ncsbn learning extension, what you think?

Devil_Duckie, LVN · Aug 27, 2007

I need some advice please,
I have failed three times and im going to continue going for the exam(thank you everybody that encouraged me not to give up), I have a full time job now, thank goodness, Im a supervisor on my shift in the afternoon/evenings in a group home in brooklyn. So the rent is being paid with all the other expenses my wife, son and i have. Now i'm ready to start again.
I havent heard of any live courses i can attend in the mornings so i guess ill have to push myself a lot harder, even though a live session would benefit me more than the online courses. I have taken both anyway obviously something has gone wrong for me not too pass.
A couple of people said i should try the board exams review online( the learning extension) just wandering what some others think about this course. I will be studying possibly in the late evening and early mornings before i go to bed for maybe one or two hours.
Or should i just buy saunders and work through it. I would like to take the exam again in a couple of months.
So if anyone else has any more usefull information for me please do not hesitate to pass it on. Now I'm ready to study again and finally pass this thing hopefully the next time around.I'm not going to stop until i get it whatever it takes.
Thank you and all the best!!!

I failed my NCLEX-RN the first time and took two months to study before retaking it. I used both the Saunder's book (Suzanne's plan, although I only completed the first step) and the learning extension program. Learning extension is well worth the money and their practice questions are far and away the closest I've seen to the actual NCLEX. I passed my second time by the way, and I owe it to learning extension...it was presented in a very understandable format and it was convenient to work on at work during my down times. Good luck in your studying and keep us updated on how you do. It sounds like you have alot of drive and dedication...don't let these few setbacks get to you, you will just be a better nurse in the long run because of it! Best of luck!

promise2 · Dec 26, 2007

My sister used the Saunders and reviewed with the NCSBN learning ext too. She highly reccomends it for those who opt for self-study... hope it works for u too!!! keep ur spirits high! Trust God and believe that you can make it!!! congrats in advance!!!

pagandeva2000, LPN · Dec 26, 2007

I used it, also. I don't really think that the questions were close to the NCLEX I had, but, it was good practice because the questions were difficult for both, the learning extension as well as the actual exam. I think that it is best to practice with difficult questions because they get you to really think. I did use the site during down time, which was an advantage. Good luck!

kayleighac · Dec 26, 2007

The process I used seemed to work since I just passed on my first try.

Here's what you need to do first

Buy these books:

1. NCLEX-PN Questions & Answers Made Incredibly Easy

2. Lippincott's Review for NCLEX-PN

3. Saunders Comprehensive Review for NCLEX-PN

4. Straight A's in Nursing Pharmacology

Getting the latest edition of these is probably best

Our process that worked with about 97% of our school was to basically do 200 questions a day. You start with your best subjects in Incredibly Easy since it's the easiest. Then move onto the next easiest book which would be Lippincotts on the same subject and lastly, do the questions in Saunders, also on the same subject. After all that, you should be an expert on that subject! Grade yourself on every test you take...read all your rationales...just to warn you, when you start out, you will be getting around the 50 or 60 percents. Don't give up...the more you do it, the better your scores will get. After you finish all the subject specific tests, move on to the comprehensive tests. And once you are scoring in the 80's...you should be ready! I followed this process exactly and I stopped at 85 on the NCLEX-PN, which is really good. Do this for about 6 weeks or until youve done about 6000 questions. So, say you do 200 a day for 5 days a week....give yourself two days for rest...then you have done 1000 questions a week.

When you finish one subject, start on the next one and do the same thing.

With each subject you do, try studying the pharma on that subject also. It helps to incorporate it in. Read the pink part of the Straight A's in Pharma, and take the test at the end. If you get below a 70%, then read the whole white part.

DO NOT skip pharma. That's probably THE most important thing on the test. I got over a dozen med questions on it. Thank god I studied it.

One more good book for pharma if you have time is Pharmacology Made Easy for NCLEX-PN. It's self explanatory. Read it and do the questions pretty much.

That's really all you need, is just to do question after question and know the rationales for them. It's going to be a lot of work, nursing is not easy...but I wish you luck and I hope my advice comes in handy!

pagandeva2000, LPN · Dec 26, 2007

I would also try and do at least 10-20 medical dosage questions a day, ranging from easier to harder. You never know. My first question for NCLEX was a dosage one; my friend told me she had about 5...including pediatric conversions.

kayleighac · Dec 26, 2007

Yea those are also important...I got probably about 6 D/H questions...

njenninah · Oct 2, 2008

I think their review is very helpful and thier questions are really good but the only thing I do not lyk is that the only give rationales to the correct answer only.

allnurseid · Nov 4, 2008

Thanks for the tip about practicing pediatric conversions, I can't remember having to do much of that during my peds rotation, so I might not have given it much thought.

Thanks again!