Question RE: Excelsior NC Exams

willtm · Nov 9, 2004

Hi JaneMarie,

I took NC1 a week ago and am now working on NC2. I did the first one in about a month. Yes, I read everything. I also found some notes at the yahoo study groups that were a big help. Believe it or not, a month is long enough. I actually felt like I was forgetting the stuff I read first and went back and skimmed it. I think it's something that you have to keep moving on or you lose your motivation, at least for me.

have a nice evening:)

Hey,
I have read where students were able to do thier NC exams, like one a month. . .how is that possible?
Do you read everything that is required in the study guides?

Spazzy Nurse, RN · Nov 9, 2004

All depends on the person and what type of life they have outside of school work, I guess. Someone who works FT and has a family obviously won't be able to whip through it as fast. Plus it takes some people a while to get the hang of the distance learning gig. I know it took me a bit. A long bit. :)

Maybe set a goal and give it a shot. I think a test per month is reasonable, provided you have plenty-o-time to study. You'll soon see what's a reasonable expectation for you as far as time goes.

CraigB-RN, MSN, RN · Nov 9, 2004

First you have to remember, There is no "required" reading, just suggested ones. Everyone taking these test has different backgrounds and their current life is different. Back when I was taking them, we wont talk about how long ago, I was working in a job that let me take them as soon as I could schedule them, but I was also the training NCO for my unit and had been teaching basic nursing skills for years.

Don't worry about what other people are doing, just focus on what you can do and succed.

Hey,
I have read where students were able to do thier NC exams, like one a month. . .how is that possible?
Do you read everything that is required in the study guides?

jnette, ASN, EMT-I · Nov 10, 2004

It took me a good 6 weeks to 8 weeks per course.. depending on the course, and what was going on in my life. I worked full time, but studied every literal minute that I was not working.

But I'm one of those read and re- read, underine EVERYTHING, go back and underline and highlight some more type of studiers... :rolleyes:

It all depends on the person.. I have to "digest" it, or I don't retain it. Others can simply read or skim.. I never could.

Jo Dirt · Nov 10, 2004

I am taking the tests as fast as I can afford to pay for them and get scheduled(1-2 tests per month). I just took NC 1 this morning and don't know how but I made a B. I felt like most of the answers I chose were shots in the dark but I'm happy with a B, it's passing. I just registered to take A&P on December 7 (the soonest I could get an appointment with Prometric) and am pretty nervous about that but I'm just going to go over my study guides and pray. I am sending in my application and paperwork to get into EC tomorrow. I hope it doesn't take too long to get accepted so I can take the rest of the NC tests.

Best way I have found to do this is hit the ground running and don't look back or stop along the way. You have to make this a priority or it will always get put on the back burner and you will not make any progress.

Good luck!

Spazzy Nurse, RN · Nov 10, 2004

hit the ground running and don't look back or stop along the way.

You're right about that!! It's haaaaaaaaard to get going again once you stop. I had a baby during mine....... was that ever a pain to start up again.

And congrats on the 'B' LPN_to_RN........ B's are beautiful things.

BBFRN, BSN, PhD · Nov 10, 2004

So true...lol. You have to get yourself in a certain zone and stay there or you'll never get done. I took an exam a month usually. If it was something I was very familiar with in my work experience, I studied for about 2 weeks and took the exam. Go over everything the first time, then zone in on your weak areas for each exam. It worked every time for me. Good luck on NC2.

HAPPYNPROUD · Nov 10, 2004

Congrats on the "B" LPN_to_RN.....

I agree with the above posters....I was able to take 3 exams one month, but those exams covered things that I was familiar with already....You don't want to rush yourself and waste your money....It really just depends on you...You will find your groove after a couple of tests....Good luck!!!

featherzRN, MSN · Nov 10, 2004

I took three at a time when I went through the program. Then again, I was crazy-nuts! (I did pass, however). So one a month sounds completely do-able.

tiroka03, LPN · Nov 21, 2004

I started in the middle of August 2004, and will be taking my 3rd test on Wednesday. I have taking a vacation for a week between the 2nd and 3rd classes. So it can be done, you just have to figure out a way that works, and then stick to it.

chris_at_lucas_RN, RN · Nov 21, 2004

It took me from the end of August 2003 to the end of January 2004 to take NC-1. Most of that was dealing with the "what if I fail" terror.

When I finished that one, I felt I had passed, but beyond that, I was clueless. I made an A!

Suddenly, I was motivated--with each exam I was more driven to take up the next topics and devour everything I could get my hands on.

I took NC-1 on January 27th, and Foundations (I think of it as NC-8, and I do wish they'd just give it the darned number!) on April 27th.

I didn't read the assigned materials, although I think that's a great way to go. I did download the notes from the yahoo groups. I think I got a lot of my basics from cleaning up the grammar and spelling and formating errors (you have to read to do that--and that's just kinda my thing). But mostly I got my knowledge from googling.

I used http://www.google.com and looked up everything I didn't know. I read and read online. I cut and pasted into word documents that material I wanted to have easy access to later. I became one with the material.

Who knows where your best learning method and the resouces available to you will best click? Pretty much only you. It's just one more reason why I love Excelsior College. You don't get crammed into some expectation a neurotic professor dreamed up. You are told what you will need to know, and sent out into the world to get it.

And the NCLEX? Somebody here said it best: It was just one more nursing concepts exam.

Good luck, everybody!