gone2meowi

I only had one math calculation and it was to figure out an IV drip rate to how many units of medication would be administered in solution at what amount of cc's per hour I had to fill in cc's per hour .

At least it should help to know they are not all coming out in the same time frame. Lots of good luck to you!

Kaplan was very beneficial in reviewing every picky little fact about so many body systems. I found it annoying at times because I did not agree with many of their answers through my own life experiences. However, it got to the point where I realized you have to train your mind how to answer the questions the way you will be tested at the NCLEX. The NCLEX questions I had were represented in a different way than the Kaplan questions were. However I needed the Kaplan review and constant badgering of my mind to get to the point where I was thinking the way they want you to think to process the information they give you and then you make a selection based on that methodical thinking process. Does that make sense? For instance, in Kaplan you have so many side effects and all that you have to be familiar with regarding medications, disease symptoms, etc. On my NCLEX exam, they asked a lot of questions which where based on your familarity of a disease (and it's symptoms) or a medication (and side effects) , & you had to select things like which was the most appropriate action to take, which medication should be given to which patient first, which phone call to return based on severity of symptoms, etc. So you needed to soak up the little facts in order to get the big picture and make a wise nursing decision. I hope that helps..

I'm in Southern CA and took the NCLEX June 21st. My name did not post online until July 3rd. I did not try calling the BRN so I don't know about that. I read about someone who took it on a Sat. recently and found her name within a week. I don't think there is any rhyme, reason or meaning as to when they post. Maybe certain testing centers have more to process. Who knows!?! Just know there is a wide span of time as to when names post there! The average for CA is between 2-4 weeks.

Glad I could help :) I know it feels awful while you are going through it! Okay... keep the date. I know what you mean about the thought of prolonging the agony! best of luck to you!

I felt the same as you do when I did the question trainers. They do get harder as you go along. With the NCLEX, you need to score 50% correct of the section of harder questions. Take a break (and your Advil). Don't be discouraged. It should help to at least know others were (and are) as frustrated as you feel! When you've rested and cleared your mind, I think it would be good to analyze the answers of the test you just took so you can learn from it & be more successful in the next one you take. Just a thought....If you feel too stressed, why don't you postpone the test for a while? You always have that option. Your mental health is important :) Good luck!

That is exactly what I meant when I said I may not have agreed with their answers..... I know the information to be different in my own experience or with newer information than they presented. I totally agree with you! If you go to pearson view.com, they have a section there which shows you exactly how the NCLEX test questions may be presented. They walk you through the actual review you will have before you start your exam. This may help you feel more acclimated as to how the questions will be. After taking the NCLEX, I felt that Kaplan questions were not presented in the same manner that the NCLEX was. However, if you go over the questions and concentrate on analyzing why they answer the way they do, it does train your mind. It is almost like brainwashing you to think a certain way. That is the important point to take out of it. I am not familiar with the Q bank you refer to so I cannot comment on that. I only did Kaplan and did not have the course, I just studied the book and did the tests on CD... (my daughter had taken the course live 3 years ago so I had her materials.) That is the frustrating part about those practice tests... they are so detailed. In actuality, at least in the NCLEX I had, they threw a curve in the way the questions were presented. It was more concept and critical thinking. You take the facts you know and put them together to problem solve a situation. I know I kept re reading the questions to be sure what aspect they were looking for, be it psychosocial or otherwise. That is why I think it is more important to analyze the critiques they give in the analysis of the answers so your mind starts to comprehend how to think the way they are training you to think. (More so than stressing over each and every fact.) I hope that makes sense.

I know what you are saying and I think you are right in deciding to stick with one approach. Otherwise you will certainly make yourself nuts! I suggest that you just take the practice test, then review it right away so you can go over what you missed to make sure you reiterate in your mind why the correct answer was correct. When you review the answers, they systematically point out why one answer is wrong, or why one is "more right" than another. I kept going over those points. I think you will benefit more from doing it this way instead of waiting to take all the tests before reviewing. Do you know what I am saying? If you do not review, you are not retraining yourself before going onto the next test. This is what worked for me... obviously everyone is different and has to find what works for them. I kept a note pad of missed points so I could look it up and read briefly about whatever the topic was. Also, I kept a medical and drug dictionary close by. It's important to draw a similarity to conditions and symptoms instead of just memorizing points. You want to understand it. Just remember the most important thing is how to take the test. You need a basic knowledge but you need to figure out what they want from you. It is a training process. If you do it over and over calmly, it will train your mind! It almost gets to the point where you can tell where they are headed by the way they word a question. Did you look at the Kaplan decision tree in the index section in the front of the book? That may help guide you. I think it is good to do your studying or test taking in small portions not to overtax your mind. You don't want to get exhausted! Make sure to take breaks. Ok..... now just take it easy and try not to let stress, stress you out! Well, you can try! :)

My daughter took the live class which included computer sessions and online access besides the class sessions. I really cannot say anything about other courses having just been exposed to only this one. I just know it worked for her. They pointed out loopholes to avoid and gave tips of points to remember. They help you train your mind how to respond to answer correctly. That's all I know. I will say though, that I myself had my RN license lapse due to disability from back surgeries and I just took the NCLEX and passed, only using the Kaplan book that she had from her class. I know what the other girl is saying about the amount of knowledge it presents. I found it almost overwhelming too but I have not worked for 20 years so I had to cram a lot of knowledge review in my brain. What I took from Kaplan was a base to build from in order to make informed decisions in taking the test. I don't know how you feel having come through the accelerated program but for my daughter, as quickly as the information was given to the students, it was hard to remember all the picky little facts that come up in the NCLEX review tests, later on. So for her, the Kaplan classes were beneficial as they pointed out things to concentrate on for the NCLEX, and things to know, but not necessarily for the NCLEX. There was that distinction. I hope this explanation helps.

My daughter graduated from an accelerated BSN program in CA and did well after taking the Kaplan NCLEX course. Whichever one you choose to take, make sure you analyze why certain answers are right or wrong so you adopt the learning process of how they want you to "think" and answer the NCLEX questions. It is all about training your mind how to think for the test.

Believe me, this was not an easy undertaking! I felt like I was going to lose my mind! I just kept going over and over it analyzing, as you seem to be doing. You are doing fine! Figuring out the method, is of key importance. Ask yourself, "Why is that question right... or MORE right?" That is what I kept going over. It is a definite training course. You have to have the basics, which nursing school gave you... then you have to know how to take the test! Look at the root parts of words and endings. That will help a lot. Like if you know a certain ending refers to an antibiotic (acillin...penacillin) or "itis" is inflammation... those types of things help too. I wish you lots of luck! But most of all, peace, when you take the NCLEX! Just remember when you take the test to really read the question carefully so you realize what it is actually asking you. Most of the time certain answers are ruled out immediately. Then you just ponder what is left, and make an informed choice. Just do your best and try not to stress out... stress is self defeating! :)

Well, for me, my initial attempt at the Kaplan tests scored me in the 60's in most tests. I had 100% in knowledge and comprehension but fell down in the application of it. That is why I analyzed why they answered the way they did and even though I may not have agreed with their answers, I trained my mind to answer the way they were training us to think. That is why I suggest re doing the tests over and over until your mind reacts the way they want it to. Also, note that in the front of the Kaplan book, it shows a chart of how to approach answering each type of question to rule out certain types of answers and if you can remember that, use it as a guideline for how to approach your train of thought. I let my license lapse since I had become disabled due to back surgeries and never thought I could return to critical care nursing. But now I realize there is so much more you can do with nursing than when I left it. That is what happened there. I hope my suggestions help.

Keep going over the Kaplan questions and read the rationale for each answer. They tell you why something is wrong or why some other answer is a better choice. That is a very important distinction. The goal of the NCLEX is to determine if you will make informed decisions in any particular situation. That is based on your nursing thought processes. While I do not think that Kaplan necessarily is an exact replica of the NCLEX, I did find that if you really drill yourself over and over, taking and retaking their preview tests until you score in the 90's, it is a great preparatrion for the NCLEX. That is what I did until I got to the point where I felt I could not possibly study any longer. I took the CA NCLEX June 21, 2006. It turned off at 100 questions and I found out today that I passed. I took the nursing boards 32 years ago but my license lapsed after being inactive more than 8 years, so I retook it and things have certainly changed since testing back then! I had not worked in over 20 years. That is why I am saying it is so important to grasp the concept behind the Kaplan questions more so than stressing over each and every picky little medical fact. I think it is all in knowing how to answer the questions... how to complete the thought process behind the rationale.