Hi everyone! I passed my NCLEX exactly 2 weeks ago, Oct. 13, 2015. A little background about me: I graduated from a school in Manila, Philippines last April 2013. I tried applying to the California BON, but unfortunately, like many foreign grads, I was rejected. It was one whole year of processing and waiting only to be denied. I was depressed for a while but my mom encouraged me to try other states. She had relatives in Texas so I applied there. Fortunately, within 4 months, my application went through and I was able to take my NCLEX.
When I got my ATT, I did not know how to start reviewing. I often visited this website for tips on how to study and what materials to study. People had various suggestions and I know that we all have different study methods that work for us.
Here's mine:
1. QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS. Assess yourself: are you already good with content or do you need to have a comprehensive review? I did some pre-tests and I thought that I'm still pretty good with my nursing knowledge even though I have already been out of school for 2 years, so I set a goal of answering a specific number of questions every day. I reviewed for two months. For the first week, I tried 50 questions a day, then progressed to 75, to 100 to 150. I used the following for my questions:
NCLEX 4000 - Found the free software online. I practiced my SATAs with this!
Lippincott Q&A Review for NCLEX-RN (11th Edition) - I used the CD
ExamCram 3rd Edition
NCLEX Mastery App - buy the whole app ($30.00)! It's worth it.
Kaplan NCLEX-RN Premier 2015-2016
Kaplan Q-bank (good for one month) - The questions were difficult and my scores ranged from low 50s to high 70s. I was disheartened at first because of my low scores but the questions helped me in becoming better in answering questions.
Whenever I don't know the disease or the procedure, I refer to Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN Examination (the yellow book, 5th edition). You don't need to read the whole back cover-to-cover (unless you're really bad with content). You only need to refer to this book whenever you don't recall or understand something.
2. WRITE THE RATIONALES. This has been A LOT OF HELP to me. This will help you retain information and analyze questions better because it helps you understand why your answer is right and the other choices are wrong and vice versa. Do not get worried if there are times that you keep getting the wrong answers. Just practice answering questions and writing down the rationales. Get a notebook where you can write your rationales. Make it your treasure!
3. BE RESOURCEFUL. The internet is a big place! Just browsing here in allnurses.com helped me in getting helpful resources such as notes, mnemonics, sample exams, etc. I was able to find audio lectures that I listen to whenever I drive. It was really helpful! I was also able to find the Kaplan Q-trainers online, which were very helpful in preparing me for my NCLEX. Here are my score:
QT1: 63%
QT2: 65%
QT3: 54%
QT4: 68%
QT5: 70%
QT6: 72%
QT7: 68%
Do not worry if your scores are below mine. There were people who got scores between 40 to 60% but were able to pass. But of course, don't settle with 40%. Try scoring between high 50s and above :)
Also, you don't have to buy new books! I borrowed some books from the local public library and I was able to renew extension for each of the books 3 times (I borrowed Kaplan NCLEX-RN Premier and ExamCram). I wish I had known about using the local public library before buying the Lippincott Q&A book which was very expensive (but at least I was able to use the CD).
4. PRACTICE GOOD STUDY HABITS. Find a study buddy. Exchange questions and discuss the rationales with each other. Find a good place to study. Maximize your time in studying but DO NOT OVERSTUDY. Rest your brain and give yourself time to relax and recharge. Eat well and find time to exercise.
5. THE WEEK BEFORE NCLEX. Just do comprehensive exams. I answered the question trainers and the practice test of the Kaplan NCLEX-RN Premier, which was 265 questions (I got 83%).
5. THE DAY BEFORE NCLEX. Don't study the night before NCLEX! Just relax and pamper yourself. Go to church, go the salon, watch a movie, etc. Sleep early and do not attempt to open anything!
6. PRAY, PRAY, PRAY. Prayer is powerful! Ask for peace and wisdom every day!
If you need some resources, please feel free to leave your emails in the comment section. :) I will also try my best to answer some of your questions.
A BIT OF ENCOURAGEMENT. Do not be discouraged if initally your scores are low or if you are scoring lower than others. Just keep practicing. Also, it does not matter if you have just recently graduated or been out of school for a long time. Just do your best to review and ask help if you need it. You are not alone :) Good luck, future RN!
