Tips 5 days before the NCLEX-RN exam

FERN-tastic · Sep 19, 2008

The only thing I did was do review questions. Over and over and over. I told myself "you know this material, just be ready for the questions". The day before the test I did no studying. I just relaxed and tried not to think about it.

Just an FYI: I took the test, got 75 questions. I felt pretty good about it after the test, but by the time I got home (an hour away) I had convinced myself I had failed. The test seemed to cover nothing I reviewed, I felt like I guessed on every question. I felt like the test covered nothing that I knew as a nurse.

I passed. So, even if you think you failed (and I know those few days of waiting are torture), that's no reason to think you actually did fail. I spent hours of crying for nothing.

Good luck!!

KyPinkRN · Sep 19, 2008

as far as preparing 5 days before, like the previous poster said keep doing questions. the day before i reviewed lab values and things that you either had to know or not know... stuff that you couldn't think your way out of if you were stumped. limit that review time to about 4 hours, because you should just be reviewing. relax and know that there is no way to know everything they are going to ask you. as nurses we use reference materials for a reason. everyone i have ever talked to thinks they failed it on the first try. that is a tortorous couple of days afterwards... i recommend some hard liquor. :beer:

bsunurse23 · Sep 19, 2008

Try to relax first off! I looked over labs, isolations, vaccinations schedules, and insulins the last couple days before the test. This is something that I knew that I personally needed to review as I was unsure about it all and knew that I had to know it because there is no way to really think through these things if you don't know it-you don't know it!

You will feel like you failed after taking it, but relax and try not to think about it! I had 75 questions, and I cried for a day after taking it- I "knew" that I had failed. Even called my dad crying and he was like "stay calm, if you failed then you failed and you will be better off next time. We can just use this as a practice exam". I found out 24 hours later that I had PASSED!!

Good luck to you!! You will do great!!!!!

jadu1106 · Sep 19, 2008

hi~

[color=#483d8b]first, i wish you all the best when you take your nclex in a few days.

[color=#483d8b]like the previous posters suggested, do practice questions, but don't do like 200 or something a day, that is way too many and you won't retain all that information you've learned from the questions. be sure you read the rationales to all of the questions regardless of whether you answered them correctly or not.

[color=#483d8b]2 days before you take the exam, i would just look over some quick lab values and medication therapeutic ranges and the day before the exam, like the poster fern-tastic mentioned, do nothing for the exam, but enjoy yourself, relax, watch a movie, get a massage, occupy your mind with things other than the exam. please do not study the day before.

[color=#483d8b]for the test day, try and relax and remember to keep your mindset free, focused, and worry-free. anxiety will most likely bring you down.

[color=#483d8b]stay strong and positive and you will have a successful outcome!

[color=#483d8b]best of luck to you!

[color=#483d8b]jadu1106 :heartbeat

Silverdragon102, BSN · Sep 19, 2008

Moved to the NCLEX forum

BettyBoo706 · Sep 21, 2008

God luck. Questions, question, questions