NCLEX RN / Jun '17 - Passed w/ 75 Q: Kaplan & UWorld

[CiCi RN, BSN]

For Encouragement & Guidance Purposes!

Hi! I recently took the NCLEX-RN after having graduated a month prior w/ my BSN and I wanted to share my experience and the pathway I took in order to succeed! Upon graduation I blocked out 4 weeks in preparation to pass the NCLEX. The first order of business was to complete the Kaplan Prep, which was included in our school's curriculum. I did every single QTrainer and completed the entire QBank to include Predictors A through C. Towards the end of completing QTrainer 6 & 7, I decided to try out UWorld because I had heard good reviews on it from a friend. I purchased the 30-day UWorld and completed both Self Assessments 1 & 2 along with more than half the QBank, which I believe consists of 1,900+ questions. To elaborate on my performance with both, I finished Kaplan's QBank w/ a 56.3 and UWorld w/ a 61.2 average respectively. I found Kaplan more challenging w/ their questions, which is what I needed but UWorld mirrored the NCLEX and I loved their rationales! I can't emphasize how important it is to REMEDIATE each and every question, even the ones you have gotten right! Throughout my entire process, I also made a notepad of concepts I had gotten wrong on questions and this particular notepad was what I reviewed the night before the test. I made sure to get 8 hours of sleep the night prior to the test, in which I woke up feeling well rested, ate a full breakfast at a nearby Waffle House the morning of and commenced in taking my NCLEX at 8AM. It took me over an hour, 8:17 to 9:43 to complete 75 questions. The entire time I could hear my heart beating as I had earmuffs on. I made sure to take my time with each question. The most ironic part as I was testing was that as I received every SATA question that came my way, inside I got excited! Why? Because in my mind it told me I was answering the questions correctly and therefore the SATA signified higher level questions. At one point I remember getting three in a row! I also received alternate format questions, about three drag/drop and two pictures. I finally checked out the Pearson Center and felt weird, like "I either aced that thing or I down right bombed it" because I finished pretty quick! Although I initially said to my friend I wouldn't do the PVT, I actually did at the 25th hour post-test, my anxiety seemed to increase overnight, lol! I received the "good pop-up" (I moved my funds on my debit card to my savings, leaving a balance of only $5 on my debit account and I put in all the correct info off my debit card, just in case!). Having received the "good pop-up" gave me a bit of relief from my anxiety that would last the remaining time I had until I could purchase the Quick Results at 48 hours post-test. In looking back, I can say believing in myself and proper preparation are both key! The knowledge you should have acquired from having passed nursing school and graduating so from that point on, it's just a matter of having belief and the skill to answer those questions correctly, which takes practicing questions over and over. Finally, I want to add I was B+ student in nursing school, a 6-yr LPN and a moderate test taker, in terms of timing, throughout my nursing program, but none of that mattered when I sat in that chair to test and acquire my license as a Registered Nurse! Believe in yourselves, stay focused, prepare and you will too succeed!

[emmyram]

I just took and failed my NCLEX for the first time last week

How did you find UWorld? I did some demo questions and all of my nursing school study group friends used either Hurst or UWorld so I'm most likely going to be purchasing soon. Can you tell me a little bit more about UWorld? Like I said I did some demo questions and I really liked how they presented information and rationales and it mirrored the NCLEX so similarly that I feel good about using that to help me pass on this next attempt. I see that it says 30 days, does that mean after 30 days it's no longer accessible? Just wondering so that I know if I should wait until 30 days prior to testing to purchase. Any input helps! Thanks!

[CiCi RN, BSN]

So, you brought up Hurst. In my experience Hurst was part of my school's curriculum along with Kaplan but Hurst I felt was content related, meaning I didn't feel I could utilize my test taking skills with Hurst as with Kaplan. I actually was introduced to UWorld through a forum on here, AllNurses, but it's effectiveness was confirmed when I had spoke to my friend, who was already an RN and used it herself! I purchased the 30-day access which came with the 1,900+ question QBank and 2 Self Assessment exams, it was about $79 and well worth it! When the 30 day window approaches meaning it's about to expire, it gives you an option to renew your access. They also have a 60-day access and I believe a 90-day or several others if you need more! I'm not sure of the cost for those but you can visit the website at UWorld.com. Stick with the process, not passing on the first attempt does not mean you can't pass on the second! Focus, learn from your mistakes and REMEDIATE ALL QUESTIONS you complete. Stay positive and believe in yourself, best wishes to you emmyram!

[emmyram]

Thank you!