retake NCLEX RN pass rates so low?

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MY STORY: I recently graduated in May 2010. I slacked off because i was sooooo sick of studying but thought about all the wonderful comments people told me about how the nclex was easy and that i shouldn't worry too much about it.

well I studied here and there for June. then July came around and right after I partied for the 4th I got down to business!@ I studied full force for 2 weeks 10-12 hours a day!@ :eek: SAUNDERs (answered every single question on the CD - 4,000 something questions) (300 questions a night) (MY OPINION: I ran through those questions not really paying attention to how I am thinking about the question but mostly the content of the question) --> so all in all Saunders was content based for me.

THEN!@# I got a little freaked out so I borrowed Kaplan from my friend and did all there questions (CD and BOOK), read the book twice FOR 1 WEEK.

Day of the test I was more anxious and excited to get it over with than I was nervous. I knew the fact that the questions get harder when you answer them correctly... so every time i got a hard question I would turn off my nervous mode and say to myself "i got this" (maybe a little over confident):uhoh3:. I walked out of the test thinking "of course i passed!@" i had to of.

well the day I found FAIL on the pearsonvue website I broke down and cried the whole day...(and was sad for 2 more days).

I will be retaking the test sometime in September and have already signed up for Kaplan online....

QUESTION: why is the pass rate for re-takers so low?

QUESTION: any advice for a kaplan taker?:D

QUESTION: any advice for a retaker?

ANY ADVICE AT ALL WOULD BE GREAT... LET ME KNOW EVERY BLUNT OPINION!@

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Specializes in Step-Down NICU/PICU.

I will be retaking the test sometime in September and have already signed up for Kaplan online....

QUESTION: why is the pass rate for re-takers so low?

* till this day i STILL dont know why they say that the percentage is low, but i can say this...IGNORE IT!...i hate statistics and if u follow it you will drive yourself nuts...

QUESTION: any advice for a kaplan taker?:D

I did Kaplan and I recommend it to the fullest...this is what i did ..i wrote a bit about it on the a few threads... i did the Kaplan trainers NOT the q bank...but since you'll have access to it use it...so ALL the trainers and take your TIME on it...try to see if you can put the trainers on PDF format...this way you can have the question and look at the answer right away to read the rationals...I cannot stress enough to READ THE RATIONALS...and once again TAKE UR TIME...i also recommend you dont pay attention to the scores...seriously i have friends that scored in the 60's like myself and 70's and took the nclex-rn and FAILED...and then i had those that coudnt score or break a 60 and PASSED!...so please dont stress yourself with the scores...i really believe that this gives ppl false reassurance to take the real deal...another thing....dont drive yourself crazy memorizing the strategy b.c you will find yourself finding lots of contradictions!...lol...so...take each question as is...b/c not all illnesses have the same priority....its not all the time you can use maslow or abc..sometimes it really just depends on the question scenario your getting and you must choose priority for THAT particular situation...i did trainers 7 first, the next day i did trainer 6 than the day before i did trainer 5...Kaplan says that trainers 5, 6, and 7 are the most important...

QUESTION: any advice for a retaker?

and i am a Re-taker...lol...i failed my first time back in may...i took it again and passed with 75 questions....the first time i got 154...i too underestimated the boards b.c of what others were saying...i figured hey a few years back when i took ,y lpn boards it was cake minimum amount and boom...licensed!..lol...well...with my RN it was a slap in the face of REALITY!...remember they made changes as of April and they raised the bar....it really is all about critical thinking...so dont worry ...have faith saty positive...and remember to take your time doing the trainers with kaplan...just the trainers...when i took the exam for the 2nd time i can tell you that not ONE topic caught me by surprise..even the meds!!..so kaplan is GREAT!...I also recommend the Linda LaCharity book...GREAT book for priority....this helped TREMENDOUSLY with the priority questions on the real deal...i found saunders too much info...i did exam cram for review, linda la charity for priority and kaplan for critical thinking and practice...

Good luck and you will pass next time around!! stay positive...and look at the random fact throwing threads too..there are some awesome pneumomnics that can help as well..this is a great supportive website...you are in good hands..Good Luck!:D

ANY ADVICE AT ALL WOULD BE GREAT... LET ME KNOW EVERY BLUNT OPINION!@

Brutal opinion...dont use anymore excuses to not pick up the book...no one else will study and take that exam for you...u busted your behind to get through school and you made it....your smart enough to do that your smart enough to pass the exam...god never gave up on you so you dont give up on god...and dont pay attention to those that say this that and the third..you do whats best for YOU...b/c at the end of the day if you want it BAD enough...well...you'll get...and YOU WILL!!:redbeathe

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By rereading your own post, I think you can analyze what you did wrong and will be well on the way to getting past those mistakes. You need to put proper effort into the task if you expect to be successful. Good luck.

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True story.. I totally agree.

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thank you so much for all your advice... I basically know all of this... for some reason I JUST need to hear it from someone elses mouth... sad for me... but its true

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Dont think your question is being answered but, I have no idea why the pass rate is so low for 2nd test takers. Maybe because they have an idea of your weakness based on your passed performance and then feed you with questions that scare the day light out of you - I have no idea. However, I wouldn't worry too much about that but channel all that energy into passing the test the next time.

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Specializes in Step-Down NICU/PICU.

For some reason it looks like she amswered her own question...lol..but I tried to answer underneath each quote so its looks like u answered ur own question and my response begins with "brutal opinion"...but where everyone thinks she answered her own question the responses were actually mine...I answered all her questions...nclex will not shoot questions at you that u did poor on when u first took the exam...that is not true...I took the exam failed the first and passed the second time around...and the questions for some reason were more simple than the first and to be honest not ONE question caught me by surprise...u prepare well and u do well...good luck to all future test takers..again I highly suggest reading rationals and understanding why why why answers are what they are...have a good understanding of things...

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thank you snowbunny. i believe that too actually. I dont think they would make the questions harder on purpose because you failed. I know some people believe that... but I want to go into that test thinking if they give a hard question its because everyone else has the same opportunity to get a hard question. Im a little more confident now that I started Kaplan. everyone keeps saying how wonderful kaplan is and how much it helped them. I think its all just practice... it is the scores... but its not... its all practicing the questions and understanding what you were thinking and what you did wrong for each question wrong... I KNOW THAT FOR SURE I WILL NOT SCHEDULE MY EXAM UNTIL I HAVE BEEN KAPLAN (ED) OUT@! well maybe not as drastic as i sound but I want to make sure I have a good base to work with before I take the NCLEX for the second time...

Thank you everyone

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Specializes in Step-Down NICU/PICU.

lol...aww..i here ya....if you have any questions or further help with kaplan...please feel free to pm me...:up:

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I have already taken my boards twice and getting ready to take them for the third time. I feel like I know my stuff. I am a good, hardworking, caring nurse! I did not study the first time, but I studied the second time and I still failed. I have already signed up to take the test a third time. I am going to do the Kaplan on campus review course to help me prepare this time. I am praying that I am still in the will of God and that I can make it through the third time with the help of Kaplan!

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I am taking Nclex for the third time in September. I took Kaplan before I took Nclex the second time and I still didnt pass... I got all 265 questions the second time. I recieved my printout and I didnt have one section that was below passing. I had 2 areas of above passing and the rest were near passing... I just dont know where to begin to study now??

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
I am taking Nclex for the third time in September. I took Kaplan before I took Nclex the second time and I still didnt pass... I got all 265 questions the second time. I recieved my printout and I didnt have one section that was below passing. I had 2 areas of above passing and the rest were near passing... I just dont know where to begin to study now??

Start again as if you haven't taken the test before. Practise, practise questions and read the rationales, even if you get it right

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