Passing the NCLEX, Second Attempt

received a private message today about my preparation for my second attempt so I wrote the following: I completely changed my method of approach for the second attempt then the first attempt. The first time I went in confident and cocky and didn't spend much time studying. Well 265 questions and 48 hours post exam I received the big dreaded Fail from the Quick Results. Now I had to wait the 45 days to retake. Well this time I waited two to three weeks before the second attempt to really start studying. This is because I do better at retaining information when the exam is closer. I used Kaplan and Saunders to study for the second attempt as well as HESI which was used by my school as an NCLEX source. I practiced 200-300 questions a day but didn't just read the rationales but if I did not know a term, disease, medication, etc I would research it until it was drilled into my brain. Studying content at this point is almost useless (but at the same time is very important) compared to actual anyalsis which can only be learned from the content you know and practicing questions. The other thing is to take the day before the test and only touch areas that need attention or weak points. Do something fun to give your brain a break, eat balanced meals all day, and get a full 9 hours of sleep. The day of take the test at a time that your brain functions best (take practice tests at different times during the day to determine your optimum performance), eat a balanced meal prior to your exam and bring a snack with you. During the exam use every break they give you to get your thoughts together. If you get to 76 questions breath and take a break a lot of people start to beat themselves up after they go passed 75 questions and start putting in their heads failure. Remember your mind is sometimes your worst enemy. I passed the second time with nearly 200 questions, but I was never a good test taker I was always a content guy and had too much experience compared to the "NCLEX world" where everything is perfect. But these are just a few tips.