Nclex - Pn

Hi all. I took the NCLEX-PN test this week, and found out today that I passed the test. I thought that I would share the experience, as it was through reading the posts on this website, that I survived the exerience with some decorum left intact. (Reading simular experiences really helped out on the anxiety of waiting, and kept me from thinking so negativly - which after this test you are bound to do.)

I am a RN student in my fourth semester, and I graduate in May. After the 3rd semester, we in NY can take the boards for LPN licensure. I took advantage of that to get the experience before I took the NCLEX - RN exam.

Well - I was sure that I had failed. It was one of the hardest tests that I ever had taken in my life. Some have said that the PN test would be easy, but I found it to be nothing of the sort. There were probably 3 questions that I knew the answer to right off the bat - but the rest I was left hanging off the edge of a cliff picking between 2 that seemed to be correct. So - on the notion that the PN test would be easy - I think NOT.

I usually test very well, and I am at the top pf my nursing class, and this was a harrowing experience for me. I had all the confidence in the world when I walked into the test, but when I left I felt as though I did not know a thing. I looked up some of the answers when I got home (I can remember most of the questions) and found out that I was wrong - and that was when I was sure that I had failed it. There was alot of psych, maternity, medsurg and TONS of culture questions on mine. Lots of prioritization, and lots of where should patient x, w and z go if they had x, w, and z - dealing with precaution levels. I had one math problem, and one alternative based format question. Very much application based unlike RN material. (No thinking ahead assessment wise). Still have to know your stuff, especially signs and symptoms and lab values etc.

Well anyway - I passed the darn thing, and I am still in shock about the whole deal. I graduate RN in three months and I am glad that I have had the experience of taking "the boards." For those who have not taken them, take some comfort in knowing that you will have NO IDEA of how you did when you leave ( thanks to CAT testing - read the other threads here ). Mine did shut off at 85 questions, but I thought that would be because it found that I was under the passing standard. Simply put, keep answering correctly and they will just keep asking harder and harder (and vague) questions until your on that line of getting 50% wrong - and that is line of which you are either above or below the passing mark. Toture!!!!

At least pearsonvue did have the results 48 hours later - almost on the dot, even on a Saturday. I write all this in hopes that this can help someone else out who is waiting and thinking that they failed.... You never know, no matter how bad you think you did.

Randy ... LPN (Yeah!!!!):)