OFFICIALLY A RN! passed at 265 questions

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yes! it's true! i am officially an RN :) feels better than i imagined. this website has helped me so much along the way that i'd thought i'd share my experience here.

let me start off by saying i am NOT a first time passer... however do not let the first fail get to you! pass is pass! when i failed i ended at 265 questions but never let that discourage you. you have the education for it, all you need now is to study a little harder, maybe it was the content that was a little off, or the critical thinking skills you needed to work on but if you graduated from nursing school then YES YOU CAN PASS THE NCLEX =)

a few study tips:

materials i used;

- HURST review (worth it! but know your content well in detailed. this breaks everything down in simple terms, however VERY great to use for that core content.) i watched the online videos three times each.

- EXCELL review - if you're a foreign grad like me, it might be good to use. i'll admit, i took this the first time i attempted the NCLEX and failed however i did not make good use of what i learned.. this is great for content, but you also need to practice critical thinking skills.

- NCSBN - i honestly just needed more questions and was convinced this was good since it is from the makers of the test. i used this solely for questions.

- NCLEX 3500 - i used this since it was free, haha. i used ALL 3500 questions on this site!

- all nurses study guide - read this the weekend before my test (test was on a weds)

- know all your lab values and calculations! this is important because this is something you should know like the back of your hand! you will regret it if you take your test and see that all you needed to do was brush up on it.

i studied in total 7 WEEKS. i also took my test 2 years after graduation. i was working full time but in order to pass the NCLEX you need to stay committed. i woke up 2 hours before

work to listen to a few lectures and used the evenings after work to practice on questions. but also remember not to OVEREXERT yourself. i set myself to do 150 questions per day but if i was too drained then i wouldn't.

the weekend before your test TRY NOT TO STUDY! this is important as at this point, if you try your body isn't taking anything in. your really just reading up on stuff thats not going to go through your head since your so anxious about the test (if you're like me) try to relax, i got a massage the night before and was in bed by 9PM.

THE DAY OF. first off, don't let your nerves get to you. if you studied well enough, you should feel confident to take the test as best as you could. get to the testing site at least one hour before your test, and get some breakfast and/or tea to calm you down.

DURING THE TEST: don't be scared to take breaks. i took 6! lol if ever you're feeling antsy or overwhelmed raise your hand and take a break. and don't just use the bathroom. do jumping jacks, walk around anything to stimulate your brain and keep you motivated. i'll admit i used a few breaks just to give myself pep talks in front of the mirror hahaha. whatever you need to do to keep you motivated.

i passed with 265 questions! so it IS possible. if you get pass 75 questions TAKE A BREAK. regroup yourself and remind yourself to try your best with EACH question as it comes. i made the mistake of my first attempt to just speed through by 200 questions because i assumed i was going to fail.. but don't let the amount of questions discourage.. keep trying.

after the test, (at least for me) you will feel as if you failed, thats okay! i cried for an hour after! hahaha. i did the pearsonvue trick and got the good pop up 5 mins after my test, but since its not official results, i wasn't convince and believed i failed. waited for the quick results and passed! my license verification is officially on the BON :)

FOR SECOND TIME, THIRD TIME, FOURTH ETC TEST TAKERS, keep trying! don't give up! you graduated nursing school so you are capable! this website really helped me through my second attempt to pass so i hope i could shed a little insight/encouragement for those needing it too!

yay! officially an RN =)

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Congratulations ^_^

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Hi congrats...took nclex 3x and still failed...I don't know what else to do....I mean I'm not giving up...I just need to study harder!!

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Pls email me...can't email u

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Pls email me...can't email u

yeah idk why this website hasn't given me access to personal messages.. what was your question?

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Hi congrats...took nclex 3x and still failed...I don't know what else to do....I mean I'm not giving up...I just need to study harder!!

yeah.. i know how that feels. it can get pretty discouraging. after i failed, i took 3 months off to get all the negativity out and refresh my brain. i don't think its a good idea to retake the test right after since you might end up burning yourself out. have you tried hurst? i think that helped me a lot since it gives you core content and helps you think 'nclexy' (terms of hurst haha)

let me know if you have any questions for me id be more than happy to help!

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I used Kaplan and thought that was it for me! Really good....how much is hurst! Omg so many money spent tooo

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I used Kaplan and thought that was it for me! Really good....how much is hurst! Omg so many money spent tooo

i got hurst for $300. it includes the lectures (VERY HELPFUL) and 6 q-reviews which are practice tests with 125 questions. kaplan is good for questions, but i needed more help on the core content.. you can't answer correctly until you have the right information instilled in your brain i think.

and yesssss, studying for the nclex can get expensive esp if you use study materials like hurst, kaplan, ncsbn.. but if you focus and put your all in it, you WILL pass. and that money spent is worth it once you have your license. :)

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hi Nurse_AR415 i was trying to send you a message but i think your inbox is full..

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i am so broke, i cant afford hurst. any other suggestions free options? im at my wits ends ugh

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hi Nurse_AR415 i was trying to send you a message but i think your inbox is full..

I can't email u as well....what's your email address...I guess I reached my capacity for sending mails today

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Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! :yeah:

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