Test shut off at 60, "Bad Pop-Up".... Still Passed

I wanted to make this post because I am coming out of 24 hours of extreme, and unwarranted, anxiety. I have seen countless posts and videos, and even entire websites dedicated to the Pearson Vue trick. Please know it is not accurate, and it is not worth the stress and anxiety it could possibly give you.

Updated: Jan 30, 2023

Test shut off at 60, "Bad Pop-Up".... Still Passed

I sat for my NCLEX yesterday, and my test shut off at the minimum. I broke down into tears when this happened, not because I thought I failed, but because of the relief of the test being over, mixed with the terror that I could do nothing else but wait. If you would have asked me how I felt leaving the test center, I would have said I felt worried but almost positive that I passed. Knowing me- knowing where I graduated from and the amount of preparation I did, I would have been floored if I had been failed in 60 questions.

Now this is where I made a series of mistakes. I began googling things I wasn't sure about, looking on forums and blogs to see if anyone could give me comfort regarding the NCLEX. The more I searched, the more I doubted myself. Then came the dreaded (or beloved) PVT. I followed the directions perfectly, and got a bad popup. I slammed my computer shut and became overcome with anxiety and dread. I started overthinking everything, trying to figure out how I could have been failed in 60 question. To me, it didn't make any sense. But to everyone else on the internet, it was the gold standard of finding out if you passed or failed the test.

The remainder of the day was the worst, most anxiety ridden day of my life. I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, and even now I still feel sick to my stomach.

I woke up this morning and checked my state's BON. And sure enough, my name was there. I PASSED.

I know people swear by the PVT, but it is not 100% accurate, I am a testament to that. Please save yourself the anxiety and refrain from doing it. I wish I never had. That 'trick' led me to doubt myself and my abilities, when otherwise I would have still been nervous but I would have been confident that I did well.

If you do get the bad pop-up, don't let it define how you view your NCLEX. Logically think through everything you had done in school, how you prepared and answered practice questions. If you are confident in your abilities, then a glitch in a website should not determine how you did on your NCLEX.