To all those taking their NCLEX-RN soon...

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I graduated with my ADN this past May and had quite a few issues with my nursing school communicating with BON. Long story a bit shorter, everything got sorted however 5 months have passed and my brain was leaking nursing material by the day. Anxious to lose any more material I scheduled for the earliest exam date possible. I studied long and hard for about 2 weeks. I used the Exam Cram, Saunders, Kaplan 08-09 book, Prioritization, Delegation and Assignment book, Lippincott, and Sandra Smith's NCLEX review.

For all the books that had practice exams on CD, I made sure I scored above 65%. I was ranging from 65-78%. If you get it wrong. PLEASE make sure you read the rational. Many times I knew the answer I just didn't know which one to pick. The books that I read from cover to cover was Kaplan NCLEX-RN review and the Prioritization, Delegation & Assignment by Linda LaCharity. These two books helped me tremendously. For all of you that have iphones, I downloaded the Saunders NCLEX review and did 50 questions everyday, on the metro, in a cab, on my lunch break and anywhere or anytime that allowed me.

Exam day was this past Friday. I made sure I ate breakfast and got there early about 15 mins. I practiced breathing, dried off the sweaty palms and dragged my scared butt inside.

I felt confident 60 questions in, but once I hit 75 it felt as if I was going to have a panic attack and I've never had one before in my entire life. Tunnel vision started setting in and by 100 questions I felt lost. Some questions I had a very hard time with and I knew was causing me anxiety I just guessed to get over it. I'm a slow test taker. TRUST ME, I was always the last to leave during a test. I hit 200 questions and I saw time was running out. So... I picked up the pace believing I had already failed - so what right? I just started picking answers that first came to mind and then BAM! Screen shut off. I was elated the executioner had put me out of my misery.

Yeah, I came home shed about 2 tears and watched about 5 episodes of Intervention. Told myself life could be worse and started studying some more (preping myself to retake the NCLEX). I was sure I had failed.

Everything I had studied previous to the exam was on it. You need to know your med calculations, ped med calculations, pathology, peds, ob/gyn, psych, delegation, all of it... I would say majority of my test was meds. Meds I did NOT know. Diseases I've never heard of before. Here's the deal. It's about critical thinking. I sometimes think they purposely put material most wouldn't know just to test your critical thinking/detective skills. The exam cram questions I would say are the most similar, however the answer choices where much much much harder to choose from. They know we can eliminate 2 answers if we know the material, but they'll leave two amazing answers left, that without critical thinking you'd be guessing.

This is getting too long.

I passed. The results were not on the BON site so I called them as if I was already a RN and just asked them for my licenses number. Didn't say anything else except giving them my ssn # and "Can I please have my license number". They gave it to me and that's how I knew. Took the test on Friday and knew by Monday.

To all that are still scheduled to take the NCLEX. You can do it! Keep studying. Hopefully, anything I've noted on this post will help.

4 RN

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

congrats

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I graduated with my ADN this past May and had quite a few issues with my nursing school communicating with BON. Long story a bit shorter, everything got sorted however 5 months have passed and my brain was leaking nursing material by the day. Anxious to lose any more material I scheduled for the earliest exam date possible. I studied long and hard for about 2 weeks. I used the Exam Cram, Saunders, Kaplan 08-09 book, Prioritization, Delegation and Assignment book, Lippincott, and Sandra Smith's NCLEX review.

For all the books that had practice exams on CD, I made sure I scored above 65%. I was ranging from 65-78%. If you get it wrong. PLEASE make sure you read the rational. Many times I knew the answer I just didn't know which one to pick. The books that I read from cover to cover was Kaplan NCLEX-RN review and the Prioritization, Delegation & Assignment by Linda LaCharity. These two books helped me tremendously. For all of you that have iphones, I downloaded the Saunders NCLEX review and did 50 questions everyday, on the metro, in a cab, on my lunch break and anywhere or anytime that allowed me.

Exam day was this past Friday. I made sure I ate breakfast and got there early about 15 mins. I practiced breathing, dried off the sweaty palms and dragged my scared butt inside.

I felt confident 60 questions in, but once I hit 75 it felt as if I was going to have a panic attack and I've never had one before in my entire life. Tunnel vision started setting in and by 100 questions I felt lost. Some questions I had a very hard time with and I knew was causing me anxiety I just guessed to get over it. I'm a slow test taker. TRUST ME, I was always the last to leave during a test. I hit 200 questions and I saw time was running out. So... I picked up the pace believing I had already failed - so what right? I just started picking answers that first came to mind and then BAM! Screen shut off. I was elated the executioner had put me out of my misery.

Yeah, I came home shed about 2 tears and watched about 5 episodes of Intervention. Told myself life could be worse and started studying some more (preping myself to retake the NCLEX). I was sure I had failed.

Everything I had studied previous to the exam was on it. You need to know your med calculations, ped med calculations, pathology, peds, ob/gyn, psych, delegation, all of it... I would say majority of my test was meds. Meds I did NOT know. Diseases I've never heard of before. Here's the deal. It's about critical thinking. I sometimes think they purposely put material most wouldn't know just to test your critical thinking/detective skills. The exam cram questions I would say are the most similar, however the answer choices where much much much harder to choose from. They know we can eliminate 2 answers if we know the material, but they'll leave two amazing answers left, that without critical thinking you'd be guessing.

This is getting too long.

I passed. The results were not on the BON site so I called them as if I was already a RN and just asked them for my licenses number. Didn't say anything else except giving them my ssn # and "Can I please have my license number". They gave it to me and that's how I knew. Took the test on Friday and knew by Monday.

To all that are still scheduled to take the NCLEX. You can do it! Keep studying. Hopefully, anything I've noted on this post will help.

4 RN

u are very brave, if it is me i would have colapse after given them my ssn no...congrats to u, this is now ur time to enjoy after how many years of palpitations before graduating... pls mine is coming in some days, keep me in ur prayers.. one love........:yeah::WHCk::dncgbby::dncgcpd::clphnds::tinkbll:this is very moltivating...

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Congratulations and it just proves that even when you think you failed that you didn't. Very motivational story!

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Specializes in Psych, Skilled Nursing.

congrats

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CONGRATS

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Specializes in L & D, Med-Surge, Dialysis.

All the best!

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