Nursing students graduate with one final exam standing between them and their first nursing job: The National Council Licensure Examination, or NCLEX, is a test administered by the National Council of Licensure Examinations.
You’ve already mastered the fundamentals and specialized information you’ll need to become an excellent nurse at the top of your field if you graduated from a nursing school that prepared you well. Rather of being scared by the NCLEX’s formal status, think of it as an opportunity to prove to yourself and the nursing profession’s official licensing authority that you’re ready for anything.
You can face the exam with confidence that you’re ready to become a registered nurse if you have the correct NCLEX study plan and test-taking skills.
The NCLEX race is won by the slow and steady.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to when is the optimum time to take the NCLEX. Every nurse’s NCLEX success story will be unique. If your nursing education offered a good NCLEX review course, you might take the exam right after graduation. If it didn’t, you might want to study and review for a few extra weeks or months. Test registration usually opens six weeks before the end of your program. Once you’ve decided to take the exam, register and pay your exam and licensure fees, which are normally around $300.
Given such fees, you should schedule enough study time to guarantee you’re prepared to pass the NCLEX the first time around. Rather than trying to squeeze all of your studies into an unrealistic timeline, take care of your mind and body while studying. To keep your brain limber and allow the knowledge to soak in, find a comfortable study location where you truly love learning and take frequent short and long breaks.
You must, however, continue to think like a nurse. You’ll still have to push yourself and keep track of all the other spinning plates in your life. Your NCLEX study strategy should not be unpleasant or rushed, but it should be tough in every way, including the timeline. Allow yourself enough time to prepare, but schedule the exam as soon as possible so you may pass and begin working as a nurse.
We strongly advise setting aside a set amount of time each day to enumerate the topics you’ll need to cover throughout each session. Every student studies in their own way, although many nursing forums have posts from previous exam takers who shared the study routines that worked for them.
Do Not Evaluate Yourself During the Examination
Trying to self-evaluate while taking the test is pointless. Don’t assume you’re below pass level just because you got a couple of “easy” questions in a row. Simply concentrate on the current issues. What appears simple for you may be difficult to another. Each one is equally important.
It’s all about perseverance on this exam. Prepare to sit for the entire time if necessary, and you will be less stressed.
Figure out how to deal with test anxiety.
Don’t worry, all you nervous test-takers out there. There are methods for dealing with stress.
Test anxiety is real, but you made it through nursing school, so keep preparing the way that worked for you in the past. Even if you don’t have a history of test anxiety, the stress of such a significant exam may cause you to become nervous.
There are a few key strategies for reducing stress.
First and foremost, take the exam seriously but do not make it your life’s work.
Make time in your day for exercise, sleep, and whatever else you enjoy! By maintaining equilibrium, your mind will not exaggerate the importance of the test moment.
Also, when it’s time to take the NCLEX, don’t study or cram information the day of the exam. Take some time in the morning before the test to relax. Focus on something that helps you stay grounded, whether it’s making a nice breakfast, listening to music, or going for a run.
Finally, the most effective way to calm your nerves is to study properly. The NCLEX doesn’t seem so scary when you’re confident and prepared.
Make a study schedule
Give your time and effort to prepare for the test. Start studying with a strategy in mind. Here’s an example:
Make study days a priority. Make a schedule that includes which days of the week you’ll study, which days you’ll take off, and which days you’ll take practise exams.
Prior to each study session, set a goal for yourself. Maybe it’s to complete a certain number of practise questions or to master a specific content topic, but make it a point to be deliberate.
It’s a waste of time to study without a strategy, and it won’t help you pass the NCLEX. It is not matter of how many hours you put in study but matter is how you use this time.
The NCLEX is a holistic test model that aims to test knowledge gained over the course of years, not days, so you won’t be able to cram for it.
Make a study plan for the NCLEX.
Begin by committing to answering 63 questions in the morning and 63 questions in the evening on a regular basis. Each testing session should be followed by a review and remediation period for all questions, not just the ones that were answered incorrectly. It’s crucial to go over all of the questions again to make sure you understand why the correct answer was correct and that it wasn’t just a guess.
Exam practice questions for the NCLEX
Practice tests are excellent for getting a sense of where you stand in your study plan. Your test results can be used as a guide to areas that need more research as well as a checkpoint to see how far you’ve come. Invest time in resolving test results. Spend one or two days on quick study by any type like videos or any other way, focused review if there are any content areas you’re still unfamiliar with. Return to your study plan as soon as you’ve finished reviewing.
Question explore is one of the keys to NCLEX success. It’s critical to take, review, and remediate as many test questions as possible. Establishing a realistic practise setting is an important part of exposure to the questions. Avoid distractions and don’t look up answers during your exam; instead, concentrate on your reasoning to find the correct answer! Compile a list of practise questions that will expose you to at least 3500 questions. That may appear to be a large number of inquiries. Yes, it is! However, answering questions rather than studying content is the key to passing the NCLEX.
To avoid burnout, you should also aim to get plenty of other Qbank practise with realistic, NCLEX-style questions that include complete explanations—but no more than 150 Qbank questions per day. Make sure you answer ALL of the practise questions on these tests, not just the ones you didn’t get right.
Need to Relax Before the Exam
Relax your mind and avoid studying in the morning before the exam. Instead, get some exercise or meditate, eat a relaxing breakfast, and take a relaxing shower. Keep your mind on the present moment and don’t let it wander into fear. All questions on the NCLEX are based on evidence from journals, textbooks, and scientific data. Forget about anecdotal evidence from nursing’s front lines. Do not draw on your experience as a nurse’s aide or nursing student, no matter how difficult it is! When it comes to care about your patients, having experience can be extremely beneficial. In this case, it may impair your ability to correctly answer exam questions.
Be Positive and confident
The exam is difficult, and you will need to study! During the exam, you may have moments where you doubt everything from your knowledge to your future as a nurse. It’s natural to feel frustrated because this is a difficult exam. Anyone could be a nurse if it wasn’t so difficult. Believe in yourself and imagine yourself as a Registered Nurse. The last step is to pass this test.
