hellobee

I am studying to take the NCLEX for the 2nd time. I am using Kaplan and Hurst. Hurst is great for content review, and Kaplan is great for practice questions. What were your question trainer scores, sample test scores, and average Qbank score? Kaplan says to aim for 65% or higher, but my scores are below that. I found that Hurst is really useful, because I think I was really lacking in content knowledge. But, after watching all the Hurst videos and doing the worksheets, I found that I was able to get more correct answers on Kaplan. Also, it helped with the delegations and management of care questions...they're a breeze now only because you really must know med-surg or the content in order to determine who to see first or what to do first. Lastly, now I remediate all questions on Kaplan, not just the questions that I get wrong, but including the ones that I get right. When I remediate, I look at each answer choice and explain to myself why it's right/wrong. Also, I take lots of notes on the materials that I get wrong. Remediating takes up so much of my time, but I think it's the most important part. After I am done remediating the whole test, I take the test again! When I do this, I go through each answer choice and explain why it's right/wrong. The key is repetition! This helps me remember and understand the rationale, and it also tests whether I retained the information from remediation. If I get the same questions wrong again, it means that I didn't retain the information and I need to learn that topic more. I am giving myself 5 weeks to study. I am doing one question trainer per week (only question trainers 4-7). What was your studying strategy? How did you like Kaplan?

Me too! HappyHappyHappy, good luck studying!!

norcalgurl, I got the info from my friend, who works at UCSF and knows the Cardiac ICU manager. Good luck to you!! Btw, I thought I'd mention this too...UCSF just posted another new grad position for the Radiology/MRI dept. The application is due Sept 7th.

I'm not sure if someone has already mentioned this... HR only found 12 eligible applicants for the adult cardiac ICU, and there are only 4 slots open for the unit.

Update: I just checked my bank account, and I saw that the BRN has cashed my check. Now, it should be another 2-4 weeks to receive a new ATT.

Wow that's great! When did you drop off your application? Was it just recently or a long time ago? I am curious if it was during a less busy time for the Board. I imagine they are even busier than usual right now because of the influx of recent Spring graduates.

I called the Board, and they said that it takes approximately 8 weeks to receive a new ATT. Four weeks to cash the check and another 4 weeks to review the application.

I failed the NCLEX a few weeks ago. I did the PVT trick an hour after I finished the exam, and it took my payment. Sure enough, I received a letter 2 days later from the CA BRN stating that I did not pass. I immediately mailed the Request to Reapply/Repeat Examination application form with my check payment. It has been 3 weeks now and the Board still hasn't cashed my check. Unfortunately, I did not use certified mail, priority mail, or any confirmation/tracking. I am worried that my application & check may be lost in the mail. However, the BRN states on their website that it takes 2-4 weeks to process any payment, so maybe my application & check is just sitting on their desk?! I was wondering if anyone here would be able to share their experience about retaking the NCLEX in California? How long did it take for the BRN to process your check? How long did it take to receive a new ATT? Thanks so much!