Hello. I am a recent BSN graduate who also took the NCLEX-RN last week. I currently have an EMT job working for peanuts doing 50-60 hours a week trying to find time for studying and the family. I was incredibly anxious waiting to take the NCLEX as I knew two people who both did five hours with 265 questions. One passed and the other failed.
I longingly waited for my ATT and had been studying from about 20 minutes a day to three hours a day depending upon my work schedule. I used Hesi, made flash cards, wrote notes, did the NCLEX RN mastery app, and a friend gave me their log in to Kaplan as I didn't have the money for it.
I began studying hard since graduation in May and where as several of my comrades received their ATT, tested, passed, and started work as early as June and July, I was still waiting for the ATT. I was anxious knowing that the longer you wait the worse your chances at passing are. I even researched what higher level and lower level questions were and the myth of "if your last NCLEX question isn't higher level then you failed" and also "if you get a lot of SATA questions you're doing good".
I finally got my ATT the second week of August and figured the only way I knew I was going to be ready was to just take it. Maybe it was a smart idea, maybe not. I had plateaued my practice test scores in the mid-fifties and felt I couldn't do any better. How am I going to know everything? I felt if I had a good grasp of strategy then I would be okay.
Test day came. I went in and after #75, #76 came up. And it just kept coming. #100, then #150, then #200, then #250, then #265, then blue screen. I had maybe 25 SATA and maybe 40 priority questions. I had a lot of scenario/outcome and a lot of general knowledge/recall questions.
I was devastated. My last question was a general knowledge/recall question. I knew I failed. I also had a lot of repeat/reworded contact precaution questions. I felt I didn't know a damn thing on that test and I did a lot of guessing. I was sure I failed. I knew it in my heart. I prepared for looking for another job, putting in as many hours as I could for my current and how was I going to pay rent let alone pay for the NCLEX again?
I found out I passed. Don't know how I did it, but I passed. I guess what I'm trying to say is is that maybe all the NCLEX myths are just myths. Study the best you can, do your best and you will succeed. If you do not, don't give up. Keep going.
Congratulations! I agree with you that myths are myths! Why? Because I took the NCLEX RN exam the other day, computer shut off at 90, i got 18 SATA, 4 exhibits,1 calc and the rest are priority and infection control questions. They said if you get a lot of SATA and priority question (aka "the hard questions") you are above the passing rate. I didn't get any general/basic questions also which they say are the "below the passing rate" questions, guess what? I failed. I'm retaking it again after 45 days. I am a foreign educated nurse and passing rate is 32% so I am not that devastated. I will just do my best on my 2nd attempt.
I had a ton of SATA and infection control/ contact precaution questions and I had a strange number. I think the screen cut off around 160. I'm and RN so I guess none of that matters now. I agree that all the speculation is myth.
I passed with 85 questions. I figured that overall the questions were getting tougher so that must mean I was probably passing. Yes, I did get some questions that went easier than the last one, but overall were getting tougher. Maybe that is not a correct way to look at it, but since you need the questions to increase in difficulty to show that you knew what you are to know, that is what I based my probable outcome on.
Congratulations! I agree with you that myths are myths! Why? Because I took the NCLEX RN exam the other day, computer shut off at 90, i got 18 SATA, 4 exhibits,1 calc and the rest are priority and infection control questions. They said if you get a lot of SATA and priority question (aka "the hard questions") you are above the passing rate. I didn't get any general/basic questions also which they say are the "below the passing rate" questions, guess what? I failed. I'm retaking it again after 45 days. I am a foreign educated nurse and passing rate is 32% so I am not that devastated. I will just do my best on my 2nd attempt.
Ah...."they said". "THEY" are, at least in these examples, completely FOS. As has been discussed on this forum, SATA is merely an alternative format type, it is NOT a level of questioning. IOW, any SATA question may be above or below passing. JUST as any multiple choice may be above or below passing. Complete nonsense.
Priority questions, too, are merely a kind of questioning, it is NOT indicative of being above or below the passing standard. Think about it, you receive a question like this: Which patient should you attend to first at an accident scene? (A) a patient who has been completely decapitated, loss of total blood volume, or (B) a patient with a head laceration who is crying and asking for help.
Now, certainly it is a "prioritization" question. But most clearly it is also a 'below passing standard'.
It's a huge disservice when tutors or commercial prep programs pass on these fallacies as truth. All it does is distract from the POINT of the test: to see if you are competent in all of the domains of testing, period.
Blogger, I'm sorry you failed. Unfortunately, those who receive their nursing education outside of the US are at a significant disadvantage when it comes to the NCLEX. It seems clear to me that language (cited as the single-most obstacle for foreign-educated applicants) is NOT a problem for you. Can only mean that your education isn't matching up to the expectations of an entry-level nurse in the US. I'd start with the CPR (to see what you need to work on most) and after that, formulate a strong study plan.
Are you in Canada? The pass rate for NCLEX is significantly higher than other "international" applicants, something like 75% last I heard. If not CA....where?
Finally, I hope this doesn't add more stress to your pile, but you WILL need to change your UserID: the Terms of Service of AllNurses.com does not permit anyone who does not hold a license as an RN or LPN to use the title "nurse" in any form....and that would include yours. It's easy to change, and hey, once you pass, you can change it back. Good luck!
I passed with 85 questions. I figured that overall the questions were getting tougher so that must mean I was probably passing. Yes, I did get some questions that went easier than the last one, but overall were getting tougher. Maybe that is not a correct way to look at it, but since you need the questions to increase in difficulty to show that you knew what you are to know, that is what I based my probable outcome on.
No, really can't look at it that way at all: it's pretty common to find people who say they thought the test was pretty simple overall, there's no way they could be passing without having "really hard" questions, etc. And they passed easily. So...one person's "tough" question is another person's "simple" one.
That's probably the main reason people get all screwed up on whether they are above or below the passing standard at the time the test concludes: there is NO way for you (the test taker) to know....unless you happen to be an expert in Bloom's Taxonomy and pedagogy, that is. No? Then you're along for the ride, guessing with everyone else ?
I had a ton of SATA and infection control/ contact precaution questions and I had a strange number. I think the screen cut off around 160. I'm and RN so I guess none of that matters now. I agree that all the speculation is myth.
LOL, none of that mattered THEN, either! That's the whole point of discussing these myths: number of questions (beyond the minimum, that is), format type, "kind" of question, etc, has no bearing whatsoever.
People often come on with a tick-list of XX med questions, XX calc, XX IC, XX SATA, XX drag/drop....and all I can think of is "WHY did you focus so much attention on this CRAP when you should have been focusing on the QUESTIONS?"
Ah well. All we can do is debunk myths, and hope for the best ?
Ah...."they said". "THEY" are, at least in these examples, completely FOS. As has been discussed on this forum, SATA is merely an alternative format type, it is NOT a level of questioning. IOW, any SATA question may be above or below passing. JUST as any multiple choice may be above or below passing. Complete nonsense.
Priority questions, too, are merely a kind of questioning, it is NOT indicative of being above or below the passing standard. Think about it, you receive a question like this: Which patient should you attend to first at an accident scene? (A) a patient who has been completely decapitated, loss of total blood volume, or (B) a patient with a head laceration who is crying and asking for help.
Now, certainly it is a "prioritization" question. But most clearly it is also a 'below passing standard'.
It's a huge disservice when tutors or commercial prep programs pass on these fallacies as truth. All it does is distract from the POINT of the test: to see if you are competent in all of the domains of testing, period.
Blogger, I'm sorry you failed. Unfortunately, those who receive their nursing education outside of the US are at a significant disadvantage when it comes to the NCLEX. It seems clear to me that language (cited as the single-most obstacle for foreign-educated applicants) is NOT a problem for you. Can only mean that your education isn't matching up to the expectations of an entry-level nurse in the US. I'd start with the CPR (to see what you need to work on most) and after that, formulate a strong study plan.
Are you in Canada? The pass rate for NCLEX is significantly higher than other "international" applicants, something like 75% last I heard. If not CA....where?
Finally, I hope this doesn't add more stress to your pile, but you WILL need to change your UserID: the Terms of Service of AllNurses.com does not permit anyone who does not hold a license as an RN or LPN to use the title "nurse" in any form....and that would include yours. It's easy to change, and hey, once you pass, you can change it back. Good luck!
I'm in California and yes, you are right, language is not a problem for me. It is probably because what they taught me there back in my hometown is different from what nclex wants me to answer. I studied Saunders cover to cover and practice LaCharity though, but still I failed. There's gotta be something that I'm missing. I'm taking it again in October. Do you think its better for me to take review classes? or should I just stick to self studying and just buy some more books? Thank you for the response! I appreciate it!
I'm in California and yes, you are right, language is not a problem for me. It is probably because what they taught me there back in my hometown is different from what nclex wants me to answer. I studied Saunders cover to cover and practice LaCharity though, but still I failed. There's gotta be something that I'm missing. I'm taking it again in October. Do you think its better for me to take review classes? or should I just stick to self studying and just buy some more books? Thank you for the response! I appreciate it!
Would be helpful to know where you studied, and where you were licensed. Before jumping into any kind of new review course or incurring more expenses, you should wait for the CPR that will give you the information you need to know first.
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SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP
3,152 Posts
Congrats on passing NCLEX :)