For my school we couldn’t average anything below an 80%. That meant I couldn’t just wing a test or half study, I had to really know the material and dedicate time every single day to study. It would be to your benefit, if applicable to not work during school or work very part time. Believe it or not, I worked one day a week and every other weekend while I was in nursing school. Find a schedule that works best for you.
(For my graduating students who are wrapping up, skip right on down to my NCLEX study hacks)
How Did I Study Throughout Nursing School:
- The number one thing I’d say is understanding NCLEX style questions. Make sure you attend an institution that incorporates this style of leaning, because this is what the actual NCLEX Exam will look like. Practice them! AND Get use to select all that apply! Learn to understand more than one answer can be right, but it’s about which is appropriate for the situation or which would be done first. There can also be a play on words, be mindful of that as well.
- Record your lectures, if applicable at your institution. This was an awesome tool, because not only did it allow me to listen to lecture as many times as I want, but also to really focus in during class time because I knew I wasn’t missing anything.
- Notecards! My mommy put me on this hack! For me when I would be in class my powerpoint handout would be filled with soooo much stuff and not always be the most organized and I can’t study like that. I would listen to my lecture recording and formulate everything into flashcards. So not only am I hearing the information again, but I’m also writing the information which is a good memory technique!
- When studying with notecards, read your information out loud to yourself and after getting an understanding, recite it yourself without looking at the notecard.
- For the most part I studied alone, to get a foundational understanding. But afterwards I would either study with one or two other people. Never in large groups, lets be real not everyone knows the material and everyone’s style of learning doesn’t work for you. Now if you work best in groups do what works by all means!
- Shout out to my homie Mitch and my girl Myia! Those were my study buddies, what I loved is that once we came to a general understanding of the material, we would go over the packets together and instead of just reciting the information to each other, we would always follow up with the question, WHY? Why am I doing what I’m doing? So, it’s not just memorization, but understanding why something is happening the way it is. And Two heads are better than one, you guys can bounce ideas, help answer questions etc.
How I Passed The NCLEX Exam In 75 Questions On The First Try
The scoring of the NCLEX is either PASS or FAIL. The test is computer adaptive meaning you will get different questions based upon how you answered the last question. For every question you get correct, your next questions will become harder. For every question that you get incorrect, your questions become easier. The test for RN, can range from getting a minimum of 75 questions or a maximum of 265. Understand, you can both pass OR fail with either amount of questions, it’s all dependent on how you do on the questions, the purpose is to assess your ability level. Don’t let the numbers discourage you.
- IMPORTANT! Do NOT use a million different study tools! It’s too much and can become too confusing! You just spent the last two years in nursing school, you know & retained way more than you believe
- Get a prep class. Do your research and pick the one that works best for you. I picked the HESI review class, number one because that’s what my school used throughout my program and if I’m being honest because they gave us a discount LOL! Although, some of my other classmates used Kaplan review class with success on NCLEX. A prep class will not only give you practice questions, but do mini system and disease review, as well as focus in on how to answer questions and process of elimination when you simply don’t know an answer.
- UWORLD. It’s an app of comprehensive practice questions. This was no doubt my most used study tool. It was easily accessible right on my phone or on a laptop. DISCLAIMER, it’s hard as shit! Some say it’s harder than the actual NCLEX, but that’s why I liked it. It really made me think and prepared rationales for everything. Probably, almost all my graduating class and many others used this.
- Saunders Comprehensive Review Book. This filled with thousands of practice question and excellent review!
- Mnemonics. This was another great tool throughout nursing school. It’s such a good way to remember lab values and those look alike – sound alike drugs.
- Don’t forget to practice MATH and EKG Strips!
- IMPORTANT: as much as you’re so tempted to pull out your old study packets please don’t lbs. That’s soooo much info to be trying to cover. Your best bet is to do tons of questions! I don’t have a specific amount of questions I did a day, I just did them until I got mentally tired and had to stop. Anytime I had downtime, commercial breaks, etc I was doing questions. The ONLY time I pulled out my packets or flashcards is when I got difficult questions that I simply didn’t remember. I got a quick refresher and kept it moving. Don’t overwhelm yourself, trust your gut, you know the information!
I know we all want to pass on the first try, or even pass in 75 questions, but let’s face it that is NOT the case for everyone and that is totally OKAY! I passed in 75, I have friends who passed in the mid 100’s, some who passed with the whole 265 and even some on the second go around! That number does not matter nor does the amount of times you have to take the test! The goal is just for you to pass and become a successful Registered Nurse. You’ve already passed nursing school, you know the material and you are smart as shit, don’t let a test tell you otherwise! I can’t say what worked for me will 100% work for you, but I hope it helps in some way. Know your learning style and do what works for you! Good luck and congrats in advance!
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