Hi friends, I just wanted to share my NCLEX experience with you guys, as a recent graduate from nursing school on 8/4/2011 when I started to see all the review books out there I was frustated and overwhelmed, I study hard at school and always maintained a 4.8 GPS for the last 14 monts, now I have to do this again!! I decided that I will not review anything that I learned, I joined the ncsbn 3 weeks course one and half weeks ago and scheduled my tesy on 8/20/11, I did not review the study material but did the practice questions, I did read Kaplan strategies though, did review my labs and insuline and thats it, not a single drug or math, no peds or ob no med-surg, from my school ATT I was on level 3 most of them and prediction was 99% chance of passing nclex, I trusted them and also trusted ncsbn course, that I will face same formate of questions, when I sat for my exam on this Saturday I was a little sad because I got lots of fundamental questions that I haven't study for long!! but I kept on going, lots of SATA, math ( thank God I am good at it), came home , did the PearsonVue trick and got the good pop up, got my quick result this morning and I PASS!!!! I wanted to thank ncsbn for being soooo reliable and dependable. So for my fellow nclex taker here is my study strtegy, if you know your nursing basics and practice and understand these 1000 questions from ncsbn learning extension, then you will pass your board, have faith, we have the power of knowledge and its time to apply it!!!!

I took the 3 week review class on the NCSBN website, but I ended up paying for an additional 3 weeks because I changed the date of my test. You will know when you are ready. Be honest with yourself, you and only you know if you have been giving studying your all. I was procrastinating in the beginning and did not feel ready on July 7th (I went on a camping trip the last week of June and then with the 4th of July holiday weekend, I lost a lot of study time). I knew that I had not been studying the way I should have been in order to be successful on the NCLEX, so I rescheduled for July 22nd and told myself I was not allowed to change the date again.

I used the NCSBN website and a book by Kaplan called NCLEX-RN Strategies for the Registered Nursing License Exam. I only read the strategies in the Kaplan book. I did not do any questions that came with the book. After reading Kaplan, I then began to use the NCSBN website. I did the pretest and was so discouraged (I received a 66%). I read all 4 of the first modules and took notes on the things I did not know or had forgotten from nursing school. I did the posttest for each module. I also made sure to pay special attention and read the entire module for 6, which is pharmacology. I did every posttest, and all the comprehensive reviews at the end (I believe there are 5). I wrote down the rationales for the ones that I did not know, and I would carry them with me and read them while I was waiting in line or waiting at the doctor's office. I would apply the strategies from the Kaplan book to help answer the questions that I was unsure of .

Everyone told me not to study the day before the exam. I have always studied up until the very time I have to take an exam. I planned on studying the day before, but life had other plans for me. I did not study at all the day before the exam. I read over some notes as I was falling asleep. I prayed harder that night than I have in the past year. I set my alarm and woke up early the next morning and finished the last set of questions on the NCSBN review. Skimmed the rationales that I had wrote down. It was time.

I felt so nervous on my way to take the exam. Just writing about increases my pulse rate. The people at the Pearson Vue testing center were amazing. They were so nice that just talking to them calmed me down. I sat down at the computer and began the tutorial. I was watching the clock on the screen (it took me 10 minutes to make it through the tutorial). Once I actually started answering questions, I decided to close the clock because it was adding to my anxiety. The format of the questions was very similar to the NCSBN review. My anxiety level dropped significantly after the first few questions. I felt like I was at home studying for the NCLEX, not taking it. I used the Kaplan strategies for harder questions. I would reword the question and for the SATA (select all that apply) I would pick the topic out of the question and then turn each statement into a true or false question. That is the best strategy I have found to tackle those SATA questions. It really works.

I finished the test in 55 minutes with 75 questions. I kept a tally of my SATA on the board they provide me. I had 20 SATA. I was so nervous that I failed. I had no idea how long I had been in there. I had no watch or cell phone. I went to leave the building and I could not find my car. I parked in the South parking lot but when I left the building I exited to the North parking lot. I finally find my car and when I looked at the clock in the car it was 3:22 pm. My anxiety level increased again. How could I have passed, I must have failed and that's why it turned off at 75 questions. I did the Pearson Vue trick as soon as I got home. I got the good pop up. I ended up paying for my unofficial results even though I said I wouldn't, and I had passed.

I would like to thank the NCSBN for such a wonderful review course. I also believe that God played a big part in my success and would like to thank him. I believe that we are all vessels, and God works miracles through us. He blesses the hands and minds of every healthcare professional so that we may help those in need. Thanks for reading my story.

Mandy M Lopez, RN