

Wish you the best.......BELIEVE AND SET IN YOUR MIND THAT YOU ARE HERE TO PASS!!!!!! AND THAT U WILL PASS!!!!! WRITE RN in pieces of paper in put them in your room!!!!! :) (tip from another girl that passed hers)

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@ rodmarkq: Good Luck!! You will be fine. Your scores are great!!

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@dragonfly777: That sounds like a lot of work you have been doing!

Good Luck on Feb 8! You will do great!

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awesome scores @ rodmarkq! those are the hardest ones i heard. good luck on friday!! i'll be praying for you. i am getting so nervous so i couldnt even imagine how you must feel. GOOD LUCK!!! you are going to do great!! :)

i did QT 5 = 63% i was really surprised because i was having a hard time with it!

@ Dragonfly777 it sounds like you are really studying well!! good luck next week! i feel the exact same way as you. i feel like i have gone over everything and ive done over 2500 questions but still feel unprepared. thanks for the advice about taking one question at a time. i get really anxious when i start reading a question i dont know. and i rush right to the answers... i need to learn how to slow down and read what they are asking. i keep seeing mistakes on these trainers where i just wasnt looking at what they were asking and i picked the complete wrong asnwer. oh well we will all do aswesome! POSTIVE THOUGHTS!

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Thank you guys! I really appreciate it. My friend who passed first time using Kaplan and who is now working, told me today that the hospital he works at (and near my place, nice new hospital) is hiring on their Med surg/ICU unit and i should hurry up LOL. Ohh maan is this what God has planned?? I sure hope so, and I'll find out friday. Oh man the pressure.

@lc1028: I'm rationalizing QT7 right now, and I must say I am making simple mistakes because I was reading too fast. About question 150 onwards I was just tired with it! Questions where I should know the answer right away, I missed it because I was fatigued from taking questions this many.

I pray that I pass with 75 questions, because I'll have a hard time if this takes too long. But if it does go to 265 I'll be ready. I just need to take frequent breaks. I hope they don't mind me raising my hand a lot of times lol.

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hey! i hope you are relaxing this afternoon before the test tomorrow! the anxiety is building up more and more for me. i am taking a break from QT 6 right now and OMG this is hard and i feel like i totally don't know more than half of these answers. i feel like the kaplan decision tree doesnt work all the time and i am forced to just pick an answer. i'll update you on my score once im done. i totally agree with you that its sooo hard to sit for a long time doing questions. i will def be taking breaks and raising my hand too! they won't mind its their job :) haha ... i just had a friend take hers today. she got a 190 questions and didn't take any breaks! i dont know how she can do that.

i hate when i answer the questions too fast. i really have a hard time with that but hopefuly when we both sit down for the test we take our TIME! awesome about possibly getting a med/surg ICU job... i already have a job in the Operating Room so i feel like i have even more pressure to pass this! GOOD LUCK!!! i will pray for you!

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update! wow i got a 68 for QT 6! same as you. thank goodness i thought i was doing horrible!

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Please explain to me the q trainer score do they get harder with each one i did my first one today I got a 54% I am so worried

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i believe that they get a little harder as they go. i know that QT 6 and 7 are thought to be the hardest. i watched the videos, did content review, and completed my QBank before i did QT 5 & 6 so my knowledge and test taking skills improved by the time i did QT 5. For QT 1 I got a 57 so a 54 is not bad either! i got a 48 on QT 3 !! so don't feel bad :) just make sure you really read the rationales. even of the ones you got right... it gives you great review and understanding of what the question was answering. hope this helps!

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Thanks that makes me feel better I have 13 days left and I am gonna do kaplan review online next week and then review questions all the following week before the test! i sit on the 17th

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