NCLEX Tips: Passed

I recently passed my NCLEX in 75 questions and would love to share how I studied, down to my studying methods.

NCLEX Tips: Passed

STUDY METHOD

First and foremost, instead of studying random questions each day, I divided the topics and studied each of them for a certain amount of time. They are as follows:

  • Adult Health: 3 weeks
  • Pediatrics: 1 week
  • Maternity: 1 week
  • Pharmacology: 4 days
  • Critical Care: 3 days
  • Leadership: 3 days
  • Mental Health: 3 days
  • Review Period: 6 days
    • Total: 7 weeks, 5 days

I purchased the program uWorld to practice questions along the way and had two assessments available to use. My first assessment, prior to any studying, was a "Low Chance" of passing. My final assessment, 4 days prior to my exam, was a "Very High Chance" of passing (84th percentile).

Prior to answering questions, I reviewed my notes to the best of my ability and would do 10 questions, then review and write the rationales, and continued that pattern until I reached about 50 to 70 questions each day. Regarding writing rationales: if it was a topic that I did not fully understand, despite if I got the question wrong or right, I would write the rationale anyway.

I did study about 7 to 8 hours a day, with light study days here and there. However, you may not need this many hours depending on your study method. My study method includes re-writing notes and remembering each line (doesn't need to be word for word). Because of this, studying was often slow for me, but allowed me to understand concepts well enough.

Towards the end, I took some time to review my notes and rationales for each topic. I re-did the max amount of questions available for each topic (75 max if there were more than 76 practice questions). 4 days prior to my exam, after reviewing, I did my final assessment, and for the next 3 days, I reread whichever topics I felt uncomfortable with.

The day prior to the exam, I spent most of the day for self-care, and spent the night re-reading the challenging topics again. The morning of, I re-read the smaller topics (Critical Care, Leadership, and Mental Health).

JUST PRIOR TO THE EXAM

  1. Wear a bright colored shirt for the exam
  2. Eat a salty meal
  3. Get a good night rest
  4. Boost your confidence! ?

My professors said #1 and #2 helps stimulate your brain.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH UWORLD

BIGGEST TIP: view uWorld as a learning tool not too much as an assessment.

The reason being is that uWorld average percentages are based on how its users perform on each question. However each question could be timed, un-timed, and you may never know if users are honest with how they're answering their questions (did they look up answers, etc.). Essentially, there may be too many factors to determine the accuracy of the percentages.

Instead, I have focused on the percentages when I was reviewing the material. Because I have already reviewed the rationales provided, I aimed at receiving an 80% or higher for the topic. By achieving that score, I can determine that I understood the material well enough.

I totally understand how overwhelming this may be, since I have had my days worrying about whether or not I will be able to do it. Take your time -- go at your own pace, and remember to take any breaks that you need. You can DEFINITELY do it, and all the hard work you put in will reward you in the end ?

GO AND SLAYYYY THAT NCLEX!

P.S. Attached is a calendar of the above.

NCLEX Review Calendar.docx

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_Cecilia_

About _Cecilia_, BSN, RN

Two-year Pediatric Stepdown RN

2 Articles   73 Posts

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Congratulations

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Specializes in Medsurg.
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Specializes in Peds, Med-Surg, Disaster Nsg, Parish Nsg.

Congratulations and thanks for sharing your tips for success with our readers!!!!

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Specializes in Pediatrics.
45 minutes ago, tnbutterfly said:

Congratulations and thanks for sharing your tips for success with our readers!!!!

Thank you, and I love to help when I can ?

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Specializes in CVICU.

Congratulations! I have recently passed the NCLEX this past July with 75 questions as well. I have to say that UWorld was my lifesaver and would recommend it to everyone. The reason I say that is just from having the format look so similar to the actual test provided some sense of familiarity and relief on test day.

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I saw your Review Calendar and I find that helpful. I am trying to prep to take the exam again but I am finding zero motivation to study. I had UWorld in the past and would review the rationals and wrote notes but it didn't seem to help. When you would study the topics according to your schedule, what did you use to study those topics?

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Specializes in Pediatrics.
On 1/13/2020 at 2:53 PM, YESteam said:

I saw your Review Calendar and I find that helpful. I am trying to prep to take the exam again but I am finding zero motivation to study. I had UWorld in the past and would review the rationals and wrote notes but it didn't seem to help. When you would study the topics according to your schedule, what did you use to study those topics?

When reviewing, I used the notes that I've had from nursing school, but I further split the information and focused on topics that were very likely to appear on the NCLEX. So for example:

General Nursing Tables: VS, Therapeutic drug levels, Burns Rule of 9's, Lab values (Electrolytes, Blood, Glucose, Specific grav., etc.), different fluids (examples of them and osmotic effects), Electrolyte (what foods are in, hypo effects/hyper effects), Determining Respiratory/Metabolic Acidosis/Alkalosis, Conversions, Infection control (Contact, Droplet, Airborne; what PPE to wear for each, and Mnemonics for the diseases of each), antidotes for toxic drug levels (Ex: Vitamin K for Warfarin)

Adult Health: Integumentary, Cardio, etc. With each system, I focused on the most commonly used diseases/conditions on the NCLEX, and studied signs and symptoms, interventions, and some meds

***Feel free to message me if you'd like me to list the exact diseases I've studied/what about them***

In regards to using UWorld, how did you remember your notes? I know you mentioned that you re-wrote them, but did you find yourself writing it word for word? If so, I would suggest trying to paraphrase them and explaining to yourself aloud the entire process. This may help you better remember and may help you measure how well you know the topic by noticing how easy it is for you to paraphrase it.

What would you say you're struggling the most with when reviewing/answering questions?

Also, I understand how it can be really challenging to work through this, especially since you've taken it before. It's discouraging to not pass the first time, but now, you're equipped with more experience in taking the exam and what to expect. Definitely take breaks when you need them to help motivate yourself; I've had multiple moments when I've cried and felt that I couldn't do it -- I felt that I didn't know anything. One of my biggest motivators was telling myself that with each topic I study and understand, the better I will be able to do, and that I am better than I was prior to that topic. I also reached out to my significant other to help ground me when I questioned myself with negative "what-if's."

Tap into how you're motivated: goal-oriented/task-oriented, and that may help. I love writing lists and manually crossing out what I've done because I feel accomplished, which helped me keep going.

? You're able to do this -- it's a matter of re-evaluating and adapting your approach, utilizing your source of motivation, and remembering to take at least 20 minutes for yourself (whether it's scrolling on your phone, or watching a quick show). It's alright to take that breath.

Please let me know if I can help you more in any way. ❤️

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A list would be great if you have one. The first time I did mostly questions, so I want to try a different approach now and maybe do topics. I'm hoping that may also motivate me as I can do one topic at a time and take breaks in between and check of so I feel like I'm accomplishing something.

When I rewrote the UWorld rationals I would paraphrase in bullet points or just the important things. I found the hardest thing that I had a different logic to the nursing world. So by the priority questions or the select all that apply I would get most right but miss one answer.

I'm thinking maybe a tutor would be helpful and would help motivate me to get into serious studying.

Thanks for taking the time to respond and for all those tips!

Anything and everything is helpful:)

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Specializes in Pediatrics.
4 hours ago, YESteam said:

A list would be great if you have one. The first time I did mostly questions, so I want to try a different approach now and maybe do topics. I'm hoping that may also motivate me as I can do one topic at a time and take breaks in between and check of so I feel like I'm accomplishing something.

When I rewrote the UWorld rationals I would paraphrase in bullet points or just the important things. I found the hardest thing that I had a different logic to the nursing world. So by the priority questions or the select all that apply I would get most right but miss one answer.

I'm thinking maybe a tutor would be helpful and would help motivate me to get into serious studying.

Thanks for taking the time to respond and for all those tips!

Anything and everything is helpful:)

With nursing questions, you definitely have to always think ADPIE, ABC's, and Maslow's Hierarchy of needs. That's what I've used in approaching priority questions. It could also be that you're overthinking, so I'd be wary of that!

A tutor would most definitely help because of the one-on-one time as well as a way to target those areas of improvement.

I will send you something I was given and found it very helpful!

Also, it's no problem at all. I've been in your position and understand how frustrating and challenging it was.

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Congratulations and thank you!

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