It took me 4.5 hours just to answer 140 questions. i walked out of there feeling like i had failed and immediately came to this site to look up other people's thoughts about their nclex to find some sort of comfort, but 2 days later my license was posted on the bon, a nice surprise to say the least. however, i took my time on each question because believe me you won't feel like your making the definately right choice about any of the answers you pick. this exam is less about content knowledge and more about usingyour instincts (gut feeling) and insight to pick up on hidden clues to assess or treat the patient that is in "silent" distress or who needs attention first according to abc (airway breathing circulation) or maslow. this test targets your weak areas so try to read up on the stuff you don't know about. for me it targeted psych and eye problems which i new nothing about but it kept giving me questions on these topics which made me feel like i was gonna fail. try to be mindful of time, but never rush through. its nerve racking i know. take comfort in the fact that the majority of nurse grads pass this exam and honestly you only fail it if you either rush though without taking the time to think through each question (no matter how long it takes) or if you just completely did not study effectively and learn the nclex rules of priority questions (abc, maslow, etc...). my thoughts are with you.
Try the kaplan nclex-rn exam guide book for question practice and strategies. also get the mosby study cards for pathophysiology, fluid & electrolytes and pharmacology for content review. Those are the best review books i ever got and are very effective. trust me, you don't need to pay $500 for a review course. alot of companies make a huge profit off of our fear of failiing this exam when you could just read the books and save a bunch of money. don't fall for it. learn your strategies and patient priorities and take your time on the test. trust me no-one was more nervous than i was taking that exam and i don't know everything but i do have some knowledge. more to the point if I can pass, anyone can. good luck!!! nelly, rn
