NCLEX question

I probably spent about 10 hours total studying for the NCLEX, and I took it almost 4 months after graduating. I passed. I dunno, other people study their butts off and fail. I think it depends on the quality of the curriculum and how focused your school is on providing you the critical thinking skills you need to pass it. Personally I think 6 hours a day is overkill but if you think you need it then more power to you.

I just graduated from an accelerated BSN program in May and I passed.. I was invited to sit for the NCLEX about 2 weeks after graduation, though I gave it 2.5 months. What I learned from that whole experience is that you can't study topics for the exam, because there are sooo many and even if you studied 15 hours a day for a year you wouldn't be able to retain even a fraction of what you studied. I thought that practicing answering questions was the most useful studying i did.. I purchased the Kaplan Online study tools and did about 150 questions of the Q-bank on Tutor Mode, probably 4 days a week for about a month. It really isn't about what you know or how good of a nurse you are.. It is all about being able to take a test.. Good luck! Kirsten

Our instructors told us that statistically you do better if you test as soon as possible after you graduate. The longer you wait, the less chance you have to pass. Our instructors told us to do 100 questions every day from graduation until we tested. Those who did that passed. But we had a tough curriculum with a 90% pass rate. The best thing for you to do is start doing NCLEX style questions now instead of just reading your textbook again. If you don't understand a question, go back and study that particular information in your textbook. I had heard once, that statistically if you do 3000 questions, you will pass. I don't know how true that is. I did over 8000 questions, passed with 75 questions and thought the NCLEX was easier than most tests we had in school. I also did not take a review class. But then again, I did questions from 9 different sources and for over a year while I was in nursing school. I did appox 300 questions related to what we were studying before each test in school. I tested 6 weeks after I graduated. Good luck.

I just graduated from an accelerated BSN program in May and I passed.. I was invited to sit for the NCLEX about 2 weeks after graduation, though I gave it 2.5 months. I shouldn't have waited so long because the longer you work in the "real world" the more you see bad habits that can totally throw you for the NCLEX. What I learned from that whole experience is that you can't study topics for the exam, because there are sooo many and even if you studied 15 hours a day for a year you wouldn't be able to retain even a fraction of what you studied. I thought that practicing answering questions was the most useful studying i did.. I purchased the Kaplan Online study tools and did about 150 questions of the Q-bank on Tutor Mode, probably 4 days a week for about a month. It really isn't about what you know or how good of a nurse you are.. It is all about being able to take a test.. Good luck! Kirsten

Hello. You can't just take it. You have to wait for your school to do all of the paperwork. My school was fast and we were able to take the test about 3 weeks after graduation from a BSN program if we wanted to. Other new grads that I work with had to wait months for their school to get the paperwork out. First you fill out paperwork through your school. Next your school does paper work proving that you have graduated. Finally, the testing people send you an invite to test. Good luck!

P.S. I have also heard that it is better to take it ;)as soon as possible after graduation.

Oh wow.. that kind of sucks. So if you have a slow school, you have to wait awhile to take it, i didn't know that.