Hope Springs Eternal… Not! Hoping a certain topic won’t be on the exam is not an effective way to prepare for the NCLEX-RN exam.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Respect the NCLEX-RN exam.
Ineffective Ways To Prepare
Relying on False Hopes.
Some students’ use what is known as the “hope” method of study. The “hope” method usually doesn’t work very well. The test pool contains thousands of questions. How many topics do you “hope” won’t be on the test?
Lacking Respect for the Exam.
Many candidates for the NCLEX-RN exam are good students in school. Because of their success, they expect to pass the exam with minimal preparation. You might think that you can’t possibly fail, but if you do not respect this exam and prepare for it correctly, you run the risk for failure.
“All-Nighters” Won’t Work. Don’t cram for the NCLEX-RN exam. It is not a test bout recognition and recall.
You Hold the Keys. The keys to passing the NCLEX-RN exam: Nursing content, Critical thinking skills, Coping with the CAT.
Cramming.
Some students completed nursing school with minimal understanding of nursing content. Since the test questions primarily involved recognition and recall, cramming worked for test in nursing school. But as we said earlier, the NCLEX-RN exam is not an exam about facts. It tests your ability to apply the knowledge that you have learned and to think critically. Recognition and recall will not work!
Poor Planning.
As with all standardized exams, you must work on your areas of weaknesses. This is hard to do because there’s usually a reason you’re weak in an area. Some students don’t establish plan of study. Other students establish a plan of study, but don’t follow it. You can enroll in a review course or buy review books, but if you don’t apply yourself, they will do you no good.
To pass the NCLEX-RN exam you need to:
1. Know nursing content.
2. Be able to apply critical thinking skills.
3. Cope with the testing experience.
Effective Methods of Study
Become knowledgeable about the NCLEX-RN exam
Find out:
• The content of the exam.
• What topics are usually included on the NCLEX-RN exam.
• What kind of questions are asked.
• How the content is organized.
Identify Your Strengths and Weaknesses:
• Take as many diagnostic exams as you can.
• Identify your weaknesses in nursing content.
• Identify your weaknesses in test taking skills.
Decide If You Need To Take a Review Course.
If you decide that this is the best way for you to prepare, ask yourself these questions:
• Is the course mainly a review of nursing content or memory techniques? This type of review won’t help you put it all together on Test Day. Are the strategies specific for the NCLEX-RN exam?
• Are there plenty of opportunities for practice testing? You need to prove your competence by answering NCLEX-RN exam style tests questions, so you should practice this answering these questions. Are there exam style questions included in the course? Do the questions require recall and recognition of facts or application of nursing care principles? Remember your NCLEX-RN exam will consists mainly of application-level questions.
• What do students who have taken the course have to say about how it helped them prepare for the exam? If a review course boasts of a particularly high pass rate, ask to see their statistics. Be an informed consumer.
• Is there a guarantee? There are guarantees and there are empty promises. Make sure the course you are considering puts the guarantee in writing. Study the small print. Is your total tuition refunded? Do you have to fail the exam more than once?
• How much does it cost? This sounds easy but “extras” can add up. Are there additional changes for books? Software? Registration fees?
• Is this course right for me?
You Can Procrastinate Later. Establish a study plan that includes working on your areas of weakness.
Know What You’re Getting Into. Be prepared.
Establish a Study Plan.
• Create a realistic study schedule that works for you.
• Make a vow to stick to that plan and reward yourself when you do.
• Prepare for at least three weeks before your exam date. Don’t cram!
• Your content focus should be in understanding the principles of nursing care, not memorizing facts.
• Answer as many exam-style test questions as possible.
Seek Help if Necessary.
If you are having difficulty, don’t continue studying alone. Seek out help: a review course, a faculty adviser, or someone that is knowledgeable about the exam. They can help you identify your weaknesses, and establish a study plan to eliminate those weaknesses.
Prepare Mentally.
Stay away from people who are “prophets of doom.” You know the type. With the proper preparation you can and will pass the NCLEX-RN exam. Keep a positive attitude.
MENTAL PREPARATION
1. Visualize.
You have probably learned how to do this with clients; now it’s your turn. Close your eyes, sit back, and let your shoulders and arms relax. Imagine yourself escaping from the stressful world using the following steps:
• Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a relaxing situation---it can be fictional, but a real life memory is best. Make it as detailed as possible. Think about the sights, the sounds, the smells, even the tastes that you associate with the relaxing situation. Keep your eyes shut; keep sinking back into your chair. Now that you’re in that situation, start bringing your test in---think about the experience of taking the test while in that relaxing situation. Imagine how much easier it would be if you could take your test in that situation. Notice how much easier your test seems in that situation.
• Here’s another variation. Close your eyes and start remembering a situation in which you did well on a test. If you can’t come up with one, pick a situation in which you did some good academic work that you were really proud of, or some other kind of genuine accomplishment. Not a fiction, mind you: it has to be from real life. Make it as detailed as possible. Think about the sights, the sounds, and the smells, even the tastes that you associate with this experience of academic success. Now start thinking about your test in line with that experience. Don’t make comparisons between them. Just star imagining taking your test with that same feeling of relaxed control.
2. Exercise.
Whether it be jogging, walking, mild aerobics, pushups, or a pickup basketball game, physical exercise is a great way to stimulate the mind and body and improve one’s ability to think and concentrate. A surprising number of those who prepare for standardized tests don’t exercise regularly because they spend so much time preparing. Sedentary people—this is a medical fact—get less oxygen in the blood, and therefore to the brain, than active people.
3. Do the Following on Exam Day:
• Keep moving forward. By Test Day, do enough preparation with a review course or practice questions so that it becomes an instinct to keep moving forward instead of getting bogged down in a difficult question. You don’t need to get everything right to pass, so don’t get bothered by difficult questions because they accept that everyone encounters them on the NCLEX-RN exam.
• Don’t listen to negative words or behavior. Don’t be distracted by the ignorant babble or the behavior of other, less prepared, less skilled candidates around you. Negative thoughts lead to negative feelings and may interfere with you performing your best on Test Day.
• Don’t be anxious if other test takers seem to be working harder or answering questions more quickly. Continue to spend your time patiently but doggedly thinking through your answers; it’s going to lead to higher-quality test taking and better results. Set your own pace and stick to it.
• Keep Breathing! Weak standardized test takers tend to share one major trait: forgetting to breathe steadily as the test proceeds. They do not know the value of proper breathing. They start holding their breath without realizing it, or begin breathing erratically or arrhythmically. This can hurt confidence and accuracy. Do what you can to instill an awareness of proper breathing before and during each study or testing section.
• Do some quick isometrics during the test. This is helpful especially if your concentration is wandering or energy is waning. For example, put your palms together and press intensely for a few seconds.
Attitude is Everything. Think positively.
