NCLEX Tips

[baw1309]

Hi!! I have taken my NCLEX 3 times...... Each time I was there for 6 hours and had all 265 questions. I walked out of the testing center like a zombie and felt as if I knew nothing. I was taking practice exams and doing really well but something changes when I walk into the actually exam room. I am taking it again for the 4th time at the end of january. Ive done everything possible. Ive used kaplan, ncsbn, pda, nclex 10,000 and I had a private tutor for 3 months. I have developed severe anxiety and anytime I think about testing I go into panic mode. I graduated from my accelerated BSN program in April and Im still working on passing this darn test. I have a huge support system and I continue to work hard studying and I will pass this exam!! I was just wondering if anyone has anymore tips that may help me out for my upcoming exam.

Thanks in Advance!

-Beth

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Since you are doing well on practice exams, you may want to focus more on reducing the test anxiety. A few resources for overcoming test anxiety:

Overcoming test anxiety

Test Anxiety - Study Techniques and Skills for Coping

And there are many others out there.

Personally, I took the night before I took NCLEX (back in the dark ages but not so far back that it was paper and pencil) and didn't study. Instead, I settled myself in the city where I was taking the exam (no worries about things like a long commute and traffic), skipped studying so it didn't feel like I was cramming for the test, and scheduled myself for a massage (a much needed luxury!). I was a lot less nervous, was able to feel relaxed enough to get a good night's sleep, and just in general felt more relaxed and less nervous.

[baw1309]

Ok! Thank you very much for the information!! Im going to try some of those techniques to reduce my anxiety and a massage sounds like something I could use also!

Thank You, again!

-Beth