What to Expect on NCLEX?

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Dec 8, 2005

I'm self-servingly bumping this one up until I get at least one new answer. :devil:

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Dec 10, 2005

Another bump.....

Kelly_the_Great · Dec 10, 2005

No answers from me, but I'll do th' bump (you're probably to young to remember that dance move from th' 70's...lol) with ya!

suzanne4, RN · Dec 10, 2005

Exams can vary from the extreme between test takers, even those in the same room. There is a very large pool that they can chose from, and it is entirely based on how you do with answering the questions as you go along.

I have never heard about communicating with previous test takers, new one for me.

Kelly_the_Great · Dec 10, 2005

TheCommuter,

This is how it was explained to me. The test is administered according to your individual performance against your strengths & weaknesses.

What I was told is they give you a pretty standard question about anything, could be universal healthcare, peds, cardiac, whatever. You answer this question and get it write, they give you a little harder one. Or say you got that standard question wrong, they give you an easier question. Until they "test you out." Whatever that's supposed to mean.

This explains why ppl might say, wow, I had a lot of OB or I had a lot of psych. And don't know if indeed, this is the way it's done or not, this is strictly heresay.... :)

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Dec 11, 2005

I have never heard about communicating with previous test takers, new one for me.

I had never heard of communicating with previous test takers until I read this little excerpt in chapter 3 of the Saunders Comprehensive Review For The NCLEX-PN Examination, 2nd Edition:

I want to share with you some of the tips I received from others regarding the preparation for this important examination, as well as my own hints. To begin, It is important to listen to what others have to say about preparing for this examination because their input will be very helpful. But remember that this test is all about you, and you must meet your own needs in preparing yourself.

BTW thanks to Suzanne and Kelly for the responses. :)

tanaynicole · Dec 11, 2005

My NCLEX-PN examination is scheduled for the very end of December, and I have been putting in hours of daily study in prior preparation.
I'd like to hear from the folks who have taken the NCLEX-PN within the past 18 months. Primarily what types of questions did you receive? Which subjects seemed to prevail as a common NCLEX theme? Some test-takers say they got mostly endocrine questions while others claim to have gotten a lot of cultural questions. I just want to know different perspectives of what everyone's NCLEX exam was like.
It is recommended that you communicate with previous NCLEX testers before actually taking the NCLEX, so here I am communicating to you all. I need help! I'm at your mercy! Thanks in advance! :)

I took my Nclex-pn in March of this year. I don't really remember what the main focus of the test was. I know I got lots of prioritizing questions, a few medication questions that I had no idea of. I will say that no one specific topic like OB, MED/SURG, PEDS, seemed to stand out.

This I can say for sure I walked out of my test feeling like I had sat through my LVN program with my eyes closed and my ears plugged. Nothing I studied was on the test, heck I don't think I could have studied for the test. A few of my classmates took the test at the same time, and we all felt that way. I even spoke with a few veteran nurses that have all said the same thing.

I hope this helps

Best of luck!

TanayNicole

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Dec 12, 2005

I hope this helps
Best of luck!
TanayNicole

Yes, it helped substantially. Thank you! :)

nursemomruns · Dec 12, 2005

My NCLEX-PN examination is scheduled for the very end of December, and I have been putting in hours of daily study in prior preparation.
I'd like to hear from the folks who have taken the NCLEX-PN within the past 18 months. Primarily what types of questions did you receive? Which subjects seemed to prevail as a common NCLEX theme? Some test-takers say they got mostly endocrine questions while others claim to have gotten a lot of cultural questions. I just want to know different perspectives of what everyone's NCLEX exam was like.
It is recommended that you communicate with previous NCLEX testers before actually taking the NCLEX, so here I am communicating to you all. I need help! I'm at your mercy! Thanks in advance! :)

The exam is based on a test plan. There is a certain percentage of questions that are related to pharmacology, a percentage related to psychosocial, etc. All exams, regardless of the number of questions or the level of difficulty, will have questions from all of the categories in the test plan and all exams will be weighted the same in each category. You can download an abbreviated version of the test plan for free at http://www.ncsbn.org. You can order a detailed test plan for ten dollars, but I don't think it would get to you before your test. Best of luck!