PearsonVue Trick is all lies. I didn't get a popup and I PASSED!

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Alrighty, grab a snack and take a seat, fellow nurses and nurses-to-be, lemme tell you a somewhat-lengthy story from my very recent life.

First off, some background information from me: I studied with ATI during school (it's what my school used during the nursing program), and Kaplan. Also, I'm a huge procrastinator (you're probably thinking, "what does that have to do with anything?"). And I passed the NCLEX with 158 questions - just got the official letter yesterday~

So, continuing on -

I took the Kaplan review during the last week of May, and didn't sign up for a testing date til a few weeks later. During my Kaplan review, I slacked, and didn't take the QT 1-3 like they said, cos it was both simultaneously "I don't know when my test date is, so I'll save it til then" and "I don't want to take these, I'll do them later". When I did sign up and had an official testing date of 7/22, I only really started to study around 3 weeks before my exam, taking 78% of the QB with an average score of 61%, and all of the QT tests, for the following scores:

Diagnostic: 61%

QT1: 49% (okay, I admit, I did rush through this one)

QT2: 55%

QT3: 52%

QT4: 57%

QT5: 61%

QT6: 55%

QT7: 54%

Readiness: 51%

During those 3 weeks, I used my ATI review books, and watched content videos in the areas I knew I was weak in.

Around 5 days before my exam, when I took QT7 and got my 54%, I started to get really anxious about my exam. I started to feel the burnout from studying and started to freak out that I wasn't feeling ready. About 7 times, I seriously contemplated between "I NEED TO RESCHEDULE I AM NOWHERE NEAR READY" and "Man, I should just get it over with". After feeling conflicted, I set my mind on, "I'm taking it on 7/22 and nothing is stopping me."

I didn't study 3 days prior to the testing date, seeing that I felt it was useless to try and cram anything in those last three days. I followed what Kaplan said, and just treated myself - I slept over at my college friends' apartments, had dinner with them, marathoned TV shows, doing normal summer-esque things, and just enjoying myself before judgement day, haha.

On the day of my NCLEX exam, I woke up early, took a shower, got there at 7:20AM. I had been praying to God several times during the previous week, and prayed all the way to the exam check-in room. Once I got seated in from of the daunting computer, I took a deep breath, and dove right in.

The questions and formatting were highly similar to Kaplan's, even having the calculator on the upper left-hand corner, and the questions were definitely high level-of-thinking. And lemme tell you, it is very difficult to keep that calm demeanor. You will second guess yourself over and over, and you will definitely feel restless, wondering where the test will cut you off.

Around 2 hours in, I got cut off at the 158 mark. And, wow, the sense of "I failed, I definitely failed" filled my entire being like no other at that point. I felt restless for the next 2 days, waiting for Quick Results to be ready. I didn't want to talk about the test with anyone but my other friends who took it.

About 2 days after, I contemplated seeing the quick results, but being a recent college graduate and not wanting to spend any kind of money above $5, I attempted to do the infamous PearsonVue Popup Trick. And I got no pop-up. It seemed like I could sign up again.

And that's when the grandest feeling of "Oh my gosh, I am the ultimate failure" sank into my mind. But I quickly thought, "Just hold up, it's called a trick for a good reason. I shouldn't believe in lowly stuff like that." So, I went to the PearsonVue website, saw that Quick Results were ready, paid the 7-whatever-how-much-dollars, clicked through, and...and there it was.

Right there, on the glaring screen, in 4 letters: "Pass"

And you couldn't believe how quickly my mind shot into the stars.

It took a while to absorb this information in, but once it did, I quickly ran around my house, yelled in excitement, called my parents, and flipped out for the rest of the day! And the following day, I got the official letter, saying the same great 4-lettered word of "Pass", and relived the running and the yelling! My parents treated me out to my favorite restaurant that night, even got some Rumchatta as well, haha~

So, moral of the story: Don't believe in that stupid Pearson Vue pop-up trick! It guarantees NOTHING. Just wait for, at the very least, quick results, and that letter. And, really, just believe in yourself! Sounds very cliche, but seriously, don't let assumptions get to you, and believe in yourself, cos you have this under control.

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Specializes in L&D, infusion, urology.

Did you go all the way through to the credit card page? There are several pages you get through to get there when doing the PVT.

Congratulations, nurse! :nurse:

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Congrats!!

Of course it's not 100 percent, but some of us live in states that don't participate in quick results (like CA). I got the good pop-up and did pass, but had to wait for my license to be posted on the BRN page.

Just a question, though: Did you actually enter your information on the first couple pages when attempting to re-register for NCLEX? Because you HAVE to enter some information (a couple pages worth, if I remember correctly). If it lets you continue on to the credit card page, then that is usually the bad screen.

Anyway, great job!! Being an RN definitely is the best feeling! :-)

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I was typing my response when RunBabyRN was doing theirs. We were thinking the same thing! ;-)

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Well, it's not "All Lies", but if it makes you feel better.... :)

"I attempted to do the infamous PearsonVue Popup Trick. And I got no pop-up. It seemed like I could sign up again."

Ok. But COULD you register again....meaning, pay for another exam? Or did you not continue through the screens to the page that requested your CC #?

Did you see the words "Delivery Successful" prior to attempting to move through the screens?

While I'm a huge proponent of Calm Down and Wait for Results there have been times, it seems, when people have not done 'The Trick' properly and claimed it didn't work. And maybe it didn't. But sometimes.....it's user error.

Bottom line: you passed, so congrats! :)

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Specializes in Critical Care.

If you search around, you'll find a very, very small number of people that have passed but it still directed them to the credit card page. This could be due to many factors including specific state boards all the way to what testing centers are being used.

However, there has not been a single instance in which someone has gotten the "good pop up" and failed, which is why all the websites now say that getting the credit card page is not a definitive indicator of failing.

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Specializes in Cardiac, ER, Pediatrics, Corrections.

Way to go! Bet that was the ultimate relief!

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Specializes in Emergency, Tele, Med Surg, DOU, ICU.

It may be that you did not fully complete the steps to register that's why you didn't get the popup. I just find it incredibly hard to believe that a company that deals with online

material would allow an error in its line of code to persist and allow a successful test taker to repay a Non Refundable fee.

Anyways congrats

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
It may be that you did not fully complete the steps to register that's why you didn't get the popup. I just find it incredibly hard to believe that a company that deals with online

material would allow an error in its line of code to persist and allow a successful test taker to repay a Non Refundable fee.

Anyways congrats

But it has happened where people have re-registered, paid the fee, and ended up passing; because, in actuality, it is really a "trick".

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

I would imagine that errors in the PVT come within the first 24 hours of taking the exam. Remember that the exam is scored twice. The first time is done at the test center and the 2nd is done remotely, probably using a slightly different methodology and is definitive as to pass/fail. I suspect that if you go well beyond the 75 questions and then you check the PVT before the exam is scored the 2nd time, you can get one result, but if you check after the 2nd scoring is complete, you will get the definitive result.

I suspect that the OP didn't do the PVT the right way because it should provide a popup or go to the CC page. There's yet one other possibility that may have occurred... the OP may have a popup blocker turned on and currently blocking popups.

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Specializes in Forensic Psych.

I've known about the trick for a long time, but what I didn't know what how MUCH info you had to put in before the pop up came up.

You can register again if you passed. What you can't do is pay for the test.

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I agree with the others. You register but if you get to CC page to try and pay the pop up box comes up. Everyone I know that has taken the RN boards inTexas since 2009 say it's accurate. My classmate wwent all the way to pay and results in 5 days and didn't pass. I just took it June 30,

2014 with 265 questions and did it over

25 times until my husband may me pay since it was coming over the Independence day weekend. I passed, si yes I believe in it. Never heard anyone say they got the pop up and didn't pass. Anyway congratulations

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