Passed NCLEX Without Studying

[AnaLVN]

Hi everyone,

I've come across this question on several forums and thought I'd share my experience of passing the NCLEX without having studied.

I've been an LVN for 6 years so I have some experience in the field (I work outpatient at an urgent care, not inpatient at a hospital).

Graduated valedictorian from California State University of Long Beach's BSN program in May of 2015 and I kind of had already decided that I wouldn't spend too much time worrying or stressing over the NCLEX since, afterall, I had just graduated from a well known and highly praised nursing program. We took an ATI predictor exit exam May 14th and I scored a 99.9% chance of passing NCLEX on my first try so I felt confident n my ability.

I went on vacation for some time after graduation, worked part time, enjoyed my time at the pool, and from time to time in between watching my son swim and tanning, I'd scroll through a few ATI questions here and there on my smart phone.

When it came time to schedule my test, I told myself I'd study! I had this whole routine set up in my head... but I just never really seemed to get around to it. Mostly because I kept hearing from my classmates and co-workers who had recently tested that studying hadn't helped them at all.

Well.... woke up the morning of my NCLEX exam, and I PANICKED. I frantically accessed my friend's Kaplan course and took 2 of the Q-bank tests trying to CRAM and see where I stood performance wise. I was a crying disaster, I was begging for prayers from everyone and couldn't believe how arrogant I was thinking that just because I had done well in school that I could somehow show up to the NCLEX and think I'd pass without any trouble. Tried rescheduling last minute but nope... 24 hour notice was needed.

So I tucked my tail in-between my legs and off I went to the testing center. I was so over the exam the entire time I was taking it because I got drilled on OB and simply felt like I knew almost nothing of the material (but I did keep tally of my SATA and felt good that I counted 18 of them). Test shut off at 75 at exactly 60 minutes and I recall my last 2 questions being SATA so I felt a little relieved.

However, on my drive home, I lost it. I started recalling all the questions I had answered wrong and was convinced I had failed because I kept getting the same OB questions over and over again but in different formats.

Decided against doing the Pearson Vue Trick and just waited it out... The waiting was tedious, I kept going back and forth between thinking I failed and how embarrassing it'd be that the valedictorian failed the NCLEX at 75 questions and then I'd snap out of it and say I probably didn't fail at 75.

Less than 48 hours after having taken my exam (and after refreshing the CA BRN board more than 1,000,000,000 times) THERE IT WAS!!! MY NAME WAS UP!!!

Cried tears of joy, called everyone in my family and close friends to thank them for having stuck by me along this nightmare of a journey nursing school had been (working two jobs and having a young child during nursing school is HIGHLY not recommended to anyone).

So lesson of the story is...

Just do yourself a favor and study, prepare, and practice. I'm sure nursing school definitely prepared us for this exam, and for the most part I don't think studying would have helped me for the type of teaching questions I got, but it would have definitely set my mind more at ease. Also, if you're not a strong test taker, PRACTICE A LOT and just go with your gut feeling. Mind you, I was a strong test taker all along nursing school and I was never much of a studier, so that's what worked for me. Don't dwell on the answers. Just click it and click next. STOP SECOND GUESSING YOURSELF. That's how I managed to finish quickly, didn't beat myself up if I didn't know something, and made it through in one piece.

I've heard from all my classmates that U-World has been great and the closest to the NCLEX they've had for practice, so that's a great free online resource to access (it's 1 week free trial if I remember hearing correctly).

Best of luck to everyone out there. Have confidence in yourself, keep your support close by and KEEP BUSY after you test so you don't rip all your hair out while you wait for those results!!!

P.S. That 35 page study guide that's floating around did help, I glanced over it quickly and was able to recall some things thanks to it. Wish I would have spent a bit more time looking at it! Let me know if you're interested in it. I still have it along with a lab value sheet

And if there's one thing I saw almost word by word from my Kaplan tests to the NCLEX was:

Spinal cord injury is to autonomic dysreflexia (ALWAYS SIT THEM UP, don't bother answering anything with assessment when it comes to the spinal cord patient sweating, flushing, feverish, headache, nasal congestion, nausea) as brain injury is to diabetes insipidus.

[Pangea Reunited, ASN, RN]

Me too. I bought a review book, but ended up blowing it off and taking a mini vacation, instead. I admit that I find this thread somewhat obnoxious, but less obnoxious than the "I finally passed after four tries because God allowed it." threads.

Most of us do pass on the first try without an extraordinary amount of effort.

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

Moved to the NCLEX forum

[suzw]

I'm kind of in a similar position. Good test taker, did well in school (ASN program, but a very highly regarded one) and due to life happening, just have.not.studied.as much as I had hoped/ planned to. I'm scheduled to take it in 5 days, and I know I could reschedule it, but I kind of it want to get it over with. I've done Kaplan and have been doing ok (q-trainer scores in the high 60s/ low 70s) but there is no way I will complete even half of it before test day. Oh, and my ATI predictor said 97% chance of passing but I don't put a lot of faith in that, it seemed like mostly delegation questions.

So so your post has made me feel better, but I am still wondering if I should schedule or just go for it. Any advice or suggestions are welcome. And now, I will get back to my studying...

[patmurseMLnurse]

Well isn't this something.

I can only hope to be as fortunate.

[joha]

Congrats