Winging the NCLEX

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I know that there was a thread on that before but it was a couple years old so I wanted to ask if there was anybody current, but has anybody winged the NCEX and passed?

I'm taking my NCLEX tomorrow morning and I graduated exactly 5 weeks ago. I haven't done much preparation. Just only did a couple questions here and there. I also read over maternity and newborn but that's about it. Everyone has been telling me to study but in my mind, I'm kind of treating this like the SATs. I'm just going to read over test taking skills, lab values and developmental milestones and then call it a night. I get nervous before any test but I'm not feeling stressed or worried that I'm gonna fail. That's probably the only thing I have going for me. If I do, then oh well try again. It was my fault for not preparing in the first place.

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I don't know if you'd call what i did 'winging' it. I graduated 3rd week of May and took my NCLEX the first day of June...so a week after graduation or so. I passed. I didn't really have time to do any intense studying. We did have to do the Kaplan in class course for the last two weeks of class before graduation. And we were required t do 500+ NCLEX questions the last semester of school. So I did a ton of NCLEX questions. Other than that, I did a few hundred or so more in the week between graduation and testing.

The way I figured it. It took me 2 years to learn it all, there was no way I could study and study and study those 2 years worth of information in such a short period of time. I would either know it or not. I brushed up on areas I knew I was a little weak in for most of the NCLEX questions I did.

It worked for me. I did the same thing with my NCLEX-PN exam. Tested a week after graduation and passed. For both tests, the info was so fresh in my mind at that point because I had just graduated. Do I recommend my way of doing it to others...nope...only you know what you know and what you don't.

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I have not heard of anyone who passed without preparation and a lot of it!

Then again, there are surprising things everywhere. I (and probably a lot of our peers) would be very interested to know how you do.

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I winged the NCLEX-PN. I took it about a month after graduating. Took me 30 minutes and 85 questions!

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That's actually what I have been saying too. I either know it or I don't. I've been exposed to this stuff for 2 years so I should be able to pass it with latent knowledge or something. I would have taken it earlier but all the slots were taken already by the time I got my ATT. At least in my town anyway. I wasn't really willing to drive out of town for the test lol

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I wouldn't do it but its too late to do anything now. Just do your best on the exam tomorrow. Take your time reading the questions and make sure you know the topic before answering.

Good luck :)

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Specializes in ICU/ Surgery/ Nursing Education.

When I look back I believe I could have taken the NCLEX without all the prep I tackled. For the most part I only answered questions with very little content review. I answered about 200 to 250 questions a day and reviewed the rationales for each question.

I walked into Pearson feeling like a million bucks. Didn't expect 75 or 265 questions. I just told myself one question at a time. Didn't care how long per question, just do the best I could on each question.

One of my classmates went in expecting 75 questions only because everyone in the class had seen only 75 questions before the computer went blank and when she hit 76 questions she freaked. In the end she went to the mid 100's and didn't pass. The frustration of not finishing with 75 questions was too much for her. She was the only one in the class that didn't pass the first time. She is planning on taking it again in a few days, but is so flustered about her previous performance.

So yes, I believe a confident attitude is paramount. What you need to do to achieve it, just do it. Could I have winged it? I think I could have.

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I passed in 75 with very little preparation.

My school did put us through Hurst in our last month before graduation, so keep in mind that I had that under my belt. But other than sitting through the class, I didn't do hardly any preparation on my own.

I say the following not to brag, but to put my lack of preparation into perspective: I have always been a good test taker. Even if I didn't know the material 100% I could always figure out the right answers and get a decent grade. So I treated the NCLEX like the SAT or most other tests I've taken and didn't do a whole lot of outside studying. I had the mindset of "well, if I don't know it by now, it's either not that important or too confusing to cram into my head for one test."

Best of luck to you!

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A lot of people I work with/went to school have passed NCLEX easily without preparation, and many at 75 questions. I think it depends a lot on how well your program prepared you. My program is very big on NCLEX style questions, and we take the ATI comprehensive predictor in the last week...so those who don't score well on that know they need to study. Like someone said, you can't relearn everything you learned in two years, and the first time NCLEX-RN pass rate in the US is around 85%...so as much as we stress over the exam, statistically the odds are in your favor. However, I really believe a lot has to do with the type of program you came from.

Many people I know who did study said they believed after taking NCLEX they could have passed with less preparation, but for obvious reasons didn't want to risk it. I did very well in school, but I am studying for NCLEX because I have a lot of anxiety and personally I wouldn't be able to walk into the test knowing I hadn't done much to try to prepare. But kudos to those who can!

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Specializes in Emergency, ICU.

I didn't study. I was planning to but then life got in the way. I took it about 2 months after graduating, cut off at 75 questions, and passed without a problem.

The 5 days before the test, I used a CD with questions on it. I just did questions. I concentrated on medications because memorization is not my thing. After the test, I realized I really could have done without the prep work. I found it easy.

As a side note, I was at the top of my class with a high GPA and various awards, so that needs to be considered too.

I wish you the best of luck. Just relax and think like a nurse! (A nurse who always has the items she needs at hand and works in a well staffed unit where she can spend as much time as needed with each patient...)

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Specializes in ICU.

I skimmed the Saunders book on vacation (with a few margaritas in my system) and took one or two practice tests. Took the exam like three weeks after graduation, passed in less than an hour and 75 questions.

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I had a friend who winged it.

That person study maybe for 3 days before the test. That person took the test 2 years after they graduated. I'm guessing it is possible.

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