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Whew! Yours is harsh! And I agree, SAFETY comes first... NCLEX can wait... I will pray for you & your family... Hold on tight there... No matter how long your troubles will take, hang in there, one problem at a time...

Thank you... I know there are nurses out there who had worst, and still managed to make it through... Good luck to you too!

While preparing for NCLEX, anything can happen. Like death in the family, illness, break-up... I just want to know what happened to you and still managed to pass :) Here's mine... 2 months before my exam, my partner of 16 years (I'm 33) traded me with someone younger. I gave myself 2 weeks for (temporary) DABDA. Studied at starbucks from 10 am to 12 mn every weekdays. I cried whenever I feel the pain in between study periods, and forced myself to go back studying. I hid from our friends, and talked only to 3 people (my sis-in-law, my gay friend, and an ex-lover). I can't sleep at night, so when I don't have anybody to hug me to sleep, I take sleeping aids. I took NCLEX (June 07) in 50 mins w/ 75 questions. Everything was insane, NCLEX was the only real thing, that's why I was SOOO focused when I took the exam. I am undergoing DABDA again, and I'm in the Acceptance stage now. Life is not as colorful as before, but as I always say "This too shall pass."

I too finished, at 75... just like you i got A LOT of prioritization questions (mostly ER scenarios) ... and I passed :) I'm not keeping your hopes up... but... for me its a good sign :)

Confidence in taking the exam will come to you. However, that confidence can easily evaporate ONCE you sat down on that comfortable, reclining chair facing the computer. Especially when the 1st question appeared and you didn't know it! What made me get through it in 50 mins is by LETTING GO. After 5 mins of figuring out how to get pass by Q#1, I let go. I told myself I studied 3 months for this exam, and still have 264 chances to redeem myself. I let go of the fact that the love of my life just betrayed me, and I was alone in a foreign country, taking the most expensive, time-consuming exam of my life. To my surprise, everything became so clear! It's like finding words in Word Hunt, I easily got the stem of the question, and can answer most of it even w/o looking at the options. The point is, get those bad thoughts out of your mind. You have 6 hours to finish the test, so TAKE YOUR TIME. When negative emotion sets in, STOP answering until you've cleared your thoughts. DO NOT resume UNLESS you feel good about yourself. Good luck to all of you :)

I did self-review as well, and used Saunder's comprehensive exam book & CD... and, do you remember those expensive books that we used in college? They are great in explaining the disease process (especially MS by Black!) which proved to be a valuable tool when faced w/ questions requiring critical thinking. I also went NCSBN online (after all they are the ones who make the NCLEX). The point is, NCLEX will only ask you questions that you, as an entry level nurse MUST know (like how to use an AED). You don't need someone to make you understand (i.e. lecturers), and eventually forget, but if YOU did understand, you will NEVER forget. Good luck! PS: It took me 3 months to know that I am ready :)

There is a new NCLEX review center in malate, called USGC, I heard they have an integrated & unlimited review. I've passed the NCLEX already but my colleagues are reviewing w/ them now

I am licensed in New Mexico. Got my eligibility in 2 months, result in 2 days, and license was mailed in 3weeks (i love that little green card w/ the lamp as hologram!). I finished in 50 minutes w/ 75 questions. What's my secret? I made sure I can explain the disease process. Proved to be valuable in answering questions that requires critical thinking. I self-studied, used saunder's comprehensive review book + cd, and NCSBN online. Took 3 months to study & US$ 750 including HK exam. About California, a memo was sent to me from CA BON, she said that for int'l applicants, it will take 20-24 weeks to process if you will apply from October to December. Good luck!

I suggest you use the saunders comprehensive exam book & CD + NCSBN module online. It worked for me! Plus I don't have anything against live lectures, it's just that I didn't get more from the lecturers more than what I learned from school. But reading the college textbooks, especially MS by Black, was really valuable in answering the difficult questions during the NCLEX. Learning the disease process will get you through questions that requires Critical Thinking! Good luck!

I agree. When I started reviewing for NCLEX I was surprised by the diseases that we never discussed in 4 years of nursing school (Colle's, Paget's, etc...) I never let go of these new terms & made sure I can explain the disease process before I let go.

I followed the NCSBN module and studied on my own. I read Saunders Comprehensive, used it as an outline, and textbooks. I set an 80% pass rate for 100 items and 75% for 265-items. I used Saunders CD for 100-item tests, & Lippincott for 265-items. After 3 months, I knew in my heart I was ready... Took & passed the exam last June in 50 minutes...

3 months here and was betrayed by the love of my life

There is a review center in malate, USGC, it's new but they have a different style in reviewing for NCLEX, its like a combination of self-study + live lectures for an unlimited period...

3 weeks is too short... there's just SO MUCH to learn and you need to know if you want to pass the NCLEX on 1st attempt. I prepared for 3 months, ON MY OWN. Used Saunders as an OUTLINE & followed the NCSBN module. I answer 100-items per topic (pass rate: 80% otherwise, I read again). Last 2 weeks b4 NCLEX, I practice taking 265-item, 6 hours of exam, mimicking the actual exam (passrate: 75% otherwise, read again on my weak areas). End result? 75 items in 50 minutes, take 1.

why don't you take both the review & the exam here? review here is a lot cheaper, there's one in Malate, called USGC, my colleagues are reviewing there right now because they have an unlimited program (w/c is fair enough if you're working)