Worried about passing NCLEX after Kaplan due to low scores

Nursing Students NCLEX

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Hello Everyone,

I am new to the site and decided to join after I googled a question about qbank. I graduated in december with honors but my instructor for my last few semesters (med-surg content) was horrible. I took Kaplan and got 53% on the diagnostic exam. After I took the class, my readiness score went up to 63%. I took q trainer 1 & 2 prior to starting the class and was around 50%. I took qtrainer 3 after the class and got 42%. My overall qbank after 100 questions is 50%. I have started reviewing the videos but really feel as though I am just going to fail. I keep seeing people on the sight with really high kaplan scores but can't seem to find anyone in the same boat as me that passed. I am also using the saunders book to review. I feel like I will never get my license and as a result, I think I am getting depressed. I am waiting for my att but plan to test within the next month. Any suggestions? Anyone out there like me? Anyone with low qtrainer scores that passed? :(

Follow Suzanne 4s plan here on the website. It really is a straightforward study approach to diagnosing and remediation of weaker knowledge areas.

I think the problem with studying endless questions is that you can't see the forest for the trees. The forest is "What areas do I need to work on?" The trees are the endless questions in the test banks.

Specializes in Oncology.

I think Kaplan is purposely harder than the real NCLEX. I was getting in the 60s on their practice tests and passed NCLEX with 75 questions.

Hello Everyone,

Thanks for the many replies and suggestions. After I posted, I did more questions and was at 61% in qbank. Kaplan recommends that you have a 60%. Today I have comitted to positivity and studying. I would like to tell you that I am not worried but that would not be true. :) PLewase just continue to keep me in your thoughts. I will keep you posted on my craziness. I am also going to check out Suzanne's plan. :)

Specializes in Oncology, Med-Surg.
Hello Everyone,

I am new to the site and decided to join after I googled a question about qbank. I graduated in december with honors but my instructor for my last few semesters (med-surg content) was horrible. I took Kaplan and got 53% on the diagnostic exam. After I took the class, my readiness score went up to 63%. I took q trainer 1 & 2 prior to starting the class and was around 50%. I took qtrainer 3 after the class and got 42%. My overall qbank after 100 questions is 50%. I have started reviewing the videos but really feel as though I am just going to fail. I keep seeing people on the sight with really high kaplan scores but can't seem to find anyone in the same boat as me that passed. I am also using the saunders book to review. I feel like I will never get my license and as a result, I think I am getting depressed. I am waiting for my att but plan to test within the next month. Any suggestions? Anyone out there like me? Anyone with low qtrainer scores that passed? :(

i feel you. i feel like im on the same boat. in school we took the kaplan diagnostic test and i scored a 56%. then i had to retake the diagnostic again for the program and i got a 63%. for the question trainers i have been scoring 46-53%. I was a B average student in nursing school,, I just have poor test taking skills so the only I like about Kaplan so far is the Decision Tree. It has been helpful on questions I get stumped on. but still i feel like Kaplan is not enough. Im thinking of doing Suzaane first tip and do her program. Im hoping to test by March, but im still waiting for my ATT too!

Hello Everyone,

I am new to the site and decided to join after I googled a question about qbank. I graduated in december with honors but my instructor for my last few semesters (med-surg content) was horrible. I took Kaplan and got 53% on the diagnostic exam. After I took the class, my readiness score went up to 63%. I took q trainer 1 & 2 prior to starting the class and was around 50%. I took qtrainer 3 after the class and got 42%. My overall qbank after 100 questions is 50%. I have started reviewing the videos but really feel as though I am just going to fail. I keep seeing people on the sight with really high kaplan scores but can't seem to find anyone in the same boat as me that passed. I am also using the saunders book to review. I feel like I will never get my license and as a result, I think I am getting depressed. I am waiting for my att but plan to test within the next month. Any suggestions? Anyone out there like me? Anyone with low qtrainer scores that passed? :(

I took Kaplan 4+ years ago!

The initial score was low!

...But I passed the final one!

I spent at least 2.5 hours a day to solve the problems and I also spent 5.5 to 6 hours a day to watch those videos or the Kaplan book ( I did not use the school book ).

Be persistent, I did that routine for 43 days before the NCLEX-RN and I passed it after 75 questions were answered! I managed my time effectively....:yeah:

Hello Everyone,

Thanks for the many replies and suggestions. After I posted, I did more questions and was at 61% in qbank. Kaplan recommends that you have a 60%. Today I have comitted to positivity and studying. I would like to tell you that I am not worried but that would not be true. :) PLewase just continue to keep me in your thoughts. I will keep you posted on my craziness. I am also going to check out Suzanne's plan. :)

Scoring in the 50's and passing without too much issue is common with Kaplan test trainers/q bank. Getting in the 60's? You'll be fine.

The last thing you need to do is add more study materials from multiple sources. Stick with Kaplan, plug away at questions, understand the rationales for the ones you miss, and if you keep in the range you are now, you'll pass.

:)

Specializes in Peds Hem, Onc, Med/Surg.

When I failed Nclex the first time, I did the qbank the second time, and the whole time I got 60's. Sometimes I would make higher but not really. I did 200 questions a day for at least 2 weeks. When I took boards the second time I was like what the heck this is much easier than my first one. I thought the world was out to get me. LOL I also did Suzannes plan that helped out with the knowledge part of it.

I think you will do fine.

Dear xj3nnerz,

I am glad to hear that you understand what I am saying. It is overwhelming! Sometimes people act like we are crazy for feeling this way. When did you graduate? How many of the questions trainers/q banks have you completed?

I also got a 65% on the Kaplan test and passed NCLEX first time with 75 questions.. that was last December.

Specializes in Medical-Surgical.

I'm in the same boat also. I have been getting in the 50%-60% range on questions. I even get 40% sometimes. I took the Kaplan Diagnostic test & got 62% & the readiness test I got 64%. On the Question Trainer tests I have been getting in the 50s & 60s, & on Qbank I get in the 50s & 60s. So I asked some people who took Kaplan what did they think about it. The majority of the people that did Kaplan told me that they didn't like it & they failed NCLEX the first time. Right now I am doing Saunders in hope to do Suzanne's plan. I don't have a good feeling about Kaplan & it won't hurt to try something different. At first I was so depressed, because I was scoring low on Kaplan tests & after joining allnurses.com I had some replies that told me everything will be alright. Right now I am just going to stay positive & try not to stress over it so much. I think it depends on how much time you devote to your study.:saint: I will be starting work on Monday, so maybe that can take my mind off of studying so hard all the time, I think it is true that you need to rest your brain so everyting can just sink in. Because CRAMMING does not work on NCLEX!!:no:

Specializes in Med Surg, Ortho.
Hello Everyone,

I am new to the site and decided to join after I googled a question about qbank. I graduated in december with honors but my instructor for my last few semesters (med-surg content) was horrible. I took Kaplan and got 53% on the diagnostic exam. After I took the class, my readiness score went up to 63%. I took q trainer 1 & 2 prior to starting the class and was around 50%. I took qtrainer 3 after the class and got 42%. My overall qbank after 100 questions is 50%. I have started reviewing the videos but really feel as though I am just going to fail. I keep seeing people on the sight with really high kaplan scores but can't seem to find anyone in the same boat as me that passed. I am also using the saunders book to review. I feel like I will never get my license and as a result, I think I am getting depressed. I am waiting for my att but plan to test within the next month. Any suggestions? Anyone out there like me? Anyone with low qtrainer scores that passed? :(

Yes, I had low scores as well, just as you are having. I passed Nclex with flying colors, felt very confident going in to test and got 75 questions. There were actually a couple of nclex questions that I did on Kaplan.

Please, don't worry about your scores.....just keep doing the practice test, you'll do well as long as you keep

doing Kaplan.....and don't let it discourage you, have confidence in yourself!

Most of my classmates had the same scores on the practice test on Kaplan and all passed the NCLEX. I know of a couple of girls in my class that didn't do Kaplan and they still can't pass the NCLEX. Kaplan works IMO!

Specializes in Med Surg, Ortho.

Ps. I thought Kaplan was a very good course. I highly suggest it.

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