Ran out of time, is there hope left for me?

[mazeRN]

hi everyone,

i am trying to seek consolation in this forum...

my time ran out at 263rd question. now i am only praying for a miracle to happen. i took the exam sept 6. i prepared well for the exam, went to a high end review center, i knew how to attack questions. i think i was one of the better students in school, but when seated in front of the computer last wed, everything was entirely different. the questions were way much difficult, thus i ran out of time finishing at q #263.i wish i would't have gone to the rest room at break so i would have had time to finish it. tell me, will i continue to hope? the quick results are probably available by now but should i still? i think i didn't lack anything in any area. i studied well, i sacrificed a lot, and literally stormed heavens with prayer, but if god doesn't want to grant me yet this time, i know he has reasons...

just want to hear anything from anyone of you, maybe from there, i could lift my spirit again, because as of now i feel weary and tired, depressed.

it helps to know that i have a very supportive husband, who sees reasons for everything and believes that everything happens for a purpose. and more importantly, i have wonderful kids, my reasons to get up and get going.

[Proverbs 16:3]

Boy, to get that far in the ?s really scare me. I know someone who did not pass even though she answered 264 ?s. The thing is, i'm sure you can answer 265 ?s and still pass and besides, it should save whatever you answered before time run out. i've done a test and run out of time and still passed.

Pray for the best. Trust me, sometimes when everything looks impossible, a miracle is never impossible.

[RNKay31]

OMG!, If only you had the time to finish the last 2 questions, but I am wishing you all the best as it is better to finish, because if you run out of time, you will have to get the last 60 questions correct, someone correct me if I am wrong, but am wishing you the best from the bottom of my heart.

[ZASHAGALKA, RN]

From my understanding of NCLEX, the odds are the same no matter what number the test stops at: it's measuring statistical accuracy as well as difficulty, and either could be the reason for more questions.

But, not finishing is more complicated: the test DOES look back over the last 60 questions and if you missed even one below the miminum difficulty level, then you do not pass.

I believe that it is possible to miss questions, but the questions you miss must ALL be more difficult than the minimum passing standard. Since every time you miss a question, the next question drops to a lower level of difficulty, it would only take missing a few to bring you down to that level.

There is HOPE. But, it is a longer shot than for most. Technically, it lowers your odds from about 87% to close to 50%:

https://www.nursys.com/public/resources/nocost_archive_18_4_05.htm

"After each question, the computer recalculates a candidate's competence level using the performance on all of the questions that have been answered to that point. If each of the last 60 competence levels that were calculated were above the passing standard, then the candidate will pass the examination. This does not mean the candidate needs to answer all of the last 60 questions correctly. The candidate just has to answer enough of them correctly so that the competence level stays above the passing standard. Therefore, if the candidate's performance has been consistently above passing, the candidate will pass, despite having run out of time. Almost half of the candidates who run out of time do pass the examination."

Keep the faith.

~faith,

Timothy.

[cristobal]

I ran out of time at 264...and failed. The board of nursing score came to me and i do need to study more on some areas.

I also know that they use the "last 60 rule" which made it harder to pass. I cried...and then...studied again. I will be re taking this the end of September. Let's wish each other good luck. if you feel rotten...or if you need someone who understand you...write me...we could be each other's support.

[kingmig]

I ran out of time also. I only finished 263 questions.I took my exam last Aug. 30 and received my result after 48 hours and thank God I passed. So dont loose hope keep on praying!

[gshe]

Hi , Let me share my experience ,I took the nclex last April,2006,its important to me to pass but unfortunately i did not make it..I hardly cry but still i believe there's a reason for that matter..I keep on praying..

Its not the no. of questions you answer in nclex but its how you answer each questions correctly really matter to pass the exam.

To all of you ,just keep on believing to Almighty God.

[RNKay31]

Keep us posted, toes and fingers cross for you.

[novanurse77]

If time runs out Theycore the test using the "rule of 60" Therefore if you run out of time the will only score your last 60 quesitions and i believe they have to be 100% correct to pass...... Good luck i have my fingers crossed for u.

[DolphinRN84, MSN, RN, APRN, NP]

Good luck with your results!!

[willdgate]

They grade your last 60 questions, when you run out of time

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

There are definitely some widely-held myths about running out of time on the NCLEX. It does have to do with the last sixty questions you answer, but it's not that they only grade your last sixty or that you have to get each one of the last sixty correct.

After each question on the NCLEX, the computer calculates your ability estimate, factoring in all of your previous responses and the difficulty levels of the questions. In other words, the ability estimate measures how you are doing. If you run out of time, the computer looks at your ability estimates after each of the last sixty questions. If the ability estimates remained above passing for each of the last sixty, you pass. You can still miss questions and remain above passing though.