7 Tips to Pass Your Next NCLEX Exam
There is always a tinge of excitement accompanied by feelings of anxiety when a test-taker is about to view the exam results. For nurses who spent years studying clinical work, it all culminates with the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX) for nurses. Passing it means starting your career on a whole new level as a bona fide nurse of the United States.
However, it is heartbreaking when things don’t go as desired. Be open to the possibility you won’t pass on the first take. And when this happens, start with this thought: you are no lesser than any nurse who has received their license.
While becoming a bona fide nurse is the true end goal, the road to it is not always linear. There could be hang-ups along the way, and taking the NCLEX one more time is just one roadblock to overcome. If you need to retake the NCLEX exam, here’s how you can redo your strategy.
See What You Did Wrong Through the CPR
In 2020, the percentage of first-time NCLEX takers who did not make it were 13.5 percent for educated nurses and 17 percent for practical nurses.1 There are usually large numbers of those who don’t pass, so don’t fret if, by chance, you are part of them.
Once you get hold of your Candidate Performance Report (CPR), study it intently. It is a one-of-a-kind document that will reveal your exam performance. Only students who did not pass get to receive it. While the CPR will not enumerate which questions you got incorrect, it will provide a good idea of content areas you need to focus on for your next NCLEX exam.
1. Determine how close you were to passing. The CPR will come in two pages, with the first indicating how close you were to the passing standard. If you were close, you most probably answered the maximum number of questions, which is 145 for 2022.
So, if you happen to have answered 145 questions or perhaps a number close to that, you are in luck. It means your error of margin to getting a passing score was very little, which could mean you “almost” passed the test.
2. Know the areas where you need to study more. The second page of the document will detail the eight NCLEX content areas and how you did in each one. There will be indications if you were above, near, or below the passing standard for that particular content area.
However, this does not mean you will only study for the content areas you failed. Take note that answering the next NCLEX exam means going through all content areas again. So, simply remember to put extra effort into studying the areas where you did not do well.
Dive Into Reviewing Again With Some Changes In Routine
Take some time to get out of your funk and view this new start as an opportunity. Remember that while it is not the same test you took last year, you will be going to the next NCLEX exam with prior knowledge of how the test goes. Compared to first-time examinees, you have an advantage.
Shake the negativity off and get back into the groove through these steps:
- Explore studying techniques. Chances are you might not be reviewing at the right time of the day, appropriate durations, or even studying venues. It is also recommended that you don’t stick to one. Have you tried going out of town just to study near the beach or while looking at a scenic view? Perhaps coffee shops or your bedroom will not work for you this time. Maybe you are no longer a night owl and would rather hit the books after breakfast. Shaking things up will help you find a study rhythm that could work for your second try.
- Recall what you have taken, and look at different NCLEX study materials. give yourself time to remember items you have already taken and jot them down. Listing everything by memory will be great in building familiarity with the test you have already gone through. After this, try to get questions from reviewers on these items. Not only will this jog your memory, but it will also broaden your idea of what the next NCLEX exam will look like.
Additionally, since you have taken the time to review your results, you might realize that answers to questions you missed could be in other reviewers or online prep courses. Introducing new material into your review sessions will widen the scope of your knowledge on what the new questions could be for your second try.
Envision What Will Happen When You Pass The NCLEX Exam
It’s not a matter of if you’ll pass the test, but more of when. After all, if you’ve prepared for this career well enough, so a satisfactory mark is more of a rite of passage than a hurdle. The number of times you take the NCLEX exam doesn’t define you as a nurse. To motivate yourself to just keep pushing, think of the possibilities you can achieve after passing:
- Job opportunities in the US. The US is brimming with opportunities for new nurses. Especially now that there is currently a nursing shortage, you are almost assured of getting hired in any US skilled nursing facility or healthcare institution.
- Brighter future through US residency. After you are settled as an immigrant under a working visa for a few years, you can apply for US citizenship. With this, you’ll get to enjoy a lot of the benefits of being a resident in the US.
- Career advancements as a nurse. Open yourself to the possibility of branching out to other opportunities for career growth. If teaching is your passion, use that as your inspiration to study hard for the licensure exam and be an educator for future nurses. The US nursing shortage might last for a couple more years, so being an educator or mentor will let you shape more nurses to take care of or save more lives.
LET PRS GLOBAL GUIDE YOU IN YOUR NEXT STEPS AFTER PASSING THE TEST
All these preparations plus the NCLEX may overwhelm the promising nurse in you. Worry not, as there is a global nurse direct staffing partner to lean into for guidance in pursuing life as a nurse. PRS Global knows what it takes to create a workforce of international nurses and attend to their concerns as a newcomer to a foreign land.
PRS Global is keen on taking care of immigrant nurses’ welfare by assisting them in assimilating to life in a foreign environment. Constant checkups and building a support community are just some ways PRS Global assures that you are taking the right career path. Plus, assistance with legal matters (immigration or citizenship) is provided to further solidify your bona fide US nurse status.
Opportunities are waving at you, future NCLEX passer. Contact PRS Global today.