what's worse the anxiety before the exam or waiting for the results?

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I feel like my anxiety/stress level couldn't be higher as I try and study for this thing..always feel like I never have enough time to study although I"ve been doing at least 100 questions per day for the past month...is it even worse (the stress/anxiety) that time inbetween when your waiting for the results? My sister passed her boards a few years ago and said that the computer shut off after 75 questions and she pretty much knew she passed (although there was a little feeling of "what if"). everyone else seems to think they failed no matter what!!

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I haven't taken the test yet, but I can tell you my anxiety level is very high. I'm sure after will be very high too, but at that point I'll have piece knowing it's out of my hands at that point.:lol2:

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Specializes in Pediatric Medical Services.

Waiting for results...definately!!

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Specializes in RN- Med/surg.

Defiantely waiting. I really felt confident I'd pass going into it. WHen it shut off I felt I passed. BUT---I swear every minute that passed my confidence went down. Also...I kept hearing about how many hours it'd be until my lisence number showed up. Every hour that it didn't show up I lost confidence. I started rethinking every question, every answer. I worried that because I didn't think it was hard...that MUST mean I failed since they were supposed to get harder.

KEEP busy after your exam. Whatever it takes...just keep yourself busy. You'll still think about it..but it's not as brutal as sitting at the computer and checking the website 89 times in a day lol.

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Specializes in ob/gyn med /surg.

hang in there ladies we are almost done. i take mine 7/17. i have alot of anxiety like you. i am trying to keep the faith... i pray everynight and study all day. i practice kaplan during the day and before i go to sleep i am with saunders,,, yup... 1 more week... by next monday i should be a basket case... good luck to all

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I do believe the waiting .......waiting .......waiting ...and trying to remember or not remember questions to see if you got them right, (after you looked them up) to try and figure out the odds of passing. I would say yeah. WAITING is the worse. Hang in there. I will say a prayer for you......I took mine on 7/6 and got my quick results on Sun. and I passed with 75?'s . So stay positive. Madelon

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Specializes in home & public health, med-surg, hospice.

I think the anxiety prior to the test was worse than waiting on the results.

I was so anxious, in fact, that I could barely focus to study. One of the things that helped me the most was memory books, you know the one's with the pics? That & Sylvia Rayfield's insanely easy books, which were very comprable, they had a lot of cartoon pics. During my test, it was easy to go back & remember them having a visual to jog my memory.

However, like Aprilhere, when I took my test I was pretty sure I'd passed yet as time went on I began to wane in my confidence. Good advice she gave you, keep busy, sign up for extra shifts if you're not workin'...:;

Good luck and let us know how it turns out! :)

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Defiantely waiting. I really felt confident I'd pass going into it. WHen it shut off I felt I passed. BUT---I swear every minute that passed my confidence went down. Also...I kept hearing about how many hours it'd be until my lisence number showed up. Every hour that it didn't show up I lost confidence. I started rethinking every question, every answer. I worried that because I didn't think it was hard...that MUST mean I failed since they were supposed to get harder.

This sounds exactly like what I felt like after my test. The wait is definately the worst!

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I think the waiting is the worst part. You are very nervous about the test because of all that is riding on it, but it is still in your control. The waiting - well, you have no control over when your results get posted at all and just keep second guessing yourself. It really is the most awful thing I have ever had to go through. Even my husband can't stop hitting the BON refresh button.

I really think I may vomit. Less than 24 hours down since I took it yesterday at 1pm. I have no patience and this isn't helping any :)

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Specializes in Medicine.

Ugh, like everyone else the anxiety is killing me! I feel very confident that I pass with 75 questions, but like everyone else, I think about questions, and answers that I got wrong. And meds that I've never heard of, and everything just starts to build to failture! I can't wait for tomorrow!!!!

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

Waiting for the results was worse for me. Before the exam, I went from being agitated and anxious, yes, but I dealt with it by answering more questions or studying..that was therapeutic for me. But, then, to see those crazy freaking questions and not be sure how I answered them was far worse for me to wait it out for the results. I made it though...with some screws loose, but I made it. Good luck, guys!

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