Nclex

Columnist · May 6, 2018

Moved to the NCLEX forum. Look around in this forum and you will find lots of study tips.

Good luck!!

KrCmommy522, BSN, RN · May 6, 2018

UWorld is really good. The questions are a lot like the NCLEX. The best advice I would say is to answer as many questions as possible. Read each and every rationale - right and wrong. You need to read to find out why the correct answer is correct, and why the others were wrong. Also, very important is to pay attention to what it states the key word was. It is important to be able to identify the key word or subject of the question - because it will help you answer it correctly.

I really liked "Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN". In the answer section, it provides the correct answer. Then, it provides a good rationale, explaining why the correct answer was correct and why the other options were wrong. It also makes points to state to focus on the subject of the question, and states what it is in the rationale in case you were focusing on the wrong subject of the question - this will help you know whether or not you were focusing on the wrong subject, and if you were, how to figure out what the right subject is. It also points out options that you can be eliminated because they are comparable or alike. It also provides test-taking strategy that you can use to come up with the answer (e.g., like eliminating options because they are comparable or alike). It is really helpful to always read the entire rationale and test-taking strategy for each and every question - whether you got it right or wrong. Even if you got it right, you might learn something you didn't know or learn a test strategy that you didn't know about, etc. I think its one of the best resources.

The book "Prioritization, Delegation, and Assignment" by Lacharity is really good as well! It helps you answer those types of questions.

"Lippincott NCLEX-RN Alternate-Format Questions". It's really good if you have issues answering alternate format types of questions.

Aside from paying attention to the keyword/subject of the question, I would say probably the MOST IMPORTANT thing when learning to answer NCLEX questions is learning principles and being able to apply those principles. The most important thing is to make sure you know the basic principles. Don't try to memorize everything. NCLEX is testing you on how well you basic principles. NCLEX is not testing to see how well you memorized the list of S&S for this med, or the list of S&S for acidosis. You need to know the basic principles, so you can generate the list for yourself based on that. NCLEX is a NATIONAL test, so they have to make the questions fair no matter what book, school, etc. someone went to. Therefore, they can't write questions based on some list out of one of the NCLEX prep books (e.g., Kaplans). The only way to do this is to write questions based on principles to see if the person can generate the answers from the principles. Mark Klimek helps teach this. If you can find the audios from his lectures, the audios are a really good way to go instead of paying for an expensive course. But really, just answering a ton of questions can teach you the principles as well.

So, say a question on the NCLEX says that a pt has acidosis, what S&S will the pt exhibit? Select all that apply. They are testing you on a principle. What principle are they testing? That in an acidotic environment, chemical reactions cease. So, everything shuts down. You aren't supposed to memorize all the S&S. You are supposed to be able to apply the principle. So, when a question asks you about S&S of acidosis, you know the principle - in an acidotic environment, chemical reactions cease. So, everything shuts down. In other words, as the pH goes down, the pt will go down too (e.g., lethargy, bradypnea, bradycardia, etc.). So, instead of trying to memorize different things, focus on learning the basic principles. Focus on answering as many practice questions as you can EVERY day, and reading ALL the rationales so you can learn the reasons for the answers. Reading the rationales should also help you learn the basic principles and how to break down questions to figure out the answer.

Good luck!

jenniferevans · May 6, 2018

UWorld is really good. The questions are a lot like the NCLEX. The best advice I would say is to answer as many questions as possible. Read each and every rationale - right and wrong. You need to read to find out why the correct answer is correct, and why the others were wrong. Also, very important is to pay attention to what it states the key word was. It is important to be able to identify the key word or subject of the question - because it will help you answer it correctly.
I really liked "Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN". In the answer section, it provides the correct answer. Then, it provides a good rationale, explaining why the correct answer was correct and why the other options were wrong. It also makes points to state to focus on the subject of the question, and states what it is in the rationale in case you were focusing on the wrong subject of the question - this will help you know whether or not you were focusing on the wrong subject, and if you were, how to figure out what the right subject is. It also points out options that you can be eliminated because they are comparable or alike. It also provides test-taking strategy that you can use to come up with the answer (e.g., like eliminating options because they are comparable or alike). It is really helpful to always read the entire rationale and test-taking strategy for each and every question - whether you got it right or wrong. Even if you got it right, you might learn something you didn't know or learn a test strategy that you didn't know about, etc. I think its one of the best resources.
The book "Prioritization, Delegation, and Assignment" by Lacharity is really good as well! It helps you answer those types of questions.
"Lippincott NCLEX-RN Alternate-Format Questions". It's really good if you have issues answering alternate format types of questions.
Aside from paying attention to the keyword/subject of the question, I would say probably the MOST IMPORTANT thing when learning to answer NCLEX questions is learning principles and being able to apply those principles. The most important thing is to make sure you know the basic principles. Don't try to memorize everything. NCLEX is testing you on how well you basic principles. NCLEX is not testing to see how well you memorized the list of S&S for this med, or the list of S&S for acidosis. You need to know the basic principles, so you can generate the list for yourself based on that. NCLEX is a NATIONAL test, so they have to make the questions fair no matter what book, school, etc. someone went to. Therefore, they can't write questions based on some list out of one of the NCLEX prep books (e.g., Kaplans). The only way to do this is to write questions based on principles to see if the person can generate the answers from the principles. Mark Klimek helps teach this. If you can find the audios from his lectures, the audios are a really good way to go instead of paying for an expensive course. But really, just answering a ton of questions can teach you the principles as well.
So, say a question on the NCLEX says that a pt has acidosis, what S&S will the pt exhibit? Select all that apply. They are testing you on a principle. What principle are they testing? That in an acidotic environment, chemical reactions cease. So, everything shuts down. You aren't supposed to memorize all the S&S. You are supposed to be able to apply the principle. So, when a question asks you about S&S of acidosis, you know the principle - in an acidotic environment, chemical reactions cease. So, everything shuts down. In other words, as the pH goes down, the pt will go down too (e.g., lethargy, bradypnea, bradycardia, etc.). So, instead of trying to memorize different things, focus on learning the basic principles. Focus on answering as many practice questions as you can EVERY day, and reading ALL the rationales so you can learn the reasons for the answers. Reading the rationales should also help you learn the basic principles and how to break down questions to figure out the answer.
Good luck!

@krcmommy, thank you so much this is so informative.....

KrCmommy522, BSN, RN · May 6, 2018

Glad I could help! Let me know if you need anymore help! Good luck!

jenniferevans · May 6, 2018

Glad I could help! Let me know if you need anymore help! Good luck!

Alright...I sure will..so curious about this exam