I decided that after browsing the internet for some hope that I passed the NCLEX I should just give in to my anxiety and present my case as it is: I took the NCLEX yesterday and got the infamous credit card page today when I tried the PVT. As my username suggests, I just didn't have the emotional stability to wait it out for 48 hours like I should have. No pop-up.
So yes, I'm aware that I probably failed. Though, what confuses me is how I could have failed, not to mention how I managed to (probably) fail so freaking miserably. Here is the breakdown of how my exam went:
-75 questions
-8 SATA
-No calculations and no delegations
-Lots of random medications that I did not recognize
-Inordinate amount of OB questions along with a lot of non-ABC-related priority
I'll address each of these points myself with my own take on what they meant. From what I heard, getting the boot at 75 questions is usually a good sign. Prior to taking the NCLEX, I heard about how it was "the hardest exam i've taken" from almost everybody who took it within the month. Knowing the general mechanics of the exam, I wasn't too discouraged that I thought the same thing. The exam was easily the most difficult exam I've taken, having graduated from an accredited nursing program with its own share of difficult exams. Good sign, right? If I was borderline failing by the minimum number of items, wouldn't it seem a bit easier? There were a few questions, specifically med questions, that had me thinking "oh hey maybe I should just learn all the knowledge of the universe".
8 SATA questions isn't very much, but it seems like an adequate amount for 75 questions (assuming I would pass). The fact that there were no calculation questions was both infuriating and somewhat relieving. Relieving because I assume these would be among the "easier" questions, and infuriating because...well, I just find calculations so freaking easy. Same goes for questions regarding delegation; I find them just as easy, yet there wasn't a single question about that on the NCLEX.
This is a bit subjective, but I find those random medication questions to be the hardest ever. Once again, I interpreted this as a good sign and continued to the best of my ability. I took over two hours to finish the exam and even spent a solid 1-2 minutes on ridiculous questions such as these. As I mentioned above, I also had a LOT of L&D and newborn questions. If the exam decided this was my weak point and decided to capitalize on it...well that would just be evil. But it seems like that's exactly what happened. OB isn't my strongest subject nor my weakest, but the corresponding exam questions were (subjectively) very difficult, and I found myself eliminating 2/4 of the answers quite often.
At this point I'm pretty much rambling, but it's helping me cope a bit so bear with me. I suppose you could say I'm somewhere between the 1st and 2nd Kubler-Ross stage of grief and loss
As for the Pearson Vue trick, it's the only thing at this point that's telling me I flunked the NCLEX. I didn't walk out of the exam with confidence (which is normal as far as I can tell), but I figured I would know if I completely flunked it in 75 questions. Right now I believe that I failed because the PVT is supposedly pretty accurate. But...
The only thing giving me hope is that something having to do with my registration caused an error. When I registered my account at the PV NCLEX site prior to receiving my ATT, I entered a username as the registration process suggests. After receiving my ATT (along with an email), I attempted to sign in and register for the NCLEX on the PV NCLEX site. I was unable to sign in, and I was also unable to receive my username or password. I followed some instructions on the site that led me to an online PV help chat, where I was given a new username and password. I registered for the exam using the new username, and I'm considering the possibility that MAYBE this has something to do with not receiving the "good pop-up".
Or I just failed. I'm trying to come to terms with failing because it's probably what happened. It's disheartening, discouraging and embarrassing, and I dread breaking the news to my family and friends who have been supporting me for the past 4+ years. All this time I saw failure as a non-option. I put in the grueling hours, did ~2000 prep questions and started scoring as high as 78% on a couple practice exams. Graduated from a notoriously good nursing program with an impressive NCLEX passing rate. And yet I failed in 75 questions? Seriously what?
Ugh...end rant. I just gotta wait one more day, and I'll let you all know what ends up happening. Thank you all for reading.
thats weird, i thought you only had to pay the 200 dollar fee to re take the exam? when i wanted to retake it I only went to pearsons and paid the 200 dollars. They also sent me my ATT and the date that i chose. What is this extra 50 dollar people are saying?
Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
thats weird, i thought you only had to pay the 200 dollar fee to re take the exam? when i wanted to retake it I only went to pearsons and paid the 200 dollars. They also sent me my ATT and the date that i chose. What is this extra 50 dollar people are saying?
Some state BoN require that you reapply and pay an application fee. I think CA the fee is $150 to retake in addition to the Pearson $200 registration fee
Yeah every state is a little different but the applicant fee +nclex fee will always be the same . In Ohio your background check last one year 365 days then if it's over that and you are still trying to take your test you will have to pay for that also with is about $60 more . I wish you good luck...soon you will be getting your results from the BON ...
Purplcav, I did pass. Although when you get that many SATA questions... I felt horrible about the test. SATA was always my weak point in school, and I was hoping not to get that many >.
As stated above, the NCLEX basically has 4 categories of questions it will ask, but the content of questions that span those will vary widely. Wait for the the Candidate Performance Report to arrive so that you will see what areas you're weakest in. Since you can't test for another 45 days or so, use that time to get more familiar with areas you need to work on. Keep doing NCLEX questions, but not for content but rather for how to pick the questions apart.
That was my own major failing in school. Our exams were all NCLEX-style and very, very difficult. I would read the question, and choose the answer that I thought was most correct... only to find out that I miss questions simply because I misread the question. I'm usually a very quick test-taker. Give me an 80 question exam covering content that I know, and I'll be done probably within 50 minutes. That's how fast I can sometimes process questions.
It's also why sometimes my grades weren't quite as good as they could have been because I wasn't taking the time to really read the questions.
When I sat down to take the NCLEX, I just did something a bit different for me... with each question, I would take a slow, deep breath. Then I'd read the question and answer it in my head. Then I'd read the answers and see if the given answers were in the same ballpark as what I thought it might be. Here's the key: I'd re-read the question and look for key words and phrases, keeping the answers in mind. Then I would actually select the most correct answer (or answers if SATA, drag & drop, etc) and click submit.
Then I move on to the next question. The question I just answered doesn't matter, it's in the past. The next question doesn't matter either because it hasn't been picked yet. The only question that matters is the one in front of me.
When I went to take the NCLEX, I planned on taking all 265 questions and 6 hours to do it. If it shut off at 75, then I either definitively passed or failed. Any number of questions past that and I'm still in the game and the computer could shut off at any time. In my case, it shut off at 75 and I passed. It just meant that on that day, at that time, for that exam, I met passing standard. I have NO IDEA how far above passing standard my exam was... just that it was. It was also easily the most difficult exam I've ever taken. All I know for sure is that none of the questions I got directly asked only about content (knowledge only).
Given that you passed Nursing School and seem to have decent scores, etc... I imagine that you probably don't actually have a content problem, which is why it could be a test-taking method problem. Breathe slowly and calmly. Next time, you won't have quite the anxiety because you've seen this elephant and you know how it can test you. You can do this!
As stated above, the NCLEX basically has 4 categories of questions it will ask, but the content of questions that span those will vary widely. Wait for the the Candidate Performance Report to arrive
I am sorry to hear that you didn't pass. I haven't taken it yet so I don't have any good advice. I'm doing Kaplan, LaCharity and little ATI. I feel like Ob/Peds are weakness of mine too! I really need to focus on that!!
Xaldin4life RN
141 Posts
thats weird, i thought you only had to pay the 200 dollar fee to re take the exam? when i wanted to retake it I only went to pearsons and paid the 200 dollars. They also sent me my ATT and the date that i chose. What is this extra 50 dollar people are saying?