Hi fellow graduate nurses! I want to share my story! I took my NCLEX for the 2nd time on Monday and I found out this morning that I passed!!!! Here are some myths that I found in taking this test a second time:
Getting a bunch of SOA's does NOT MEAN ANYTHING! I literally only had 6 this time and I still passed.
If you are testing and it feels like you don't know anything, you are getting ABOVE competency questions. If you immediately know the answers, they most likely are not at competency.
Having tons of delegation/prioritization questions also does not mean you are above competency, once again I probably only had 5 delegation questions and about 7 prioritization questions.
The second time around I had TONS of CONTENT questions. Knowing body systems, signs and symptoms of when something is wrong, and how to handle it. I had about 7-8 medication questions and one dosage comp.
When I left the testing center I felt like I didn't get enough "above competency questions" based on my belief that I would have had a ton of SOA's, prioritization and delegation questions BUT I didn't. And I still passed!!!
I used Kaplan Qbank, Qtrainers, sample tests and content reviewsI did atleast 75 questions a day and I reviewed every question, read the rationales, and tried to change my thinking to fit their rationale. I also purchased LaCharity's assessment, delegation and prioritization. THIS BOOK SAVED MY LIFE!!!! Not only does it focus on those areas but the rationales are extremely descriptive and helpful. To round out my studying I also went back to my patho days and DREW out all the different body systems and the major things that could go wrong for each system. I made medication sheets related to those areas. I used these while taking my practice tests to solidify the information in my head as I was practicing. And last but not least, two days before my test I used my 5th edition Saunders textbook and did the 75q comprehensive review in the back. Read the rationales and called it good. The day of my test I read through lab values, LPN/NAP duties, and the worksheets I drew, and I stayed calm.
The first time I tested I only took one break in 4 hours and 265 questions. The second time I took FIVE BREAKS, I brought water, snacks, candy, and I meditated. Everytime I got nervous or anxious I took a break. I still was a hot mess the last two days waiting for my results but I just FELT more confident overall. And hey I'm now an RN! Wooooohoooo!!! Good luck everyone you got this!!!!
i hear you dear, I had 80 questions asked to me, and California boards are slow as of what I hear, It's my 12th day after my exam, worked my ass off but the computer has to ask just the questions I have no clue about........sigh....
and still not sure if I passed, I am already strategizing how to study next if I don't get thru...... Tears me down,my husband, my lil toddler(probably does not have clue), my family all were hoping I passed.....
So did I......this is torture..... A silly computer assessment software gets to prove that I cannot work as a nurse after all the hard work we put in, trust me we will beat and outwit the computer .....
does not seem like u have received ur results yet? Rt?
hope for the best....
we pray to a powerful God who can help us thru even the toughest of times.... We get thru this this time or the next time...
Exactly, it's so sad how a computer system "determines" if you are comptent. What about the stuff you do actually know but weren't asked. I would preffer a pen and paper exam with 500 questions right about now with questions you can skip over and look back on. Arghh the anxiety is killing me. I too have a daughter who is now 6 and whole family is counting on me. I feel like I failed everybody specially my daughter. I don't know how to go about explaining to her of my failure. I guess we have to keep positive despite all. I guess I am not one of the 30% foreign educated nurses who pass NCLEX for the first time. We'll find our way through this computer for sure. Stay positive! We will soon be registered nurses!
I did my quick results this morning, after entering my cc info I closed my eyes and could barely breathed, peaked through my fingers, saw a P and threw everything in my hands and started jumping for joy!!! I thought for sure I failed again!! But nope! They loved to make us feel super incompetent apparently because it was like reading a different language. But a pass is a pass! I'm an RN! Aaaah!
Chelsh, what a great feeling it must be! 30 more minutes for mine I guess. I have no idea what to expect.
I'm so scared to take my nclex for the second time! I don't know where to begin!!! I've been avoiding it but I know I can't I need to finish what I started! I see all my friends working and that should be me but I'm afraid of failure! I'm a smart cookie I'm just scared! Help! Congrats on passing!
Nadine, follow my advice. I spent 4 weeks studying 3-5 hours 5 days a week. Doing questions, reading rationales, patho review, you got this. You are not a failure!!!!! We got through school we can get through this! In have faith in you. I took a full month off after I failed the first time!
Thank you so much. Your reply literally just made my day! I'm hitting the library every day after work. Kim tuning everyone out and I'm going to pass this baby!!
Congrats. Taking mine in a month or so. I see that you mentioned doing QTrainer. Would you mind supplying information for my thread about what your scores were in Q Trainer, or Saunders, or anything you used.
Exactly, it's so sad how a computer system "determines" if you are comptent. What about the stuff you do actually know but weren't asked. I would preffer a pen and paper exam with 500 questions right about now with questions you can skip over and look back on. Arghh the anxiety is killing me. I too have a daughter who is now 6 and whole family is counting on me. I feel like I failed everybody specially my daughter. I don't know how to go about explaining to her of my failure. I guess we have to keep positive despite all. I guess I am not one of the 30% foreign educated nurses who pass NCLEX for the first time. We'll find our way through this computer for sure. Stay positive! We will soon be registered nurses!
I agree with you, 500 questions on the old fashion pen and paper would be much more appreciated then these computers who base us. What has the world come to? They tell us not to rely on machines in nursing and always the patient and what we see...some way to believe in us and give the trust to computers. You hit my heart when you talked that you have a 6 year old and family counting on you. I do not have any kids, but do have a family that is anticipating my success and a fiancé I will marry in 2 weeks, we want to start a family but once I get through boards and am in a job...I feel your pain and believe in us nursing students. We will beat the nclex and it's miserable way of defeating is nurses. Nursing is not all tests, but computers don't know that because they do not have a heart!!!! Good luck to you. I'm hoping my third time testing today works in my favor, they say not to beleive the Pearson vue trick, but the bc page always seems to be right so far for those I know. But...always positive and hoping for good news!
Do not be scared to take it a second time!! Many future nurses have had to take the exam more than once. You will start working soon! Do not worry. As for the exam, try a different method of studying than before. Personally, what worked for me the first time was an intense one month of studying. I would go to a quiet college library near my house and wake up early and study from about 10 am - 10 pm with many needed breaks etc. I used HURST for content review which really helped solidify content for me personally. After doing each topic on HURST, I would create a schedule for how many questions I should complete within that subject. For example if my topic for HURST was oncology one day, that same day, I would aim to do the oncology chapters in my Prioritization Delegation (LDA Charity) Book, and about 30-50 oncology questions in my Saunders CD. I felt as though doing this routinely really helped me confirm what I had learned through HURST. After I felt confident doing all of the chapters in relation to the HURST content guide, I set out a schedule for Kaplan questions and would do about a 100 each day. I would break them up into 20 intervals and do it 5 times a day so that I would not feel burnt out. I also got Lipincotts NCLEX Select all that apply book from amazon to help me get used to the formatting incase my exam was filled with SATA (Which, by the way it was). I did all of this for about a solid three weeks and passed! Best of luck!!
Hello, i loved ur post. It was encouraging while i was waiting for my results. I was anxious because i did not have alot of sata. But I PASSED. And i hope everyone else will be encouraged.
kawaiibows
136 Posts
Exactly, it's so sad how a computer system "determines" if you are comptent. What about the stuff you do actually know but weren't asked. I would preffer a pen and paper exam with 500 questions right about now with questions you can skip over and look back on. Arghh the anxiety is killing me. I too have a daughter who is now 6 and whole family is counting on me. I feel like I failed everybody specially my daughter. I don't know how to go about explaining to her of my failure. I guess we have to keep positive despite all. I guess I am not one of the 30% foreign educated nurses who pass NCLEX for the first time. We'll find our way through this computer for sure. Stay positive! We will soon be registered nurses!