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UWorld NCLEX-RN Review: A Test Prep with Great Practice Questions
The National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) is the official licensing examination for nurses in the United States of America, Canada, and Australia, used to determine if nurses are safe to practice. There are many study guides available to help students prepare for the exam. Among them is UWorld, one of the most popular test prep tools on the market. UWorld NCLEX-RN Overview UWorld's test prep for NCLEX-RN includes over 2,700 practice questions authored by nurse educators and practicing nurses, with detailed rationales for correct and incorrect answers. They've recently introduced "next-gen questions" in line with the latest Spring 2023 NCLEX format, updating its content to match the most up-to-date nursing practice standards and guidelines. UWorld offers several great features, including performance tracking that helps students monitor their progress over time and identify areas that require more practice. Each subscription includes at least one self-assessment test that simulates the exam experience and allows students to predict their likelihood of passing. To further enhance learning, customizable digital flashcards and notebooks are available, making it easier to find specific information. UWorld also offers a mobile app that includes practice questions, flashcards, and the ability to take notes on the go. In terms of comparisons, UWorld differentiates itself from other nursing study platforms for its challenging and comprehensive question banks, detailed explanations, and up-to-date materials. While other study platforms may offer similar features, they may not be as extensive or up-to-date as UWorld's materials. Pros of UWorld NCLEX-RN Some of the pros of UWorld's NCLEX-RN study prep are: The questions are similar to the actual NCLEX. There are many select-all-that-apply questions, which help students become more comfortable tackling the questions in the NCLEX. Multiple next-gen questions include fill-in-the-blank and hot spot questions, which have been a recent addition to the NCLEX exam format as of Spring 2023. There are lots of delegation questions, which allow students to understand the roles of other healthcare teams. There are many different methods a student can use UWorld to study. For example, they can focus on specific subjects they may struggle with to become more comfortable. Or they can have the system ask them random questions from all subject areas if they want to practice in a more exam-style setting. The self-assessment tests help predict the likelihood of passing the NCLEX exam. According to UWorld, "99% of learners who earned an average QBank Score of 57% AND a "High" or "Very High" result on a Self-Assessment Exam passed the NCLEX-RN in 2022." The mobile app feature is convenient if you want to study casually on the go. Cons of UWorld NCLEX-RN Some of the cons of UWorld's NCLEX-RN study prep are: There may be some questions that are asked about obscure or rare diseases. However, the NCLEX is designed to test common and basic nursing content. The answers may be too medical-sounding and more relevant to how a doctor responds versus a nurse. The rationales may be too detailed and irrelevant to the nurse's scope of practice. This may result in too much time spent on reading rationales. The cons listed above can make students feel overwhelmed and unsure of their knowledge level. The price of UWorld may be considered relatively expensive compared to other study resources. There are no live instructors or tutoring offered. It's worth noting that these pros and cons are subjective and may not apply to every student's experience. Ultimately, whether UWorld is the perfect study resource for a particular student will depend on their learning style, budget, and goals. UWorld NCLEX-RN Pricing Options Depending on a student's study preference, there are a few different pricing options. NCLEX-RN QBanks $139 for 30-Day Access — with 2300+ practice questions, 500+ NGN Questions, Digital Flashcards, and 1 self-assessment. $169 for 60-Day Access — with 2300+ practice questions, 500+ NGN Questions, Digital Flashcards, and 2 self-assessments (1-2). $249 for 90-Day Access — with 2300+ practice questions, 500+ NGN Questions, Digital Flashcards, 3 self-assessments (1-3). $329 for 180-Day Access — with 2300+ practice questions, 500+ NGN Questions, Digital Flashcards, 4 self-assessments (1-4), and 1 Time Reset Option. $389 for 360–Day Access — with 2300+ practice questions, 500+ NGN Questions, Digital Flashcards, 6 self-assessments (1-6), 1 Time Reset Option. $449 for 730–Day Access — with 2300+ practice questions, 500+ NGN Questions, Digital Flashcards, 6 self-assessments (1-6), 1 Time Reset Option. Each self-assessment has a duration of 2 weeks for its dates of activation to complete. Related: 10 Best Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Programs in 2025 Self-Assessment Exams $20 per exam — 100 questions per assessment, includes NextGen Items, Detailed performance report, the likelihood of passing, time accommodations, valid for 2 weeks from activation. $100 for all assessment exams — has all the same options listed for $20, but you get access to 6 exams versus 1 exam. The self-assessment option may be suitable if students would like to know how likely they are to pass the exam without purchasing the QBanks, or if they would like more self-assessments after completing the self-assessments included in the QBanks. QBank Renewals Ranges from $45 to $209 depending on the length of renewal (has options of 7-Day Renewals to 360-Day Renewals). The QBank Renewal option would be helpful if a student's QBank is about to expire and they need more time to study without losing all their progress. UWorld NCLEX-RN Curriculum UWorld is a learning tool that will guide students in determining the subjects, systems, and topic areas they can focus on. The practice questions and study materials include: Nursing fundamentals Pharmacology Medical-surgical nursing Maternal and child health nursing Rationales help students understand all the nursing concepts, as well as how to go about answering certain types of NCLEX-style questions. Additional information to what's listed above is also available within the test prep. UWorld NCLEX-RN Platform and Usability According to a recent student survey, "90% of [UWorld learners] report that UWorld's questions are the same difficulty or more difficult than the NCLEX." This allows students to feel readily prepared for the NCLEX, as they have been studying off a platform that has been considered a similar difficulty to the NCLEX. Additionally, the format of the practice questions is designed to look like the actual exam, including the feature of the "timer" and "calculator" on the practice question page, allowing users to have an exam-like experience. This may help reduce any anxiety that students may have during the exam, as the user interface of the NCLEX may feel familiar to them if they have used UWorld. Overall, UWorld is easy to use, and the interface is intuitive and user-friendly. The platform is convenient as it is compatible with desktops and mobile devices, allowing users to access their study materials anytime, anywhere.
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YOUR Comprehensive Guide to the NCLEX-RN!
STEP 1 Familiarize Yourself With the ExamThe first thing you should do is become familiar with what the NCLEX-RN exam is, what is covered on it, how it's administered, etc. You can find this information on the website for the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). NCLEX & Other Exams | NCSBN On the NCSBN's website, you can find the "Candidate Bulletin", which covers an overview of the exam, registering and scheduling the exam, what to bring on your test day, test rules, how test day runs, the content covered on the NCLEX, and information on the structure of the exam, such as the adaptive testing and the passing standard. You can also find the Test Plan for the NCLEX-RN examination on the NCSBN's website. The Test Plan shows the general content areas covered on the NCLEX-RN exam, including the percentage of items that are covered in each content area. STEP 2 Start Preparing Your FIRST Semester of Nursing SchoolThe best thing you can do to prepare for the NCLEX-RN is to start early, as in, your first semester! In most nursing schools, your exams each semester will include NCLEX-style questions. In my program, many (including me ) complained about the number of select all that apply (SATA) questions on our exams. When I took the NCLEX, over 20 of the 75 questions I had were SATA! Good thing we had that preparation. When you're studying for your exams, you should be answering the questions at the end of each chapter you're studying. Nursing school textbooks generally also have companion websites with even more questions related to each chapter (note: to access these questions you may need a code, and this code generally is only available for new copies of the book, not used). All of these questions not only reinforce the content you learn from your lectures and readings but also help you get into the habit of answering NCLEX-style questions. In addition, look into review books that have NCLEX-style questions. Throughout nursing school, I used the "Success Q&A Review" series of books. I highly recommend these books, as each book has 1000+ questions just on that subject. There are books for Fundamentals, Pharmacology, Research, Pediatrics, Maternal/Newborn, Psychiatric/Mental Health, Medical-Surgical, and Leadership. Check them out here: https://www.fadavis.com/nursing/success-series You may also find the Pearson Reviews and Rationales series helpful as well. These books contain content review, as well as questions, for each subject. Check them out here: Nursing Reviews and Rationales Check your local library for these books, rent them from Amazon, split the cost with friends, either way, doing as many NCLEX questions as possible during school will not only help you do well on exams but minimize the amount of time you spend after graduation prepping. STEP 3 Standardized Preparation Programs During SchoolMany nursing schools also employ standardized test preparation programs throughout their curriculum. This can be ATI, Kaplan, HESI, etc. My program used HESI. Some schools will factor your scores on these exams into your course grades, some require you to obtain a certain minimum score on a comprehensive exam at the conclusion of your program to graduate, and others only use them as guides for you to focus your study. It is to your benefit to maximize your use of these programs. One major benefit to these programs is that they build your test-taking stamina. In my last semester, we took three comprehensive HESI exams, with 150 questions each. This helps you get used to sitting for an extended period of time, under testing conditions, answering NCLEX-style questions. STEP 4 Start FOCUSED Preparation As Soon as Possible After GraduationAfter I graduated nursing school, I took a full week off from everything. I was done with school, I was off from work, and I did absolutely nothing related to nursing. You should definitely take some time off after graduation as well. You completed a great accomplishment: you finished nursing school! Reward yourself with a vacation or a staycation. The next question is how long should you take off? Opinions vary on that. Personally, I think 2-3 weeks max is ideal. You should definitely treat yourself after graduating, and decompress. At the same time, you don't want to take too long to get back into study-mode, especially when, if your school used a standardized testing program, you probably just finished taking a comprehensive NCLEX-style exam, and are already in NCLEX mode. Therefore, after your break, it's time to get back into the books! STEP 5 Content Review BooksOne resource that you can use is a content review book. Lets fact it, there's no way you're going to reread all of those 1000+ page nursing school textbooks. There's no way you're going to go through thousands of PowerPoint slides. A content review book summarizes the most important information from all of your nursing classes, giving you the "high yield" information that can show up on the NCLEX. The most popular content review book seems to be "Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN Examination". This book has very high reviews, and I recommend it. Now, although this book is a summary, it is still dense. You should focus your reading on areas that you know you aren't as strong in. For example, I knew that pediatric nursing wasn't my strong suit, especially congenital heart defects and GI anatomical disorders. I focused my content review in pediatrics. The Saunders review book is the one I recommend, and you can borrow it from the library, split the cost with friends, buy used, etc. Note that if you buy it new, you also get a code for online questions on the companion website, which help to reinforce content. Check out the Saunders book here : Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX You can also purchase through Amazon. STEP 6 Question Resources (Books, Apps, Programs)In addition to content, your primary focus on studying should be answering as many questions as possible. For many, content review with a book like Saunders can be skipped, especially if you did extremely well in nursing school. Question practice is a must for everyone. You should have practice answering all types of NCLEX-style questions (multiple choice, SATA, hot spot, ordered response, etc.). BooksThere are a number of books that contain NCLEX-style questions for you to practice. The most highly recommended I have heard are: Lippincott Q&A Review for NCLEX-RNPrioritization, Delegation, and Assignment by LaCharityLippincott NCLEX-RN Alternate Format QuestionsI personally used the Prioritization, Delegation, and Assignment book, and this book was consistently recommended here on allnurses, and I saw why. Many NCLEX questions ask you to prioritize. Whether it's which patient you will see first, which intervention you will carry out first, or which action requires you to intervene immediately, practicing these types of questions is essential to doing well on the NCLEX-RN. These questions are also on the more difficult side, therefore they give you quality practice for the NCLEX. AppsAs I'm sure you can imagine, there are many apps available for you to answer NCLEX-style questions on the go. If you're standing in a long line or sitting on the bus, instead of checking social media again, why not answer a few questions? The best-reviewed app, and the one I used is "NCLEX Mastery". This app has over 1300 questions, and it also has mnemonics and terminology to help you study. Highly recommended! nclexmastery ProgramsThere are also a number of computer programs that offer NCLEX-style questions. The most popular are UWorld and Kaplan, which offer question banks (Kaplan also offers courses). Both UWorld and Kaplan have 1600+ questions in their banks, with all the different types of questions you would see on the NCLEX. I tried both UWorld and Kaplan. I completed all of UWorld, and about 600 questions from Kaplan. Hands down, I recommend UWorld, and I have found consistently more positive reviews for UWorld than Kaplan. UWorld offers challenging questions with a large number of SATA questions. I believe this was critical in helping me pass the NCLEX-RN. As I mentioned earlier, over 20 of the 75 questions I had were SATA, and I often had 3-4 in a row. UWorld's user interface also mirrors the NCLEX, so when you're sitting for the exam, it won't be a shock. Finally, another major benefit of UWorld is the rationales. These are the best rationales you will find anywhere. They are detailed, given for the correct and incorrect options, often have color images, and are essentially a content review. Kaplan wasn't bad, but UWorld was better. The rationales given on Kaplan questions are not detailed, and sometimes it isn't clear why an option was wrong. If you only can get one, UWorld is the one you should choose, without question (they both cost the same). UWorld also has an app that you can use on your phone. NCLEX-RN Exam - Online Practice Questions & ReviewHow do you prefer to prep for the NCLEX-RN®? STEP 7 Review CoursesFinally, a number of companies offer review courses for the NCLEX. Kaplan and Hurst review courses are very popular, and I have especially heard Kaplan mentioned. Kaplan offers a live in person review, a live online review, and a self-paced online review course. Kaplan also offers a guarantee that you'll pass the NCLEX. I have heard good things about Kaplan's course and strategies, so if you have the money, perhaps that is another option for you to consider. A course offers you a set, structured schedule to study and prepare for the exam, which can be beneficial if you need guidance in your studies. My school offered us a virtual ATI online review course. This review course was ok, it offered a tutor who gave you recommendations on what to study based on your scores on assessment exams, as well as access to other questions banks, ATI review books, and powerpoints. I don't think I would recommend it if you have to pay for it. Kaplan Review CoursesHurst Review STEP 8 Focus on Question Strategies!Let's face it: there's absolutely no way you can know everything there is to know that may be tested on the NCLEX exam. But, you can still pass! When I was taking the NCLEX, there were many questions that I didn't explicitly know. However, using test strategies I learned, I was able to narrow down the options and make an educated guess. Kaplan advertises its decision-making tool that helps you answer questions. If you purchase their course, you will learn that strategy. The Saunders book has a chapter on test-taking strategies. There is also a Saunders Strategies for Test Success book that details their strategies and provides practice questions. ATI also has test-taking strategies, and I have attached the document found on their website (note: the exam plan they discuss is not the current one, however the strategies always remain the same). Either way, learn ways to answer questions you may not know, and use those during the NCLEX. For example, if a question asks you which intervention would you implement first, you may use the ABC (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) strategy and choose to open the airway first (by sitting the patient up, for example), then administer oxygen. You may also use Maslow's Hierarchy to answer questions (by focusing on physiological needs before love/belonging needs, for example). Learning question strategies is a must to be able to answer any NCLEX question thrown at you, even if you don't know exactly the disease process or the medication being asked about. STEP 9 So What Should I Use to Study? There's So Much Out There!From all of this, it seems like there's so much out there to help you prep for the NCLEX! Indeed, it can be overwhelming. The key is to only pick a few resources, and stick to them. You absolutely need a question resource, over 1000 questions. If you feel like your content foundation is lacking, even in one or two areas, then a content review book is helpful. If you feel like you need guidance from an instructor to help you prepare, a review course would be helpful. The key is to maximize your resources. For me here is what I used: Saunders Comprehensive Review BookI only used this for a few chapters. I would use it if I found I was consistently getting certain types of questions wrong. Virtual ATI Online ReviewI completed most of this before the NCLEX, but did not complete the Predictor Exam, though I completed all of the modules and assessments. UWorldI completed all 1900+ questions Prioritization, Delegation, and Assignment BookI completed all of the questions in the first half of the book (not the case studies) Kaplan QBankI only completed about 600 of these questions NCLEX MasteryI completed about 1000 of these questions, usually on my break at work or when I was out and had downtime. So, in general, most people would find success (again, if you maximize your study) A content review bookUWorld QBankPrioritization BookFor many, a review course such as Kaplan could also be added. Based on what I have seen posted on this website, the Saunders Book, UWorld, and the PDA LaCharity book all get consistently good reviews. STEP 10 When Should You Take the NCLEX?So you've applied to and paid the state board and Pearson Vue, you've received your ATT, and now you're looking at the dates available. When should you take it? The answer to that question is individual, however, you don't want to wait too long. For me, I finished my program on 8/4 (graduation 8/31), received my ATT on 9/16, and tested on 9/20. So, I was doing focused studying for over a month. If you are doing well on your practice questions and in your review course, then you should schedule your exam as soon as possible. The best thing to do is choose a date, and as long as it's over 24 hours from the test date/time, you can reschedule. I've found that once you choose a date, it becomes more "real", and your studying becomes more purposeful. STEP 11 Tips During the ExamRemember your test-taking strategies!Carefully read each question, and look for keywords/phrases (like "not", "further information", "first", "successful", "priority")Once you choose an answer, reread the question again, check your answer, then click next! Don't dwell on an answer, as you may choose a correct one to an incorrect answer. I know I have!Take your time! Give yourself a minute or two for each question.Take a break! Sometimes it's helpful to step away for a little to refocus your mind. You don't have to wait for the scheduled breaks. If you need a break, take one! STEP 12 After the ExamCongrats! You completed the NCLEX! This is a big accomplishment, and you should be proud of yourself. If your state participates in Quick Results, you can pay for your unofficial results 48 hours after your exam on the Pearson Vue website. My exam was at 8am, and two days later the results were available at 9am (of course I was checking every 2 minutes starting at 8, haha). During the time in between, do something fun to get your mind off of the exam. It can be nerve-wracking waiting what seems like an eternity, but taking your mind off of it helps. Yes, you can also try the Pearson Vue Trick (PVT) (I know you're wondering ). Basically, if you try to re-register for the NCLEX after you put in your credit card information and hit submit if you receive an error message saying that you have recently scheduled an exam, then you passed (maybe). If it accepts your credit card payment or says declined for insufficient funds (some try this with a gift card with $5, for example), then maybe you passed, maybe you didn't. The PVT isn't 100% right all the time, but many try it. I did as well. I tried it 20 minutes after the exam, 2 hours after, 6 hours after, and after 24 hours, all the so-called "good popup". I'm not recommending you do this, but I know that many do it, and at least for me, getting the "good popup" helped me convince myself that I passed while waiting the 48 hours for quick results. ConclusionThanks for reading! I hope this guide helps you in your NCLEX-RN prep. The key is to start early, use a limited number of study resources, do focused studying, learn test-taking strategies, and remain calm during the exam. Whether you're taking the NCLEX for the first time or taking it again, with preparation, you CAN pass the NCLEX.
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UWorld RN prep.. Is it reliable?
I am scheduled to take the NCLEX-RN on June 28th, 2016. I'm freaking out and wanting your opinion. I completed the Kaplan live review & 60% of the qbank with an average score of 71. I completed the Hurst live review and completed the specialty topics in the book on my own. I have reviewed the entire Hurst book once more, and wrote down the things I felt I needed to be stronger with. Now, I have purchased UWorld and taking about 100 questions a day/5 days a week. I am scoring mostly mid-60s, my low being a 55 and my high being a 68. UWorld says I'm in the 85th percentile compared to the average. I am not sure if I should feel confident with this or if UWorld simply is leading me to be more confident than I should be... and I am not as prepared as I need to be. What do y'all think about UWorld?Should I continue my study plan with it or integrate Kaplan/Hurst back into the plan? Watch UWorld NCLEX-RN Qbank Impressions video... Related Topics Has anyone passed Nclex specifically using Uworld?Passed with 75 questions using UWorldUWorld vs. KaplanPassed with 75 questions thanks to UWORLD & HURST
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Finally passed NCLEX-RN on 4th attempt! Here's my journey and tips! :)
1st Attempt at the NCLEXI graduated from nursing school with a BSN in December '15. My school has a very high passing rate on the first attempt, so I had no doubt I would pass, after all, I was B+/A student in nursing school, how bad could NCLEX really be. I didn't take NCLEX seriously. I scheduled my exam for February, was getting 50s-60s on Kaplan Q bank, got 58% of Readiness test. I did 50 NCLEX questions per day, read the rationales for every wrong answer, and that's it, I figured that all of the knowledge I had from nursing school was good enough, plus it's impossible to re-read everything. When I took the exam, the computer shut off at 114 questions and I got a big FAIL 2 days later. The only thing I used was Kaplan Q bank. 2nd Attempt at the NCLEXOkay, this is not as easy as I thought. I underestimated the exam and it was my fault. I took me about a month before I started studying again due to family problems (BIG mistake to wait that long). I decided that I didn't use Kaplan right, so I wanted to give it a try one more time. This time I watched every single video in Kaplan, did every question trainer and took notes on anything that was new to me or felt was important, as I continued using the Q bank questions that were left. I reviewed every right and every wrong answer to make sure I understood why they were wrong. I also bought NCSBN, finished the course while taking notes, and did half of their questions (scored around 70-75% on them). In addition, I used Saunders Q&A review. I studied for about 4-5 hours a day every day except weekends for about 2 months before I felt like I was ready to try again. Went to take the test, got to 240 questions and ran out of time. I was devastated. I used Kaplan fully, Saunders Q&A review and NCSBN course. 3rd Attempt at the NCLEXI cried, I cried, I cried. After all, I really tried last time, and it didn't work. Watching my classmates getting jobs while I still couldn't pass the exam made me feel so dumb. It was getting closer to summer, all of my friends were making plans to go out, and all I thought about was NCLEX. I knew I had to finish this before I can finally relax. I downloaded the NCLEX Mastery app and bought Lippincott's Q&A. I also watched lots of Youtube videos on tips, downloaded a study guide for all nurses and other study aids and tricks that I found online, and I reviewed them every once in a while. I used NCLEX mastery everywhere I went. Even when I went to a birthday party, I couldn't allow myself to have fun so I was on my phone doing NCLEX questions from the app. I did around 200 NCLEX questions daily for around 2 months before I tried again. I went in August, got all 265 questions and a big FAIL 2 days later. I used NCLEX Mastery app, Lippincott's Q&A and notes/tips that I found online 4th Attempt at the NCLEXAt this point, NCLEX became my life. I cut everyone off from my life. My friends, my family. I saw no future ahead of me, the only thing I saw was NCLEX. Everyday. Every night. I even had dreams where I was studying, then I woke up and went to the library to study, fell asleep at night and got more dreams where I study (can I say I was studying 24/7? lol). I was falling into a depression because if I'm already doing everything that's in my power and can't pass....then how am I supposed to pass? What if I'm not meant to be an RN? What am I missing? Do I really have to re-read every single thing? But that's over 1000s pages, how am I supposed to memorize that? Even if I'll know every single symptom and intervention for every disease, that still doesn't guarantee that I'll pass, because the exam is all about prioritizing and critical thinking. I drove to the library and studied every single day (1 day off a week) from the time I wake up (10am-11am) until late evening (10pm-11pm). I purchased the UWorld. I did 75 questions in untimed tutor mode and took notes on every single question (yes on every single question, unless you know the topic in your sleep). I had around 7-8 pages of handwritten notes after finishing the 75 questions. I continued using the NCLEX Mastery app everywhere I went and before sleep. I also made drugs notecards, I wrote down every single med that I saw and didn't know. In the end, I had around 400-500 notecards that I reviewed DAILY until the day of my exam. I also created isolation precaution note cards that I reviewed daily. I created a huge binder so I could keep everything organized, put all of the online notes/tips and my handwritten notes there. I reviewed that binder DAILY before doing the 75 Uworld questions and every day I added more drug cards and handwritten notes to the binder to study. I kept doing that since the beginning of September until a week before my exam date on October 24th. When I had a week left, the only thing I changed was I started doing Uworld in timed non-tutor mode instead of the untimed tutor (still reviewed and took notes on every question). 1 day before the exam I didn't do any more questions, I just reviewed my notes and my note cards. The next day I had the exam at 8 am, I woke up at 5 am (I went to sleep early so I guess it worked! haha), ate healthy breakfast, drove to the testing center and reviewed my binder and notecards before going in. I said the prayer. My computer shut off at 140 questions, and I freaked out. I was sure I failed because near the end I wasn't getting any of those "bolded" or priority questions. 2 days later I found out I PASSED! It felt so surreal. I used Uworld, NCLEX Mastery app, LaCharity Prioritization, Delegation & Assessment book and notes/tips I found online. Here are some NCLEX study tips that I wish someone would have told me:Keep a consistent schedule what you're going to study and when (might not seem like it's important, but it is)Don't take too many "days off" between studying, or else you'll start to forget and will have to do everything all over again. You have to study every single day or at least every other day if you want to retain information. Studying for a week and taking 3-4 days break will not lead to anything good.While taking NCLEX, treat it just like any other practice test, it will ease your anxietyTreat all of your timed practice tests just like actual NCLEXBefore clicking 'next', tell yourself "okay, so if I won't help this person, they will die. The rest will not die and can wait". If it makes sense to you, click 'next'On SATA, not every option relates to your questions. The answer might seem good and look like it won't do any harm, but if it has nothing to do with what the question is asking, then it's the most likely wrong answerNote cards are probably the best way to memorize drugsEmbrace it, become a nurse on an emotional level (start thinking like a nurse even in everyday life)You can do it! ? Don't give up and don't stop believing!NCLEX resources that worked for me:UWorld!!!! It truly prepared me for SATA. The questions seemed harder than the actual exam.LaCharity. The questions seemed harder than the exam, and I feel like it really trained my critical thinking.NCLEX Mastery app. The questions are also tough + you can use this app everywhere you goLippincott's Q&A. It was alright, it also had alot of challenging questions, and it trained my critical thinking, but not as good as LaCharity.NCLEX resources that did not work for me:Kaplan. Fully finished the course and didn't work.NCSBN. I felt like their course wasn't detailed enough, and the questions didn't give good rationales.Saunders Q&A. I feel like the questions were too easy, I was getting 80s-90s on it and still failedFeel free to message me if anyone wants any of my notes or needs any help! ?
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Uworld Self-Assessment Exam questions
Hey guys, Has anyone heard / know how accurate Uworld's new self-assessment exam is? They recently added (01/01/2017) the new self-assessment portion. I had a friend score a 98% on it and passed her NCLEX in 75 questions. She was the only person I know of that took the self-assessment test. Was wondering if any knows about others that have taken it and scored high/low and passed the NCLEX as well. I took my assessment and scored a 92% so I am a bit worried about my chances of passing the NCLEX now... Thanks in advance!
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Passed with 75 questions using UWorld
Guys, I can't believe it, I passed NCLEX-RN on my second attempt. ? Here's what I did on my NCLEX journey: 1st Attempt:SaundersDid 1550 questions 3 times and took lots of notes. Kaplan QbankFinished all the questions, scored 65% average, typed out hundreds of pages of notes and memorized notes 10 times over. Kaplan QTrainers 4 to 6Took it few days before exam with average score 61% I studied assiduously. I dedicated my days, afternoon, nights to NCLEX. I was thrilled to reach the desired "passing" score Kaplan recommends. Exam Day: December 8, 2015On the exam day, however, my NCLEX exam felt nothing like Kaplan. 15 questions into the NCLEX, my heart was pounding as I was guessing my way with each question. What a nightmare! It was as if I can almost hear Beethoven's 5th Symphony playing in the background. The exam churned out 265 questions, in which time I was no longer critically thinking from the panic and anxiety. I took breaks during the exam, but the breaks did nothing to relieve the stress. I felt like vomiting after finishing exam. A week later, I get my CPR results: 1 above passing, 1 below passing, the rest near passing. Failed! ? 2nd Attempt:Clearly, Kaplan did not work for me. So I decided to change my game plan. This time around I used LaCharity PDA and got a 3 month and 1 week subscription to UWorld. LaCharity PDA:This book is very helpful and a needed study supplement. I am foreign educated, so I had no clue about delegation LPN, UAP etc. I did this book 2 times, typed notes up to Chapter 9. I did not bother with the case studies in the back. UWorld:I only finished 1475 questions out of the 1840 questions with an overall average of 64%. My initial average was 56% and climbed very slowly to 64%. I was plugging in 10-12 hours a day studying for 3 and a 1/2 months. I would do a 75-questioned exam and then type out 100-paged notes (using font size 20 times new roman). I only did 75 questions every 5-6 days, but spent the majority of the time typing notes and memorizing the notes. For this, I did lots of active learning. I would close my typed notes and recite them out loud from memory. My Dad would check if my memory work was correct. I would memorize each 100-paged notes 5 times until perfect. As I do not have photographic memory - doing this helped me enormously. I retained information better and had faster recall. I had about 1300 pages of memorized notes. I went over all of them one last time 3 days before the exam. Reading the Qbank is only passive learning, I feel. Give the voluminous information, it is impossible to retain information just by mere reading. Also, cranking out 200 questions a day on the Qbank is not ideal. I believe in quality over quantity. I didn't even get to finish the Qbank. Exam Day: March 30, 2016My exam had 75 questions. 43 of my questions were SATA, 3 exhibits, 5 priority questions, the rest multiple choice, no math, 2 pharma questions. I thought the NCLEX exam was ridiculously easy. For over 3 months of grinding away at UWorld, the real NCLEX looked like child's play. There was not one question on the NCLEX that wasn't discussed in UWorld. UWorld discussed all topics to death and in such intricate detail. Even the UWorld SATA's were infinitely harder than the NCLEX SATA. By my 75th question, I was 100% sure the exam would shut down. Just got my exam quick results: PASSED Okay, for those of you taking it a second time or more. I hope this helps. Do not give up and be willing to put in the long hours of study. Your NCLEX success is possible. ?
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NCLEX RN Advice
Hi there! I told myself after taking the NCLEX-RN exam that I would come back here (like many have) and discuss my experience, results, etc. because I spent countless evenings and hours on this site looking for comfort throughout my nursing school journey and especially after I graduated waiting to take the NCLEX. I took the NCLEX RN yesterday (1/6/16) at 8:00 am and completed the exam in approximately 1 hour with 75 questions. I will post my results in the morning when I get them. I have done the PVT and gotten "the good pop up" and my state (Texas) BON has not removed my graduate nurse license, which is supposed to be a good sign. My boss said that if you fail, the BON will immediately remove your GN license from the site. Anyways....here is what I did. I graduated 12/10/15. I got my ATT on 1/16/15. I signed up to take the NCLEX for 1/6/16, giving myself exactly 3 weeks to study. For the first week, I really got down to business on re-watching my Hurst Review videos. The Hurst has 27 videos total, anywhere from 16 minutes to 1 hour and 24 minutes long.The videos average around 45 minutes. I had already taken the live review the week of graduation with my class (It was mandatory, $300). I had 9 videos left to watch by the time I stopped studying for the NCLEX. (So I did not complete the review all the way through). The Hurst Review online also has 6 practice tests "Q Trainers" that are 125 questions each. I completed all of these before I took the NCLEX. I purchased the Kaplan-Q Bank for one month. It was $49. I aimed to answer 100-200 questions a day and to review all of the rationales. I bought a spiral notebook and wrote down the rationales to questions I got wrong. I also wrote down unfamiliar topics and looked them up after the fact. I purchased the LaCharity: Prioritization, Delegation, and Assignment book. It is a thin, workbook-style book that Barnes and Noble carries. It was $50. I completed about half of the work book. After my first week of studying, I went out of town for Christmas to visit family for 2 days. When I came back, it was very hard for me to get back to 8 hour study days. I could not focus on any more videos. I stopped watching videos and decided to just answer as much questions as I could stand every day. I ended up doing about 150-200 questions a day until the day before my test date. Before I took my test I had ended up doing 1,350 questions and reading rationales. (Yes, I added it up). My bestie from nursing school and I got together each day for 3 days before the test. What we did was take 1 Hurst Q-Trainer test (125 questions each) together each day. We took turns reading questions out loud to each other and working through the answers. Then, we would go back and read all of the rationales out loud together also. We both felt like this was extremely helpful. We only disagreed on about 10% of the test. We obviously scored better together, so we subtracted about 10 questions from our final score for accuracy as to where we really stood. What were my Kaplan Q Bank scores like?Test 1: 57% Test 2: 57% Test 3: 63% Test 4: 59% Test 5: 44% (I think I was tired of studying this day Test 6: 65% Test 7: 55% Test 8: 64% I took 75 question tests in "timed mode" not "tutor mode". I never recycled any questions and I always checked "select all" for content of questions. What were my Hurst Q Trainer Scores? This is questions correct out of 125. They also give you percentages. I did not feel like going through the trouble of looking at the percentages in each test, sorry ? Test 1: 75 Test 2: 77 Test 3: 82 Test 4: 84 (With my friend) Test 5: 93 (With my friend) Test 6: 85 I felt that I was more than prepared for my NCLEX exam (after the fact). My advice for anyone taking the NCLEX would be as follows: Sign Up ASAP After Graduation. Do not wait. Give yourself 1 maybe 2 weeks to study. I feel that trying to learn and memorize content right after graduation is counter productive. You JUST graduated nursing school. You know at least 70% of the information that you need to know for the NCLEX if you passed your program. There is no way of knowing what content-related information will be on your test because everyone's test is so different. DO NOT waste your time trying to memorize and learn new content. Just stop and trust yourself. If you are doing something such as Hurst review, I would recommend watching videos on subjects that you are not strong in. For instance, I am not great at Fluids and Electrolytes or ACID/BASE. If I could go back, I would have just watched these videos. Do not waste time and energy. Maybe look over lab values daily. That is the only memorizing I recommend. I know how some of you feel that you HAVE to do content. If you have Hurst access, look through their "5th Day Material" handouts. They have great reviews on meds by class if you are pharmacology weak. If you do not have Hurst access, maybe try purchasing the Picmonic package. This seems to be a great site to help learn content, meds, etc. and it is cheap. ($10 I believe). QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS!!!Do as many questions as you can. Buy the Kaplan Q Bank. Buy the LaCharity PDA book. Buy one other question source such as NCLEX 4000. This is the MOST EFFECTIVE way to study for NCLEX if you are a new grad. This will be enough!!! Try to go through 1500-2000 questions and rationales before your test. You know the minimum competency for content. You need to learn how to answer the questions. In short...this is what you should purchase: (~150$ total) Kaplan Q Bank- $49 for 1 month accessLaCharity PDA book- $50Alternate question source such as "NCLEX RN Mastery" which costs about $35 for a month of access. My school also recommended "UWorld" question bank. It costs $60 for one month of access. I had another friend recommend the NCSBN study plan/question bank. She passed in 75 questions her first try in June 2015. If you have the Hurst Review, use their Q Tests plus one other source for questions. That will be sufficient.There is a 35 page review floating around on here that is also really helpful. It was VERY accurate on the need-to-know content. I would read over this a few times. I can e-mail you this if you need it, just ask ? This will be more than enough for someone who has just passed an RN program to pass the NCLEX. If you have been out of nursing school for a while and are trying to prepare, I would recommend purchasing the online version of the Hurst Review for 300$ and going through all of the content videos. Take their Q Trainer tests AFTER you watch ALL of the content videos- they will not give you more time in the event that you end up failing the NCLEX if you do any of the Q Trainers BEFORE you watch ALL of the videos. Just read all of the directions so you don't screw yourself out of more review in the event of failing (but you WON'T FAIL!) What type of student was I? I was very strong in clinicals and found most of my nursing school exams difficult. I have never been extremely competent in my "book smart" abilities, but have always been pleasantly surprised by my outcomes and grades. I am a "B" student. I made 2 "C's" and 2 "A's" in nursing school, with the rest being "B". There were times that I did study a LOT, but I still felt that I was able to have a social life in nursing school. Our school did ATI testing. I averaged level 2's for ATI. I was weak in pharmacology ATI. I also passed my ATI comprehensive exit exam on the first try with a 96% prediction that I would pass NCLEX on my first try. What was my exam like? Well..It was 75 questions. I had a lot of SATA...probably about 30. That is all I can say about my actual exam. The content and style was very comparable to Hurst Review questions and also Kaplan Q Bank questions. Remember these things when taking the NCLEX:1. This is a SAFETY TEST. The Board of Nursing wants to make sure that you have the minimum competency to practice safely without harming anyone. 2. With questions, ask yourself: Who would die FIRST if I did not see them?What would keep my patient the safest?If I can only do ONE of these things.....which thing will help my patient the most?What will fix the problem the FASTEST?If it is a delegation question: What patient is the most stable and predictable (for the LVN/LPN)? For the UAP: Can I EAT (Evaluate, Assess, or Teach) it? Then I will not delegate it! I am hungry! If the question is SATA: Read each statement individually. Treat each statement as a true or false as it pertains to the question. Breathe through these! YOU CAN do it!You Passed Nursing School. You Got This!Believe in your abilities and practice practice practice answering questions. No negative self talk. When you get tired of studying, take breaks! Be gentle on yourself. Pray Pray Pray (to God, the universe, whatever you believe in...!) GOOD VIBES ONLY! Good luck future RN's! ? Check Out The Following '5 Tips to Prep For NCLEX RN' Video... NCLEX-RN-2016-Advice.pdf
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UWorld vs. Kaplan
I'm currently preparing to take the Nclex-RN in September and I wanted to know which question bank was the best. I'm using both UWorld and the Kaplan q-trainers but I'm wondering if I should just stick with one. Any advice would be great especially from recent test takers...thanks.
- Has anyone passed Nclex specifically using Uworld?
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Has anyone used UWorld to study for NCLEX?
UWorld to pass NCLEX....is anyone familiar with this as a study guide? (videos and links added by staff) UWorld NCLEX-RN Qbank Impressions A Word From UWorld Related Topics UWorld RN prep.. Is it reliable?Has anyone passed Nclex specifically using Uworld?Passed with 75 questions using UWorldUWorld vs. KaplanPassed with 75 questions thanks to UWORLD & HURST
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Kaplan or uworld
Hello, i failed nclex last week. Do you recommend me Using kaplan or uworld? My weakness is sata and i want to Practice on different types of nclex questions. Thank you.
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NCLEX Resource Review - Kaplan, Hurst, UWorld
I just finished Nursing School in July so I understand the confusion on how and what to study. Along with my anxiety-ridden journey here's what I found. I hope it helps someone! Let me start by explaining what works for me... I never learn by reading; med surg textbook with over complicated words and no way to establish priority? NOPE. Never helped me in school, not going to help me on the NCLEX. Old notes that I'm never going to look at again? Nope threw those out the day I finished Nursing school. Why? Because NCLEX isn't testing on patho. It wants application. It wants you to take simple concepts and be flexible with them. I learn best by hearing, seeing, doing, and WRITING. Concepts to me need to be broken down and simplified so that they stick. Example: magnesium and calcium are sedatives so their signs and symptoms will sedate you if you have too much of them. So far I've used UWorld, Kaplan, and Hurst. I did not pay for UWorld, my friend let me use hers. Kaplan was paid for with my tuition to school. And Hurst was my choice. Here's what I found on these websites... UWorld Great concept based questions with amazing rationales. But that's it, questions. Unorganized content review. The questions are harder than the NCLEX from what I have been told. My friend also used UWorld and failed NCLEX. Kaplan They offer a course that teaches you how to critically think through questions. Which I liked and found helpful in getting questions right on their website. It also allowed me to better understand the "Who do you see first questions". (The person with something going on RIGHT now. Not the potential for injury person). But the decision tree is not the end all be all. You have to have content to back it up. At times the decision tree will get you out of a bind and guess and other times it just doesn't. They have tons of questions in the Qbank (1800). And trainer tests that simulate NCLEX. The questions are more like the NCLEX than UWorld but they questions are still harder than NCLEX. The rationales are basic at best. Overall Kaplan is my choice for questions and practice because of its NCLEX like questions. They also offer videos for content review (300 of them) but they are at your own will to watch and are out of order so you can't build upon topics easily. A book also comes with their program which has tons of content including drugs. But the drugs don't differentiate between Side effects and Adverse effects. Remember side effects are bothersome. Adverse effects are never good. Hurst My savior at this point. I'm using the Hurst option that lets me move at my own pace. Hurst is content review and at the end, you get 4 practice tests. Hurst has videos that you watch in order and a (you print) study guide that you fill in as you watch the videos. At the end of the course, these study guides are your notes. There are options for closed captions that are accurate to what is being said. The content review videos are AMAZING. They break down confusing topics and giving the real explanation to WHY someone has these symptoms and why are we treating them without overcomplicating things. Hurst is allowing me to connect the dots between conditions and making feel like I will be a better Nurse. It's filling holes that I didn't fill in nursing school in a simplified way. Honestly, Hurst should have their own Nursing school. I have yet to do their practice tests but I'm over halfway done with the video content. They don't go over medications in detail in the videos but they bring them up and mention basic stuff about them enough for you to say hey I probably need to look more up about this medication but I'm glad it told me to check BP and HR before giving it and explained what it does. They have an Ebook that gives you the detailed information about the drugs they mention in the videos too. Also, the ebook includes content like infection control and giving blood which they don't go over in the videos. Hurst takes 5 days to watch the videos, but this doesn't include going over the ebook material and going back over your notes. They recommend you study the notes for 1-2 weeks and then coming back to do their tests. I also find myself crying laughing over some of the videos. The instructors are so funny! So which do you choose? If you feel like you don't know where to start and want the content review - choose Hurst. The Kaplan book that comes with the course is great with content but I can't sit around and read concepts and expect for them to stick. Especially when the book doesn't give rationales or priority or break down concepts to make the memorable. After content you need practice questions, it's a must. I pick Kaplan. Simply because of its a tried and true resource. And is similar to NCLEX questions. UWorld- Although I enjoyed the resource, I didn't feel it was necessary or as close to NCLEX as Kaplan. Books I'm using the Kaplan book for medications, you can also buy their companion drug book. Focus on medication stems and major drugs. Ex. lithium and digoxin, antithyroid medications, Synthroid, anti-infectives. I never got a great review of pharm either in school so it isn't my strong suit. Davis's Q&A also has 10k questions, it's sitting on my shelf and I haven't touched it yet. I plan to after I finish content videos. Prices Kaplan and Hurst are in the 300's. Hurst offers payment plans. Each site has a money back guarantee if you fail NCLEX, stipulations do apply. Read into these beforehand. Look for coupon codes online before purchasing. Sometimes you can find them on AllNurses. UWorld is 80 per month. When to study? I recommend 1 week after graduation/last day of class. Why? Are you really going to be focused on NCLEX when you are studying for your final exam? No, not really. Is the undue stress worth it? No. It's stressful enough. And you deserve a break after you finish Nursing School. It's an amazing accomplishment you deserve to celebrate it. Take time to reorganize life and do something you love. Then hop back into the "grind". You will feel refreshed and ready to take on the world. This is the confidence and energy I needed to face the NCLEX. How long to study? It's recommended you take 4-8 weeks to study for the NCLEX. Remember you want to pass the first time. So make it count and give yourself time. You never know when a family emergency will interrupt your studying, or when your internet will be out for an entire week because of your terrible internet service provider. Truly plan for these emergencies and give yourself time. TIPS: Do practice question sets 75 at a time and then go back and review all of them and read the rationale. This can be painstaking and boring, so if you aren't fond of doing this, you'll be glad you didn't schedule your test as soon as you graduated. Take notes of everything you didn't know or want to remember as you read the rationale. This will help it stick. Also about half of NCLEX is select all that apply questions. Also, check AllNurses for study guides others have made via the search bar! I hope this helps! Good luck on your NCLEX study journey!
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Low UWorld scores ?! Help
I'm averaging between 20-70s on my tests. I'm in the 35th percentile, I test in two weeks ... I already failed once. I don't know what to do. Has anyone else had scores like this before and passed !? I feel so discouraged at this point and don't know what to do anymore. I'm sitting at a overall 41 right now and I am almost through the whole entire Q Bank
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Only using UWorld to study?
I could really use some second thoughts and opinions to calm my anxiety and nerves! ?My NCLEX-RN is currently scheduled for mid-February. I have been using UWorld to study consistently for about a week now (I usually do at least 100Q/day, read all the rationales, make flashcards etc). I am also making charts for lab values, medication-suffixes etc. I feel like it's been an emotional rollercoaster... some days I feel like I am scoring great on the tests, the next I feel like I know nothing. On one hand it can be a confidence booster, then on the other hand it has me questioning my own knowledge and ability. Ultimately though I feel like I have learned a lot, and am more confident in answering NCLEX style questions. I have solely been using UWorld to study, and that's the only formal study material I am planning to use (other than YouTube, and other miscellaneous internet resources as I go). I just have a few questions for those of you who have written your NCLEX already and whom mainly used UWorld to prepare for same. When did you feel ready to write the NCLEX (is this even possible)? The reason I am asking this is because I have read so many conflicting opinions on this, and I am considering rescheduling mine for sooner. I am set to finish my Q-bank and self assessment by the end of the month, and don't want to drive myself crazy spending more than a few days after that reviewing/studying... thoughts on if that sounds like a good plan or not? Did you feel like UWorld adequately prepared you to write (and pass) the NCLEX? I have read a lot of people talk about how they took a review course (Hurst, Kaplan etc) or read through additional texts (Saunders etc) in addition to UWorld. I have not taken a review course or cracked open my Saunders text, but I feel like I am getting an adequate review using only UWorld. I am just worrying because maybe I am missing something, or am not actually adequately preparing myself (if that makes sense). Like I feel like I am, but maybe I'm not? I would love to hear from anyone who solely used UWorld, and what their thoughts are on this! Thanks❤️
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I Failed 4 Times, But.....
I wasn't always a great student and I didn't get straight A's. I looked at what my weaknesses were. I was partying too much. Going out and getting drunk with friends. I was around toxic people and a toxic environment. I was letting my life get out of control. I realized later that it was my depression getting the best of me. I wasn't focused enough on my studies. So I got myself together and remained focused. I bought UWorld for one year and bought the Saunders Q&A NCLEX-RN Review . I finished the Saunders book and then went on to UWorld. I started off with answering 25 questions everyday for 5 days until I got to 2000 and started answering 75 questions and would alternate days answering 75 or 150 questions until I had no more of the "unanswered" questions left. I mixed the questions up instead of individualizing it by topic. Once I finished all the "unanswered" questions, I went over the ones I got wrong and also the ones I marked. BTW, I was answering the questions on tutor mode. I preferred it to the timed one because I could see the answer right away. When I had about three weeks until the NCLEX I started listening to Mark Klimek's audio files. I wished I was at his review course when I was in nursing school. He makes everything easy to remember. I took one break a week but as my test was getting closer I didn't take a break until the day before my test. I absolutely didn't study at all or think of anything NCLEX related. Also, I just want everyone to know that I work a full time job so that's the whole reason why I was answering 25 questions and then increased them. I would usually get off work by 5pm. Took me about 3-6hrs to study. Everyone has a different way of studying and it's important that you find what works for you. I would advise that you don't read what scores others are getting on UWorld. I will tell you right now that it doesn't matter. What matters is that you understand the concept. What matters is that you read why the answer you picked was wrong and look at why they correct answer is the right answer. Remember: You got through NURSING SCHOOL and you could GO THROUGH NCLEX! You got this! Don't let the anxiety get to you! Take a deep breathe! So I took the NCLEX almost a week ago and my anxeity was at an all time high! I could feel my heart coming out of my chest and there was people at the testing center already. I scheduled my test @ 1000am on a Monday which was also a HOLIDAY! I made it 228 and it showed a blue screen and I was freaking out again. Then a screen appeared asking about a special study that they are conducting and I was "chosen".. Basically it was giving a case study and asked six questions. Most were SATA. I was freaking out that I would be counted towards the score! But we can all relax! Its not counted! PHEW!SO I started at 1000am and was done by 4pm. I got to my car and received an email from PearsonVue that I have taken the test and it gave me some links to check out to see what the next steps are. Where I reside...quick results are not available. So I found out from a friend that you could get your results one hour after you take the NCLEX. I was too late because they were already closed. SOOO.....I decided to do the PVT trick..BUT I couldn't log on to my account. I was basically stressing out the whole day. I finally got home at 11pm, opened up my computer, went to the pearson vue site and changed my password. Signed on and did the process of doing the PVT trick. "OUR RECORDS INDICATE THAT YOU HAVE RECENTLY SCHEDULED THIS EXAM. ANOTHER REGISTRATION CANNOT BE MADE AT THIS TIME" AHHHHHHHH! I was silently screaming. I couldn't believe it. That was a clear sign that I passed! But it was only 99% accurate sooo they say. SO I waited for the next 10hrs and called my nursing board office and they said my results were ready to pick up and they couldn't not tell me the results by phone. I got to the office and before the lady could give me the results she said "CONGRATULATIONS". OMG I PASSED! It finally happened! I just want to say to the person reading this right now and has reached the end of this.
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Uworld Percentile Rank vs Median Rank
Hi guys, I am taking the NCLEX in 6 days and I was wondering if my percentile is a good reflection of how I will do on the exam. I am in the 80th percentile and the current median is the 48th percentile. I know this is above average, but how accurate is this rank? Is this a good indicator that I will do well on the NCLEX? Any answers/ advice is greatly appreciated, I am just a bundle of nerves over here!
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Passed California NCLEX-PN on my 2nd try. Out of school for 7 years
So a little background on myself... I'm an RN in the Philippines. I moved here like 2 years ago. I graduated on March 2011 and got my license in the Philippines on August 2011. I decided to apply for LVN when I got here because I heard a lot of stories about Foreign Students in California who need to go back to School when it comes to NCLEX-RN. I applied for my 1st try on March 2017, took them 6 months to reply just to say that I have to go to a different agency for my evaluation. Before I applied, I looked at the requirements & I'm pretty sure there is no instruction that I have to go to a different agency. So I have to get another OTR from my school & do everything again. In short it took me another 4 months to finally submit all of it including my evaluation report. 8/17/17 Got my ATT, scheduled my test for 11/8/17. I was working that time as a MedTech. It was hard to balance review and work. Especially if you're gonna be so tired coming home from work. It's like even if I read for 2 hours nothing comes in. So I studied every weekend, took a 10 days off from work. That time I thought 10 days was enough to really cram. For others this might worked for them, but it really depends on you. You should know yourself by now thru nursing school what works when you study. I used NCLEX-PN EXAM CRAM (4th Edition) This is actually a good book if you still know your content. So the night before my test I am still cramming & answered few questions. I took my exam @ 8am. I had few SATA & a lot of questions that I didn't know. Because I knew that I didn't really prepared myself for this. I'm guessing the whole time. Now SMART guessing is okay but that time I was just really like guessing and not reading the questions carefully because I already know I failed. Finished 205 questions in like 2 hours. Went home tried the PVT trick after 5 hours, I got the bad pop-up. 2nd Try, I quit my job. I told myself I'll just study and focus on my review. I think I applied like last week of January. Then I got the letter like 2 weeks after (that time I'm like dang that's really quick compare to months of waiting). Got my ATT @ 2/28/2018 & I was aiming for 4/30/18 to take my test. So I have at least 2 months to study. This time I changed everything about my study plan. I found UWorld because of all the forums I read here. I started studying 3/1/18, I was doing UWorld for like 2 weeks. But then I always get a lot of wrong answers. At first I told myself that UWorld questions are just really hard. So I searched another forum & I found out that you really have to know your content. How To Pass The NCLEX STEP 1 Make a schedule/Study PlanSo when I did my schedule I really tried to follow it. I even put doing 60 questions. But guess what I was all over the place that I didn't even follow my schedule that much. I'm not saying for you guys to follow what I did. It's really good to follow your schedule most of the time because you'll have more time management. STEP 2 Try not to have distractionsNow this is hard, since I wasn't working. I got distracted so easily. I didn't even uninstall all my Social Medias because I know I'll get bored. So when I was studying I'll put my phone away from me. But if I need to check a Medical Terminology I'll google it. Most of the I would check my notifications. Got distracted for 5 mins then go back to studying. At the last 2 weeks of studying I still found myself doing it. So try your best not to get distracted. If you have to uninstall apps or put your phone in "do not disturb". You know what to do *wink* STEP 3 Get yourself in the mood before studyingNow this one I haven't found anyone who posted bout this. I dunno maybe this is weird for other people. But it really helped me especially when my test was coming up. What did I do? I listened to my favorite songs, any lively songs before I study. Then I think of happy thoughts. I'll do it for an hour. Most of the time I'll over do it. But it helped me w/ my anxiety. STEP 4 Search for study tools that will help youFor this one, I know everything is great. You just have to stick to it & trust that it will work for you. I used Saunders 7th edition, UWorld, NCLEX Cram, Nclex pn 3000, other nclex pn review apps on my phone. Now I know this is a lot. But I only stickied to Saunders and UWorld. I did the rest from here & there. STEP 5 Know your contentWhen I found this in someone's post (thank God) this really helped me. That's why I got Saunders. If you'll look at it, this book is so thick. But it covered everything. I told myself I'll do 2-3 chapters a day. I tried, but when I didn't get to schedule my exam on my target date because I was late doing it, (I got 5/14/18 instead of 4/30/18) I got lousy and I said I'll still have time or other **** happened. I finished the book tho, but some parts are cram because I didn't get to keep up on my schedule. I studied the units that has lesser page at first. I made sure I kept OB, Respiratory, Cardiovascular, Mental health, Fundamentals last. Because I just felt like there are a lot of questions coming up on these topics. So that I'll remember them the most, especially Fundamentals. STEP 6 Do practice questionsI was supposed to do 60 questions a day. But since it didn't happen, I did 90-250 questions a day on the last 2 weeks before my test.. In my schedule since I can't keep up I just set it up that the last 2 weeks I should be done w/ Saunders & just do practice questions. STEP 7 Balance your LifeFirst month of studying I started working out. To just have a balance & not study all the time. I also started eating healthy. Eat lots nutritious food, drink lots of water and don't sleep late. I made sure I always have 8 hours of sleep. For you guys that can't do 8 hours, just make sure you have enough sleep. I also still watched my shows or NBA. Try to have fun while studying. You deserve it! 2 days or 1 day before your test, don't cram. Don't touch any of your study materials. Do something exciting! or pamper yourself, try to get a full body massage (I planned to! but my dumb-*** forgot to do an appointment! HAHA!) But that was mother's day so I celebrated w/ my family & I went to church. STEP 8 Trust yourself that you can passHave confidence! write your name everywhere w/ LVN or RN after. Always tell yourself that you got this! Think positive. Because if you think that you will fail, YOU ALREADY FAILED from that part. I watched inspiring videos for motivation. You'll find a lot in YouTube. This really helped me a lot. STEP 9 Lastly, Have faithI usually go to church every week, but you don't have to. As long as you have faith in your God that's all that matters. I wrote in my white board some of my favorite bible verses. Matthew 17:20Psalm 46:10Matthew 11:30Matthew 19:26Psalm 5:8Proverbs 3:5TEST DAY:I scheduled my test for 2PM this time. I woke up, ate breakfast, watched inspiring video, got ready. Left the house @12 30. My auntie picked me up supposedly w/ my grandma. But surprisingly my grandpa was there too. Then on the way we also picked up my other auntie. In my mind I was like, "wow! whole squad is here" kinda pressured me but I really appreciated them showing there support. My grandma asked me to pray some of her small prayer booklet. Got to Fairfield test center & ate my snack since I was so early. I was bout to listen to Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's Crossroad but then I almost inserted my headset to my muffin instead my phone I was so nervous! Now wear clothes accordingly. It's cold inside the testing center. But to my surprise they asked me to hang my jacket in the rack outside. I didn't know bout that so I only wore a thin shirt because I usually sweat easily w/ jacket. So I rubbed my arms and just kept on squeezing my arms until I felt warm. I marked my small white board when I got SATA questions, because I wanna see if I'll get a lot or just few. I got 23 SATAs, but not consecutively. I think I only had 3x that I got it in 2 consecutive then it goes back to easy question. I had 3 drag-n-drop, 1 computation, 2 medications, 3 ECG strips (that I'm not familiar with). For my meds questions, I didn't really know what is it. I didn't memorize a lot of drugs but familiarizing w/ drug suffixes helped me a lot tho. I had enough delegations and a lot prioritization. TAKE TIME TO READ ALL THE QUESTIONS. I read it twice before looking at the answers. Do eliminations. If I don't know the answer I'll go back again and do smart guessing. I took my time that on the 2nd hour I'm still on question 63. I went to my scheduled break, grabbed my banana, also chocolate & ate in otw to the restroom. I stretched & looked at the mirror & told myself I will be an LVN. I think I also prayed in every question. Literally, just short prayers. Then when I got to #85 the question was easy. I think it was delegating. Then computer went blue & that's when my heart sank. Because I wasn't expecting it. I'm not that confident. I thought 23 SATA wasn't enough. I did PVT trick after 4 hours & I got the good pop-up! I did it again everyday for 3 days & still got a good pop up. 4 days after I received my letter. YAASSSSS! 4 days! I can't believe how quick! So yeah. I hope these can help! Believe in yourself, work hard for it & have faith. You got this!
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Failed with 265 and used UWORLD “high chance of passing”... HELP!
I’m so heartbroken, but I think I cried all my tears and I’m ready to pick myself up again. I took the NCLEX-RN last week and received my results and I failed. I used UWORLD. Had less than 200 questions left in the QBank and had a “very high chance of passing” with the Self-Assessment. Everyone I know highly recommended it, but now after failing when I was using it to study, I don’t know how to go about studying again. I don’t even know what to use anymore. Does anyone have any other suggestions please?
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NCLEX, UWORLD - Boom Bam Wowee
I know people say this but I had probably read every NCLEX post on here. I lurked for weeks, did not have an account but boy did I benefit from what people were kind enough to share. I vowed I would contribute something to the pot of bliss this site has been for me. I'll try not to ramble but I do want to share because I've seen how helpful people sharing their experiences can be. To start off Nursing school- I did very well, I worked very hard and fortunately, it paid off. However getting ready for NCLEX is vastly different, it was adaptive- to you. I was a slow studier but fast test taker. Preparing for NCLEX I learned the necessity to read so carefully, reading quickly was damaging. I knew I'd need to prepare and do it differently. I did an online review with Feuer Nursing- online. Do not recommend. Poor lecturers, they didn't explain concepts. Grammar spelling mistakes and even their tests had inaccuracies. Also, the videos would freeze. Then all the hype I did U WORLD. It was so helpful in actually teaching me knowledge and test-taking strategies. I completed about 1600 questions, first test 45%. I thought Oh boy- I made notes, watched videos, created Q cards and made sure I knew key concepts well enough that I could teach to it (not that they really listened) but something about hearing yourself explain concepts was helpful. All in all- I felt I was on the right track by the end of 1600 questions I was consistently scoring 65- low 70's%. I know it's not everyone's experience but my UWORLD marks did improve. I did sets of 75 questions, 150 per day (literally ALL day) and after about 500 questions- my marks were better but more importantly, my knowledge base grew until of course some random drug or disease would come up- and I'd be like "What where and in what language is this a thing"? Some answers I'd get wrong & be like "Ah yes that makes sense" Some I'd be like "Shut the front door...how". My NCLEX was scheduled the end of April 2019 but I had to change it earlier by 2 weeks but felt pretty ready. 1. Day before examI know people say don't study but I did- when I'd get into my zones, I felt I did better with more questions. Like I'd start cruddy then get better- I felt like I needed that momentum but I didn't go as hard as I was before. I tried to eat something and get to bed early- which I needed to do because I was writing in a different city and had a morning commute on a weekday (another consequence of changing my date). I was SOO nervous and anxious I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep. I went to bed at 8- took melatonin and didn't fall asleep till probably 11. I woke up at 1:30 AM - I know to cry or to cry. Insomnia and anxiety are a wicked combination. I knew I wouldn't go back to sleep- I had planned to leave at 5 am but decided instead since I was up Id get ready and drive into the city. I felt nauseous- had a smoothie and got there at 3 am! The parking garage was closed, I couldn't sleep in the car, so I flipped through my notes and did about 10 questions. Felt tired and I can't drink coffee- I don't tolerate caffeine well and was thinking 2.5 hours of sleep and no food, rough start but I WILL push through this- even if I have to vomit every 30 minutes. Id invested too much, so much riding on it- splashed some water on my face and gave myself a pep talk (i needed it lol and everyone I knew was sleeping) 2. The EXAMNot surprisingly, I was the first person there even before the staff. After all the security (Photo, palm scan, photo ID, signature, putting your belongings in a locker and confidentiality form) you get a computer. There are big headphones and whiteboard, marker and a brief tutorial before the exam. Yes the NCLEX has SOME similarities to UWORLD but this my first time taking it and was taken back by how VAGUE Many questions were. The difficulty was not content but ambiguity- because I got used to teasing questions apart in UWORLD. This hurt me in NCLEX because it was mostly bare bones. Tips- You have to take the question exactly as it is- no ifs or in this or that scenario. Exactly as they tell you- how do you proceed. There is no crossing off incorrect answers like in UWORLD so use the notepad to keep track if you can't remember the answers u don't want to select. Words like PRIORITY or FIRST are bolded however " require further teaching' or " is appropriate teaching" or "would clarify" or "is correct understanding" are NOT BOLDED or emphasized. You have to read carefully, one question I thought they asked is appropriate teaching but it actually said clarify teaching- when I read it a second time. Exhibit questions- they can have multiple. I had a scenario question and one exhibit item was an ECG, another vitals and the third a progress note. If its say 1/3 you have to look at ALL three unless it says 1/1, otherwise you'll miss pertinent information. SATA- I did feel UWORLD helped me with these but do not think if you get a SATA and then regular MC u aren't doing well. I was fixated on the SATA and assumed if I didn't get ALL of them I was doing poorly. At about 25 questions I had about 8 SATA but 17 other mostly MC, I figured I was doing poorly but I was JUST at 25 questions and felt some SATA were easier than some of the MC. Some were real head-scratchers. I know everyone tests differently but I took my time and honestly because I was SOO tired I knew I needed to be extra cautious. I prayed before, throughout and after. I was in no kinda hurry. I took 2 hours 45 min to do the test. At 74 questions, I had maybe 15-20 SATA, 3 order the following, one calculation, lots of maternity, mental health and fundamentals- a few priority delegations. BUT LET ME tell you I WAS DRAINED. I prayed to GOD " OH DEAR GOD PLEASE LET IT BE OVER". I was gonna go the 265 if I needed but by God's Mercy, it shut off at 75. I didn't know if I passed but my last two were SATA and felt pretty confident about the last one. The rest maybe 2 I was 80% the others maybe 50-60% but I supposed that is the adaptive nature of the test, test your individual ability against the benchmark. AFTER: I researched and wrote everything and because I had spent SOO much bloody time staring at each of the 75 questions, I remembered a lot. I found out the first question I got wrong for Sure. Several others as well. I immediately went into panic nausea mode- convinced I failed and regretting the awful state in which I wrote such an important exam.I read EVERYTHING I could find online about the aftermath I read about the Pearson vue thing but felt my HEART could not handle "a bad pop up" without more certainty about it and many posts were old so I didn't know if I could trust them. I could do nothing but think about the test, it was all-consuming, you'd think I'd sleep but no I ruminated about every aspect of the test. It was MADDENING. I was going to do the 48 hours Quick results but I tested on Thursday and Friday (today) I checked the board site and PASSED. Most beautiful 6 letters I've ever seen. I refreshed over and over, signed out and back in and checked on two devices LOL I know it's much but the anxiety of the NCLEX was unlike anything else for me. I DO NOT RECOMMEND what I did but on 2.5 hours of sleep, no food, nauseous anxious mess, I somehow passed in 75 questions, I am sure you can too. I want to offer help if anyone has questions, I'm new to this but will check and hope some of this Ramble is helpful.
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NCLEX Prep
How's it going, guys. So I just found out today that I passed NCLEX and would like to shed some light on which review I thought was most beneficial. The 3 reviews I will be reviewing are UWorld, Hurst, and NRSNG. UWorld:This was my favorite out of the 3. UWorld looks most like NCLEX and while the questions are hard, they are very detailed (something you will not find with NCLEX). UWorlds real selling point is the rationales. My god, AMAZING. If you take the time to read into the rationales, then you're golden. I finished all 2000+ questions in a little over a month and scored a 78th percentile overall with Highly likely to pass on my practice exam that was included in the 90-day bundle. I paid $180 for the bundle w/ 2 practice exams. Hurst:I struggled with retaining content through school semester to semester so Hurst seemed like a good idea. The 3-day class was very informative, and I "remembered" a lot that I had forgotten throughout my 2 years of Nursing school. However, for the price of $400 (I paid $350 w/coupon code), I don't recommend it unless you're really trying to review content. Their practice test ?'s are also subpar, and "Aunt Marlene's" voice is annoying as hell. NRSNG:I have been a member here for almost my whole treck through nursing school. Jon and the gang do a great job at providing literally everything for you to succeed. They have lessons upon lessons, practice questions, and my favorite, SIMCLEX. SIMCLEX is a CAT test (the algorithm is apparently mimicked to NCLEX) that predicts your chances of passing NCLEX between 75-265 questions. I took this at least 6 times and passed all but 1. Compared to UWorld however, the questions are not challenging and while they swear they have 10,000 questions built in a question bank, I found a lot of repeats. Also, there are quite a few grammatical eras. Prices are free, $15 or $30 for unlimited. Unlimited gets you unlimited attempts at SIMCLEX and all the content. Also, they have a great money back guarantee for up to $500 if you fail NCLEX and have been a member for 3 months and taken SIMCLEX at least 3 times. Hope this doesn't happen to anyone, but they do have a lot of faith in their program! So the breakdown: 1. UWorldfor the price, it's def. the best bang for your buck. Rationales are great and it looks just like NCLEX. Be sure to get the package with the practice exams, they're really helpful! 2. NRSNG While it cost $30 a month for the unlimited (they have a free and intermediate plan as well) this is a great content review resource. Their customer service is unlike any other as well. It ranks second because their NPQ's aren't quite as challenging as UWorlds, but it's definitely a great resource. 3. Hurst Good content review but that is about it. My biggest gripe is they didn't even cover all the content in the 3-day class. This is fine, but for that price I expected it to be much more. Overall: UWorld for the win.If you must choose 2, go for NRSNG too. I have no experience with Kaplan but have heard mix feelings. Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with UWorld, but that's my 2 cents. (And yes, the PVT worked for me; my results were posted to the BON within 24hrs) Good luck to everyone!
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NCLEX/HESI highly overrated
Let me preface this by saying that I am not a stellar student. I got by with A's and B's and sometimes C's. When I first started taking HESI's, I was struggling. Obviously, I started getting anxiety about the exit hesi. SO I did some research and found 'yourbestgrade'. I did about 1600 practice questions and walked out with a 921. Same for NCLEX. I got a job that required me to pass first time so again, anxiety started building. So after doing more research, uworld seemed to be the consensus. I did 75q a day during my practicum and a month after. I also did the hurst review. I took my NCLEX a few days ago and CRUSHED it and knew I was crushing it during. Everything felt familiar and it seemed like the answers were just popping off the page and a lot of concepts were familiar from uworld and I knew my test would shut off at 75. and it did! I did all of the questions on uworld and after I ran out, I started redoing questions. I think doing questions kept content relevant and the questions were much easier on the actual hesi. The whole point of this post is that, hard work and discipline will pay off 10-fold. There is so much anxiety around these tests (understandably so), but if you stay diligent and practice questions, you will ace this exam. A lot of people from my program have passed as well (so far), but they all walked out saying how hard of test it was and how much it messed with their heads. I felt completely confident and would have done my study plan all over again just to know I was doing well during the test. Hope this helps. You guys got this!
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UWorld Self Assesment, is UWorld enough?
I write the NCLEX in 2 days and I am currently experiencing the typical pre-NCLEX jitters and panic. I find myself alternating between rock solid confidence and debilitating insecurity and I cannot concentrate on any more studying. I was wondering how accurate was your chance of passing predicted by the UWorld self assessment. What was your chance of passing, percentage, and did you pass? I currently have a 62% out 2,000 questions taken and 66% on both self assessments putting me in the 84th percentile with a "very high" chance of passing. I am worried because 62% isn't great and UWorld was the ONLY study resource I used.
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NCLEX: Do I HAVE to have UWORLD/Klimek
Hi Friends, I graduated Nursing school and I am extremely strapped for cash. I'm a Nurse Extern but every time I pick up shifts I get called off due to low census including when I try to pick up on other floors. I feel as though there's a lot of pressure to buy all of these resources and I just cannot afford to do that between bills and paying the licensure fees at the moment. If I have a Saunders review book and YourBestGrade that I used to study for the Hesi, do you think I'll be okay? I know that many nurses suggest UWORLD and Klimek, but in all honesty, as much as I'd love to do them I just don't have the means. On the Exit Hesi, it took me two tries because my class needed a 900. The first time I got an 897 and the second a 908. Do you think I'll be okay? Also does anyone have any suggestions?
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UWorld percentile
I’m scheduled to take the NCLEX this coming Monday. I’ve been using UWorld to study and teetering between the 58th and 63rd percentiles with 400 questions left in the Qbank. I did the first RN assessment and got a borderline chance of passing and just recently did the second RN assessment and finished in the 52nd percentile with a high chance of passing. I’m freaking out and considering changing my test date. Does anybody have similar UWorld experience and passed the NCLEX? Or would it be wise to push my test date back? Help!
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Failed Nclex AGAIN!!!!! HELP!
Hello everyone, I took the nclex for the second time on Wednesday 07/24/2019 at 8am. For preparations this time around I used Uworld. I loved it esp. the rationales. Uworld gave me a high chance of passing the NCLEX (76%). I went into the exam room and this time around I was more confident and calm. I was given a private room I was soo happy. At 137 questions the computer shut off. I was giving two breaks and trust me I took them this time around. I then went to the restroom and I prayed both times and even throughout the test. Praying helped calm my nerves. This time around I did not do the PVT trick. I just waited for the 48hrs to get my quick results. Of course I couldn’t check for myself so I had my husband check while at work (1st time too). That’s how bad my nerves are...I was like, good news call and bad news text me. When I saw that sad face ? I almost died y’all. I was sooo hurt! But I didn’t cry ?. I just said to myself! “Girl you know you always have to go through that battle to get to where you want to be, so just Thank God even in the bad times and keep pressing on!” Even though the news wasn’t what I expected I still managed to pray. You only fail when you give up and that’s not me or else I wouldn’t have been where I am today! Anyways, the test started of pretty smooth. The test threw at me sooo many SATA ?; OB; I had about 3 dosage; 1 EKG; Delagation; Prioritization; Click and drag for certain techniques; I had a lot of Infection control questions; about 3/4 meds; Um some safety ; what should the nurse document; and the list goes on. Also, had about 6/7 diseases on there that I’d never seen before ?. I came out of the exam in mixed feelings. Not sure what to expect but at the same time remaining positive. Since it was my second time retesting it was just a different set of emotions to that off my first time. I am indeed a bad test taker! Ask me to explain something to you and I will but give me a question and I’ll be freaking the hell out! Daily i’ve done 2/3 sets of 75 questions on Uworld. Went to the library everyday. I created a binder and separated the pages based on systems. So when Remediating I’d write rationales for cardiac in the cardiac section in my binder rather than having all the systems all over the place. A more organized structure is sorta what I did. I’m visual so colored pens/ markers helps me remember also while writing. I didn’t get to remediate all the rationales for the questions I did daily on that very same day. But I finished them before starting a new set of questions. Coming closer to the test 2-3 days. I started doing just strictly questions and looking over what I really didn’t know. Now I am sort of lost because I don’t know what else to do. My friend told me about Remar. She’s going to send me the CD ? so that’s good I don’t have to spend extra money. And there’s a book for it which is about $16 at barnes and nobles. So I’d try those. I forgot to mention I did use Mark K a lil bit this time around but more on my first time. I also read through that 35 nclex packet about 3 times. So I really don’t know what it is I’m doing wrong. Id wait for my report. Anyone else on here passed On the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th time it don’t matter please send me some tips. I know what works for others may not work for me but it’s only one way to find out. To know about my first experience it’s on my profile. I apologize for this long message. Thank you