Passed NCLEX-RN with 76 questions for the first time and you can too!!

[strawberryluv, BSN, RN]

Omg, I am ecstatic. I passed the NCLEX-RN with 76 questions on the first try! I took the exam on July 14th and just got the quick results. The test ended for me about 1 hour and thirty minutes later. The 48 hours to wait for quick results was so long!

I had 20+ SATA, 3-5 exhibits, no audio, no hotspots, no medcalc, 10-20 priority, 3-4 pharm questions, and the rest were a lot of multiple choice on situations surrounding certain procedures and common diseases/conditions. I didn't see any topic that was unfamiliar to me, I didn't see any diseases that I didn't know which was strange. I expected as it got harder, I would start seeing diseases or medications that I didn't know. However, every medication I came across I was familiar with. Then again, I really focused the last two weeks on medications so maybe I was prepared.

Since, I spent a good amount of those 9 or 10 weeks from graduating and taking the NCLEX on this site seeing what people did to pass, I will pay it forward.

Background: I graduated from a local university with my BSN in May 2015, cum laude. I am an astute student. I studied extensively throughout the nursing program. Whenever there was a test or quiz, I was the type to read the material, find the essential points, go over multiple resources to find how the information could be asked in a question. So, I am not someone that just absorbs things easily. I work hard to understand concepts. My program is rigorous and I felt like it prepared me well. The passing rate for my program is 88% last year.

February of this year is when I started to bust my butt. My school paid for a woman from Hesi to lecture to us for 3 days as a live review. My school provided us with

The HESI/Saunders Online Review for the NCLEX-RN Examination, here is the link:

https://evolve.elsevier.com/cs/product/9781455702831?role=student. I did the pre-test for the Online Review which generated a 12 week study plan which I followed diligently throughout my last semester. I did every single module and lesson it told me to do and Rest on the weekends as the study plan said.

Next, I checked out a book from my university's library. I need a book to study from during my senior year that was NOT Saunders Comprehensive Review for NCLEX-RN 5th edition. I used the yellow Saunders book throughout nursing school and was sick of it. I needed a change of pace and I wanted something more fluid with lengthy explanations. Saunders was just the bare facts listed. That's when I checked out Mosby's Comprehensive Review of Nursing for NCLEX-RN®, 18e: 9780323039017: Medicine & Health Science Books @ Amazon.com

Mosby's Comprehensive Review of Nursing for NCLEX-RN 18th edition. I know its the 18th edition so its older than the 20th. I didn't care. It didn't affect me as much. I liked how this book was very good with explaining things. It didn't just list a symptom of a disease, it would tell you why the symptom occurs on a short patho level in parentheses. So, this review book outline was way more specific to why a symptom occurs than in Saunders. I love Saunders but this review outline is way better. Even in the nursing interventions, it tells you WHY you want to do this action in accordance to the disease as a nurse, not just that you would do it like Saunders does. The book has tons of questions, something like 2,000+ questions in the book and 1,000+ questions in the CD. I did the CD as well throughout the last semester. I returned the book in the end of the semester which was first week of May. After this, I went back to Saunders. The change in books was much needed on my part.

NCLEX 4000: I answered questions on this software on days I didn't feel like cracking open a book. This software has over 4000+ questions and has topics on all areas of nursing. You can even choose from client needs category. The unfortunate thing with this software is that it doesn't have memory of where you left off with if you start. So, if you choose a topic and do questions, you have to leave your computer on to get back where you left off. Also, if you do a random test and try to do another one next day, it won't remember that you had answered the question yesterday for last random test. I just selected the topic I wanted, like "GI disorders" and did all the questions in one day then moved onto next topic. That's how I dealt with the software not having a memory. I answered maybe more than half of the question bank. I remediated any questions I got wrong by going to the yellow Saunders book to read up on it.

[COLOR=#000000]Kaplan NCLEX-RN Strategies, Practice, and Review

Practice Test 2012-2013 Kaplan NCLEX-RN 2012-2013 Strategies, Practice, and Review WITH CD-ROM (Kaplan Nclex-Rn Exam): 9781609785659: Medicine & Health Science Books @ Amazon.com

[/COLOR]I read this book in its entirety. I wanted to understand what were the Kaplan strategies that people were talking about. I really enjoyed reading about the strategies, I used some of the strategies on my own practice questions. The decision tree is fascinating. There is a comprehensive review in the back and I did it. It said if you score 70%+ then you have strong content knowledge. The questions from this Kaplan were pretty hard. This was my first sample of Kaplan's question format. I am impressed, its very good. I scored a 76% on the practice test.

NCLEX RN Mastery App: I bought this app after reading how good it was from others on here. This app has 1,800+ questions. I really liked it because it had all types of mnemonics and the questions were very good. The select all the apply here are excellent! I used this app whenever I had a spare moment at work or on the go. I always have my phone on me so this is very useful for people like me.

Hurst Review: Hurst Review Services - NCLEX Review Course By the time of graduation, I was starting to feel panicky. Although I felt I knew a lot, I was just nervous and felt I needed to take something like a review course. I looked at the introduction video and did a one week trial. I really liked how the people lectured on the topic. It was very interesting to watch and follow along with the worksheets. I signed up for the online review and got a 10% discount from a website, I forgot what it was. The core content review from Hurst was important for setting the foundation and understanding WHY something is happening in a disease or condition. The southern accents from the lecturers were very entertaining to watch as I am from NJ. I loved this review so much. The Q-Review exams prepared me well for what to expect on NCLEX. It comes with a money-back guarantee so I wasn't afraid to pay for the review because if I failed, I would have just asked for my money back.

My Q-Review scores: Hurst says the average score for people who pass NCLEX using their review is 84/125

Q1: 87/125

Q2: 84/125

Q3: 81/125

Q4: 93/125

Q5: 86/125

Q6: 90/125

Prioritization, Delegation, and Assignment: Practice Exercises for the NCLEX Examination, 2e

Prioritization, Delegation, and Assignment: Practice Exercises for the NCLEX Examination, 2e: 9780323065702: Medicine & Health Science Books @ Amazon.com

I practiced prioritization questions using this book. It helped me a lot! I did all 18 chapters and none of the case studies.

Kaplan Question Trainers 1-7: These were super helpful! I did the q-trainers towards the last 3 weeks leading up to the exam to see whether or not I'm ready to take the exam. I've heard Kaplan questions were tough so I wanted to expose myself to them. I didn't pay for the qbanks or the course, I just searched the Q-Trainers online and took them for free. The Q-trainer 6 and 7 are all analysis and application, they are the most indicative or success on NCLEX because they really test your critical thinking. I struggled narrowing down the two answers on most of the questions on these q-trainers. It was hard!

My Q-Trainer scores:

1:76%

2:77%

3:67%

4:77%

5:73%

6:67%

7:66%

http://www.amazon.com/Saunders-Comprehensive-Review-NCLEX-RN-Examination/dp/1437708250/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437079853&sr=8-1&keywords=saunders+comprehensive+review+for+the+nclex-rn+examination+edition+5 : Of course, I studied extensively in this book as well. I reviewed the Pediatrics chapter five weeks into my study session because I hadn't reviewed the book for a while (the whole senior semester) or peds. I felt like Peds was my weak subject. I highly recommend this version, it is definitely enough for content review alone since its so massive. Don't pay the extra money for the new edition.

Allnurses 39-page study guide: I read this study guide a week before my exam. It was very helpful! Know INFECTION CONTROL for certain DISEASES. SPIDERMAN! I will attach the study guide.

On test day, I was familiar with most topics on there. Actually, some of the questions were lectured on in Hurst Review extensively. I was so shocked. Hurst Review is amazing!!! I was definitely nervous walking into the exam but when I started answering the questions, the topics were familiar because of the core content review from Hurst. I wasn't shocked at the questions presented to me since I studied over 8000+ questions for this exam. Yes, I answered that much questions from February to July.

Overall, I think to master this exam, one must have a strong core content knowledge combined with an extensive question bank. Answer as much questions as you can get your hands on after learning the content. Aim for maybe 3000+ questions for your entire study plan for NCLEX.

I hoped this helped someone! I'm so glad this exam is behind me Now onwards to job searching!

I've attached the study guide and a 150 NCLEX question exam I used. Stay positive and study! You can do this!

NCLEX-RN study guide allnurses.pdf

NCLEX_150_QARs_Exam_Prep_No.4__071609rk.pdf

[SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP]

Congratulations! Wow, you did a LOT of prep work Glad it paid off. I just did the 4-day Kaplan course (includes all the online QBanks, trainers, etc.) and I had the UltimApps 8 NCLEX RN app on my phone. Finished in 77 questions

Thanks for sharing your experience with us!

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

LOL, I congratulate you of course, but will admit I didn't read past the first few lines!

Just one question: the second attachment .......please tell me that's not copyrighted material....right?

[strawberryluv, BSN, RN]

LOL, I congratulate you of course, but will admit I didn't read past the first few lines!

Just one question: the second attachment .......please tell me that's not copyrighted material....right?

I don't think so since I have no idea who wrote this and the attachment does not state if there was a publisher or if its just a random document of questions.

[AvaNSr]

Is it too late to congratulate you? you did a great job!

I will graduate in few weeks (in Canada) and my school suggest us to attend the 3 days Hesi review (which we should pay about $400 for it). You mentioned that you attended that course, how was it in your opinion?

And I should add that I am not fully prepared for the exam Canadian nursing programs are totally different from the NCLEX material. We studied Patho and Pharma together and on second year. The rest were theory courses and leadership and community stuff. So I have to study for NCLEX on my own.

I appreciate your help :)

[strawberryluv, BSN, RN]

Hello! Sorry I replied so late. Hesi live review was ok. I didn't pay for it, my university did. I attended all three sessions. It was a decent review. I was in the room with the lecturer for 8 hours. i think what helped me most was just concentrating on studying core content then immediately practiced questions on the content I just studied. Nclex is about studying on own for me when I attemptd it. Sure my school guided me and tested our thinking on exams to mirror nclex but I studied all on my own with my nclex prep materials. It's a very doable exam if one focuses...