Question for nurses who passed NCLEX using Saunders!

hamilmarehson · Dec 24, 2009

The instructor in the review course I took said you should be getting 70-75% with Saunders. I used the CD in test mode and usually did 75 questions at a time and passed the NCLEX in 75 questions. Don't do any questions a day or two before, make sure you get a good nights sleep and no alcohol for two days before the test. Stop every 15 questions or so and close your eyes and relax for a few seconds, prevents your brain from getting fried. Go with a positive attitude. Good luck!

afi06 · Dec 24, 2009

I used Saunders and I practiced more than 2000 questions off the cd and also read the contents from each chapter but I know that was a lot but I was trying to understand each disease and also strategies for understanding the questions and I finally got it,I wasn't bothered with what my grades were but rather I focused on the rationales like what other people have mentioned here too that way you know the reason why you got the question right or wrong and it makes you think critically and also remember that NCLEX is a perfect world so everything has to be perfect, good luck with your studies and know that any book that you find comfortable studying from should become your friend and guide don't mix up too many books.

NurseLil-lea · Dec 24, 2009

Sorry for the mispelled word, "phase"..my mistake..hehe.. I'm thankful to this site that it's been my constant companion when i need information from nclex world..Not only that people here inspires you with wonderful stories, it also humbles us and realize our own strengths and weaknesses.

Ain't that the Truth King_James!!!:yeahthat:

NurseLil-lea · Dec 24, 2009

I used Saunders and I practiced more than 2000 questions off the cd and also read the contents from each chapter but I know that was a lot but I was trying to understand each disease and also strategies for understanding the questions and I finally got it,I wasn't bothered with what my grades were but rather I focused on the rationales like what other people have mentioned here too that way you know the reason why you got the question right or wrong and it makes you think critically and also remember that NCLEX is a perfect world so everything has to be perfect, good luck with your studies and know that any book that you find comfortable studying from should become your friend and guide don't mix up too many books.

I agree, too many studying books definitely will complicate study!! I have about lets see about 25 books that I thought were helpful studying from, trying to know everything when 1 book was all I needed :)

NurseLil-lea · Dec 24, 2009

i am so sick of hearing people say they used suzanne's plan to prepare for the nclex. everytime i ask how to get this plan no one wants to share. why ?

people abused suzanne's plan that is why it is no longer available!! that is why people will not share it! it's suzanne's plan and people was sharing it to other people like it was there own. the abusing messed it up for others on here that was willing to do suzanne's plan and follow her directions with confidentiality!!:argue:

Learz13 · Dec 25, 2009

thank you all so much for your responses! it helps a ton..... congratulations on passsing jennifersews! I take mine on the 29th, and i only started studying a few days ago, so wish me luck!!

Cece02 · Dec 30, 2009

Hello All:

I am getting ready to sit for my exam on January 9, 2010. I have been studying Saunders along with my Flash cards scoring 60's -70's and focusing on the rational of the wrong one's. Any other suggestions....

paacollins · Dec 30, 2009

Suzanne's plan isn't available anymore and those of us who used it are not allowed to discuss it out of respect for her. I can tell you this. Suzanne told me to use ONLY Saunders and I did. She told me to read the rationales to ALL questions, not just the ones I got correct, to make sure I thoroughly understood the questions. She told me to do a lot of questions on the CD. She basically gave me common sense advice that I knew myself. It was nice to have some one second that advice though.

If you choose to use a book other than Saunders, do the same thing. Read rationales, read chapters for material you feel you are weak in, do lots of test questions, don't do too many questions in one day or you'll burnout.

Using tons of different books isn't necessary. Pick one NCLEX review book and study the heck out of it.

NCtoCOgirl · Dec 30, 2009

I used Saunders exclusively. I did question after question after question; I especially liked their iPhone app and the questions on CD. I was getting 65-80%, and I passed NCLEX with 75 questions. No matter how much you study or how well you're doing, taking NCLEX is still a very unsettling experience, and I have found that most people, even those who passed with 75 questions, walk out of the test feeling like they've failed. You just have to distract yourself for those next 48 hours before you see that PASS pop up on your computer screen! Good luck!

Cece02 · Dec 30, 2009

Thanks so much...I have been using saunders and hitting the rationale's like you mentioned. I focus on the validation of my information from saunders: because I wanted a variety of types questions I flop between Saunders and another just so that I keep on my toes.

Thanks for explaining to me about Suzzane's review - I can respect it. People have to understand, when it's down to the wire and something this is important is within your reach (your nervous), your willing to go to the ends of the earth. l have seen so much study groups and various things for RN grads, but not enough for the LPN. So basically, we are just looking for a little bit of insite/help.

Learz13 · Dec 30, 2009

I hope this can help everyone! i started this thread, but just passed my NCLEX with 75 questions! I was getting about 70% of questions right on the practice CD for Saunders, I actually only studied a total of 7 days for the NCLEX, and took it more than 7 months after I graduated, but still managed to pass. I recommend using Saunders, but starting by doing the test at the end of each chapter, if i got above 70%, i skipped the reviewing the chapter, but reviewed the rationales to both my wrong and right answers and then moved onto the next chaper, obviously if i got less than 70% i tried to quickly review that chapter, then test myself on that subject area using the CD to make sure I could at least hit 70% after my review. I did this for the whole book, but completely skipped the medication chapters because I knew i would get a few of the most important ones in the main chapter and through CD questions. This i did for several reasons: 1: i only had 3 days to hardcore study for the exam, 2: i knew there was no way i was really going to be able to memorize more than a few meds for each main subject area (i.e. GI, respiratory etc), 3: I knew I would get confused and overwhelmed by the amount of memorization and information in the medication chapters, which would cause me then to be more anxious and less able to focus .. 4: my best friends (my 4 best friends who all passed with 75 questions) said they DID study meds alot, but didnt think it helped at all because either the meds they got on the test were ones they didnt study, or the information needed for the med was much more than they had been able to memorize (i.e. contraindications or therapeutic levels)

now that i passed, im obviously glad i didnt waste time on hardcore studying meds, because it would have taken me weeks to study them and actually know them and their characteristics well, also if i had studied the meds thoroughly, i dont think it would have helped me on the med questions i DID get, because the information needed was never as simple as knowing what the med was for, it was usually about contraindications and other specific details which I think would be impossible to memorize for more than a few main ones (i.e. minimum bp and hr levels before administering digoxin etc)

I'm not suggesting that you dont review meds, but don't freak out if you find the info overwhelming and cant find yourself able to retain it, knowing each and every med is not essential to passing.

Also, for a hint, the questions i got were never about obscure or rarely seen disorders or diseases (except for about 2 questions i can remember), but instead were always about very BASIC diseases that are seen very often, but the question itself and answers are hard, you really have to know them. So instead of trying to memorize every illness and disorder under the sun, i would really focus on the main ones in each chapter, but know them WELL, know each symptom, intervention, and contraindications especially.

Lastly, review infection control and prioritization!!!!!!!! if you do nothing else, do that. know infection control policies inside and out, if they name an infectious disease, you better know what sort of infection control procedure to implement and what it consists of! annnd the prioritizations were MUCH harder than i could have expected, im STILL confused about what the right answer should have been for some of mine, it is not as easy as knowing ABC's and maslow's...... so review prioritization CAREFULLY.

I hope that helps, if i could pass after graduating 7 months ago and studying for only 7 days, then you definitely can pass too! just stay focused and approach the exam like its a game, each question there is going to be some sort of hint or subtlety leading you to the right answer, you just have to use your knowledge to try to figure out what it is!

good luck! i really hope this helps some people :-)

Learz13 · Dec 30, 2009

one more thing to add, the MOST important thing to remember is that the test is designed so that you will ONLY get about 50% right no matter how well or poorly you do. Which basically translates to, each question you see, you are going to be able to "probably" eliminate 2 answers that dont seem right, and then guess between the other 2 for the rest of the questions. there was only 1 single question on the entire exam that i felt i definitely knew the answer too, and according to everyone else i know that passed, they felt the same way. Everyone says there was only about 1-3 questions that they felt sure of, and the rest were guesses. Don't let this freak you out while you are taking the test! you are going to have to guess for almost all of the questions! what is important is being able to eliminate the wrong answers so that you increase your chance of guessing right.