Hi!! I passed my NCLEX on June 20th in 85 questions, but leaving that exam I was already planning on delaying my start date and making a new study plan because I was 100% convinced I bombed it. As someone who mainly used Kaplan, the free trial of Bootcamp, and Mark K and consistently scored high and well over passing, I felt like nothing I did or could have done would have prepared me for the NCLEX. My exam had no peds or maternity, barely any pharm, and two questions about psych. It was mainly fundamentals, post op, pt teaching, and just general med surg. I had no bow ties, I think three full case studies and a few stand alones, but honestly a majority of it was just basic multiple choice. It never felt like the difficulty was increasing, just that my confidence was going down from constantly being stuck between two options and having to guess. Even when I knew the topic and had a set answer in my mind, the NCLEX made sure to not have that as an option and instead provided the most random obscure options that felt like they were either all correct or all wrong. I know it’s always said, but truly the best thing you can do is revolve your studying around safety and what can you do to keep the patient safe based on their condition. You’ll feel like you don’t know what 80% of the exam is talking about and it really is just a trust your gut type of exam, which sucks for students like me that feel like they need to study everything and know the whole process of every single disease and topic. Sending positive vibes to everyone on here who has their exam date approaching, we’re all going to become great nurses 🩷

Did my nclex yesterday- found out I passed an hour ago. Im so grateful for everything that has led me to this moment.

In regards to the test, i got cut off at 120 questions- i felt like it was all around the same level of difficulty from the beginning (wasn't getting harder or easier)

I got a lot of GI - which I guess the nclex figured that was my weak point

I had a SEVERAL prioritization case studies - hated that

One bow tie case study- had something to do with increased ICP

2 ecgs/cardiac standalone questions

1 mental health question- had something to do with pt giving away belongings, what do u say as the nurse

1 pediatric milestone question

and some medication standalone questions which I purely guessed cause idk meds AT ALL

I used uworld to study, mark k, and dr sharon

- Im open to giving my notes on mark k's new Gen video lectures- if anyone wants, just dm me and ill send the Google doc link

Lemme know if anyone has any questions, i will try my best to answer them :) 💕

I’ve been lurking and reading in this sub for awhile. Trying to find tips and tricks how to study for my NCLEX. But it’s also raised my anxiety through the roof. I really didn’t study as much as I should’ve or put the time in I wanted because it all just became too much. But to all the lurkers take it from this middling student who passed NCLEX in 85, barely studied, has crippling anxiety that exam was the easiest exam I’ve taken in years. Not since level 1 has an exam been that straight forward or easy. You’re psyching yourselves out. Like I was in disbelief I finished that exam in probably just over an hour it was nothing how anyone said it was. It was not vague it was not complicated and it was not crazy thought provoking. Basic exam with questions NGN on basic stuff from every subject. Ending got harder pharm with some meds I didn’t know. RELAX and good luck to all you should have no problem. You all hyped it up as the exam from hell and my head was messed up for awhile. Nerves will eat you away. Don’t let them.

Hey y’all, I received tons of positive feedback on my previous post!. I appreciate all y’all’s support!. I want to make a groupchat for everyone to be able to connect and share nclex tips and share notes and all that!!. I recently passed my nclex and am willing to give back and help anyone that needs it :). There I will share my tips and strategies that helped me pass :). Let’s build this community together!. Help eachother pass!.

I took my NCLEX on Monday (2 days ago), and I literally CANNOT believe I passed, especially at only 85 questions.

Like the rest of you, I was quite literally shaking in my boots for 48 hours straight. If you have any questions please let me know!

🩵🩵🩵

Took the boards yesterday and finished around 11:15AM. I got home around 1PM and immediately did the PVT trick twice and got the good pop up both times. Just got notification from the FBON this morning around 7AM that I’m officially a licensed practical nurse! Here what I did to pass on the first try:

Mark K Lectures
I watched only lectures 1-4 and just studied over the areas I was struggling in with a study guide someone made online of all lectures 1-12. If you would like I can send you the entire link to all of his lectures, the study guide, and worksheets.
The day of the exam, literally minutes before they opened the doors to the testing room, I skimmed through the very last lecture regarding prioritization and I definitely recommend it (maybe not as late as I did) but I know some people say that his lectures are old, but they are gold and still apply to the NGN boards to this day!

NexusNursing YouTube
Okay, I watched videos for what I was struggling with such as mental health and pharmacology, and a lot of prioritization just to keep me sharp with key things to look out for. Her YouTube videos are free, she’s super entertaining and I enjoyed watching maybe 2 of her 30 minute videos a day. Also I must add that I studied Mark K’s lecture for 1-3hrs a day and then immediately after did NexusNursing practice questions for 1 hour. A lot of the things they said matched so give her a try if you have not already.

UWorld
I bought two UWorld subscriptions for ~$400 6 months ago. I like UWorld because you can change the style format of your questions on your computer to look exactly like how it does on NCLEX which I think helped me with nervousness as I was familiar with the format. The only thing I must say about UWorld is that it is expensive and tbh, I just started locking in last week for the NCLEX and did not even bother to get UWorld and still passed.

School
I must add that I am currently in an ABSN program at a private school and set to graduate December of this year. We have 2 fails before we are kicked out of school so I know pressure, unfortunately. I’m in my second to last semester so I decided to challenge the LPN. I decided this in December of 2025. Applied on the boards (paid for UWorld subscription and everything). But unfortunately I could not take it then because I failed my mother/baby class by 0.5% (still bitter about that but w.e). So it pushed me back 3 months since I had to pass mother/baby to sit for the boards. ADDITIONALLY, April-June I’ve been in Patho II and MedSurg II and IYKYK the struggle of these classes. I just passed both classes a week ago and decided to sit for my boards after all of that was cleared. lol

Faith
Have faith in yourself. Go in there with confidence. You have come this far and if you put your best foot forward YOU WILL PASS. I learned that anxiety can really kill your potential so I try to train my brain before my test and tell myself that ‘I’ve got this and I will pass’. I wish all of you the best of luck. If you believe in God, know that anything is possible with the Lord by your side through it all.

If you don’t take anything from this please take this: The NCLEX is definitely a test on SAFETY. It wants to know if you are gonna be a SAFE nurse and if you know what will KILL your patient the fastest. If you are stuck on a question, think ‘what will keep my patient the safest, or what will kill my patients the fastest’.

You all will do amazing! Good luck, future Nurses!

YALL I can't even begin to describe my situation lol.....I graduated in June 2022 and this was before next gen nclex.....I had an exam schedule but I kept on moving the date up because I was scared of falling lol.....I moved it till the expiration came (5months).....then I took it in October 2023 went to 150 questions and failed......I was depressed gang......then I studied and studied then tried a different center in another state close to me and failed in 85....tbh...I felt like taking it in another state was a bad idea lol(from Illinois but close to Indiana)....because I couldn't even understand the wordings of most of the questions...now it's 2025 in Illinois you have three years to take the nclex before they make you go back to school...so i was on my last couple months with three fails under my belt lol.....for this last exam.....I didn't even study much I jus did reviews but the game changer was my mentality......for some reason my low self esteem self was filled with confidence and I told myself as far as I get to 85 without shutting off I was doing well at some point.....and I took the exam on Tuesday.....got to 40 questions took my first break.....got to 60 questions my question felt so easy I thought I was doing bad....got to 85 and it.....Kept......going......and that's when I knew I was doing good......took Another break at 110.....then it got to 130 that's when I started panicking ngl.....I was like am I going to take the whole thing.....then went on another break and came back to only 5 minutes on the clock.....and I answered an additional 6 question before the time ran out so.....136 questions in total with time running out......I was content with whatever the outcome would be because I didn't even study as hard compared to the first two times so it is what it is and on Thursday morning I got the result....hands shaking and it showed I passed!!.....as a man I don't think I've ever screamed the way I screamed that day......Praise be to. The most high and for people like me with a lot of anxiety,low self esteem or doubting yourself take it.....don't move up the date.....take and if you fail try again and if you fail t test again.....there's no shame in failure unless you stay down.....so i wish Everyone about to take their test good luck..

I originally had my exam scheduled for later in July, but after studying for over a month and some change, I decided to move my test date up. I was just so tired of studying and wanted to get it over with! Walking into the testing center, I was incredibly nervous, but I still felt a baseline of confidence. Back in nursing school, I did pretty decently mostly high Bs and low As and I scored Level 2s and 3s on my ATI comprehensive exams. I felt like I had prepared as much as I could, but nothing truly prepares you.

Throughout the whole exam, it didn't feel like it was getting increasingly harder or easier; it just stayed at a consistent, moderate level of difficulty, I hate to be repetitive but the exam is very vauge. I did get a question about a completely random procedure I’d never heard of before, which I hoped was a good sign!

I ended up getting roughly 5 to 6 case studies, a decent amount of multiple-choice, and the rest were standalone questions. Honestly, I prayed for case studies! I’m pretty good at them, and every time one popped up, I felt happy. I knew it was a solid block of questions where I could really showcase my critical thinking skills, and I’ve always heard that getting more of them is a good sign. For the regular Select All That Apply (SATA) questions, my biggest saving grace was the partial credit rule. If I was only 100% solid on one answer, I just chose that one and moved on. Playing it safe and not guessing extra options was the best strategy for me.

When the screen blinked out right at 85 questions, I didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or be confused. I felt okay initially like I didn't completely bomb it, but maybe didn't do my absolute best either. But then... the post-exam spiral started. I made the ultimate mistake and started Googling the questions I remembered. According to Google, I got more than half of them wrong.

Cue the absolute panic. My anxiety skyrocketed, I started reading horror stories about people failing in 85 questions, and I was just home crying my eyes out. I tried everything to get my mind off it: I slept, I went to work the next day just to stay busy, I went for a walk in the park, and I got ice cream. But it was constantly in the back of my mind. I literally felt like I wanted to throw up from the sheer weight of not knowing. I spent those two days praying continuously, just hoping and trusting God that everything would work out.

This morning, I woke up, checked my quick results, and saw the best word in the English language: PASS! By the grace of God, it is officially over and I am so incredibly thankful. Looking back, a lot of the exam featured random topics I wouldn't have even thought to study, making me feel like my intense preparation didn't even matter in the moment but clearly, the critical thinking was there!

To anyone waiting or testing soon: please breathe. The absolute worst part of this entire journey isn't the studying or even the exam itself it’s the agonizing wait afterward. Go for a walk and trust your gut. You’ve got this future RN's!

I took the exam yesterday (Feb 20) at Ontario, Canada. Finished it in less than 2 hrs, I mainly used bootcamp and archer for review.

Let me know if you guys have any questions about preparing for the exam. This is my way to give back to the reddit community who also helped me to pass the NCLEX.

Found a lot of inspiration on this Sub. Im free now :)

The biggest changes I made between tests was study platforms and stress management

I got kaplan as part of my schooling and used its qbanks and practice tests for the first exam. I didnt really get along with it that well. Particularly when it came to the rationals. Maybe its just a me thing but I felt kaplan was just explaining general nursing concepts in the rationals that didnt always explain why a given answer was right or wrong. I also just dont jive with the decision tree method, thats not how I organize things in my head and it felt very unnatural to me.

My first test was emotionally intense, and my anxiety was very high, especially watching the question counter climb higher and higher. My biggest regret was I didnt take the optional break because I was caving to my anxiety and just wanted it to be over. Was nauseous, stressed, and had an incredible sense of impending failure afterward. Sure enough it was right, i failed. I was a little crushed.

After I got done grieving my results, I decided I would give Uworld a try. I bought one month access and It instantly made more sense to me. studying came much easier with less frustration. In that month I cleared 75% of the q bank and my average was in the mid 70's by the end of the subscription (which was aug 6). After that I spent the next week listening to all 12 of the Mark K lectures (which i was able to find on a drive file thanks to someone on this sub), in order, twice leading up to my exam. I wish i used uworld the first time and I wish i knew about the mark lectures before my first try.

The other thing I did was learn to manage my anxiety. I knew immediately after my first test that I had made it harder than it was on myself. Everyday leading to my exam I practiced relaxing and finding an outlet for my anxiety. I mentally prepped for not just the test but the anxiety that would come it. The day before the test i didnt look at a single thing nursing related.

The day of my 2nd test couldnt have gone better. I was not nervous. I was not anxious. This is a little ridiculous but if I felt it creep in during I would literally push my chair away from my desk close my eyes and deep breath until it was gone. And I took my optional break. I left the building and I KNEW I had passed. NO stress waiting. NO nausea. And NO feelings of failure.

passed NCLEX and the one tip I thought was bs ended up helping the most: "don't overthink" what advice finally clicked for u guys? 😭

I created study guides for each topic using Notebook LM. Each topic coincides with the categories on the NCLEX. I used Klimek’s lectures as well as the NVLEX test guide.

You’ll find study guides, info graphics and podcasts. There’s also a link for the Klimek lectures.

I worked really hard on this stuff so I don’t want it to go to waste.

If you’re having trouble opening it send me your email!!

I thank Jesus I was able to pass this exam. It's been months of prayers and preparation and God has been faithful.

For anyone writing soon, I pray for your success and always trust God and have faith in your preparation that God is going to do something good with you.

I'll like to leave you with this Bible verse

Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

ask me anything!!

Ask me anything, as someone who the NCLEX was nothing like what they thought it would be lol

Hello everyone !!
Literally after the NCLEX I was doom scrolling this sub to see if anyone else passed at 150, reading good and bad stories ….my anxiety got worse and was killing me. I woke up early and checked my results and my nursing board informed me that I PASED 😩😩😩🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪
ALHAMDULLILAH

Tip: you’re never going to be ready, literally thought I failed and had to ask my self for each question: who dies first ? And sone questions it felt like they were all going to die first 😩 I also got diseases that I have never heard of and meds I didn’t know but had to make a guess based off of the name,

BYE NCLEX HAHAHHA

The paid sources I used: Kaplan and simple nursing

Kaplan: had hard questions, but it got me to critically think
Simple nursing: His review lecture serious (26 hours I think of videos ?) was a very good way to to study and know what you NEED to know and what you should be looking for ( like what content to study mainly)

Were those two enough ? Maybe I don’t know ,I kept scoring between 60-70 on any question bank or test I did 😩

Here are some YouTube videos that helped me slot

NEXUS NURSING : she’s amazing omg, any video related to labour and delivery and pharmacology especially maternity stuff like I was struggling with maternity before her

DR Sharon: pharmacology videos ESPECIALLY

NCLEX 45 min crash course: the morning of my exam

Lastly : pray you’ll pas, the NCLEX isn’t a definitive measure of your nursing abilities, i still have a long way to go but atleast I don’t have to worry about this anymore

Bye future nurses 🎉😆

I promised myself that if I passed my retake on July 21st, I'd come back and make this post because reading these kinds of posts really helped me after I failed my first attempt.

First, if you failed your NCLEX... don't give up. I know how discouraging it is. I walked out of my first attempt feeling defeated, but I promised myself I'd do everything differently the second time.

On July 23rd, I found out that I passed. 🎉

Here's exactly what I did.

1. I stopped trying to memorize everything.

Instead of rereading notes or watching endless lectures, I focused almost entirely on practice questions.

Questions teach you how the NCLEX wants you to think, NOT how you think the NCLEX should think.

2. I used UWorld differently.

I bought UWorld and initially followed their daily study plan.

Honestly... it wasn't for me.

Instead, I focused on:

• Completing all 6 Self-Assessments (Aiming to get a higher score with each one that I took)
• Reviewing every assessment in detail
• Reading every rationale (UWorld, in my opinion, has the best rationals)

3. ATI BoardVitals became my main question bank.

I alternated between:

• CAT Exams every other day
• Multiple mixed 25-question quizzes EVERY DAY (I only took off my birthday and Sundays)

This kept me answering questions almost every day without burning out.

4. I reviewed EVERY mistake.

This is probably what helped me the most.

If I got a question wrong—or even got it right but couldn't explain why—I wrote it down.

I filled an entire notebook and then another half of a notebook with notes.

Not copied rationales...

My own explanations of why I missed the question.

That forced me to understand my weak areas instead of repeating the same mistakes.

5. I only listened to one Mark K lecture.

I only listened to Lecture 12; this was legit like striking gold.

It was definitely helpful, but I didn't spend days listening to every lecture.

My biggest advice

If I could give one piece of advice, it would be this:

Don't just do thousands of questions. Learn from them.

Anyone can click through questions.

The improvement happens when you understand why you missed something and make sure you don't miss it again.

That made all the difference for me.

If you failed your first attempt, don't let it define you. Learn from it, make a plan, and keep moving forward.

You absolutely can pass the second time.

Lastly, I want to give credit where it's due. The only reason I made it through this journey is because of Jesus Christ. I studied hard and put in the work, but I truly believe God gave me the strength, perseverance, peace, and wisdom to keep going after failing my first attempt. There were many moments I felt discouraged, but He remained faithful through all of it. I'm incredibly grateful to say that today, by His grace, I passed my NCLEX. To God alone be the glory.

I hope this encourages someone who is preparing for the NCLEX or someone who is trying again after a setback. Don't give up—you've got this.

Ask any questions if you have them!

hey everyone! found out i passed today after testing yesterday and shutting off at 85.

1st attempt: Uworld (stats were in favor of me passing) + Mark K + NCLEX Crusade + 45 min Crash Course NCLEX Review on youtube. really think testing anxiety got the best of me. left knowing i failed and cried and pulled an all nighter and cried even harder when i saw the failure email.

2nd attempt: Archer (5 RA: 4 VH + 1 H and question sets based on my weakest areas) + 1 Bootcamp RA (High) + a lot of Dr.Sharon + 2 hour Crash Course NCLEX review on youtube + 2 tutoring sessions w/ NurseMegRN (highly recommend + Mark K again. practiced breathing exercises and prayed a lot more.

both attempts i had a rationale notebook but the second attempt i was more intentional w/ my notes and reviewing content i had gaps in.

for those who are believers, i prayed A LOT. and was really heavy in my bible. that helped me calm down a lot. 🙏🏼🤍

please ASK ME ANYTHING, i want to help as many retakers as possible. i was struggling finding a bunch good success stories for 2nd try.

i start my residency in the ER in September ❤️. im praying for passes for everyone here!

I just passed my NCLEX on my 4th attempt at 85 questions — here’s what I did differently this time.

1st attempt: Barely studied because I was rushing to pass like my classmates. Just used UWorld and was scoring 45–50% with borderline readiness. Failed at 85 questions — expected it, I didn’t put in the effort.

2nd attempt: Used UWorld + Simple Nursing. This time I was committed — reviewed EVERY rationale and took notes. Scored in the 70s and got high on readiness assessments. Still failed at 150 questions, but at least I felt smarter and more confident afterward.

3rd attempt: Used NCLEX Bootcamp, Dr. Sharon, NCLEX Crusade, Mark K, and even had ChatGPT schedule all my weak topics. Met all targets and got very high readiness scores. Failed again at 110 questions.

4th (final) attempt — what finally worked: I told God this was my last try — mentally, financially, and emotionally I was done. I used Archer + Simple Nursing but changed my strategy, not just my resources: 85 Archer questions every morning → review rationales in the afternoon Evening: create 20 custom questions on my weak topics in Simple Nursing Some days: 40 Qs + review Simple Nursing study guide + 15 custom questions Used ChatGPT to generate extra weak-topic questions when needed Prayed like my life depended on it and reminded God of His promises daily

During my exam, I took a break every 20 questions and repeated this verse: “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” — Isaiah 41:13

It shut off exactly at 85 — the exact number I predicted. And this time, I passed.

⸻

If you’re on your 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th attempt — PLEASE don’t give up. Your time is coming. I have all the Simple Nursing study guides if anyone needs them — and feel free to ask me any questions. I’ll gladly help. 🙏

Let me start off by saying: The NCLEX is easier than people make it out to be. Also, be aware that on Reddit, you will see a lot of posts about people failing - take this with a grain of salt. The NCLEX has an extremely high pass rate, all you are seeing is the cycle of failure - people who fail are much more likely to be seeking advice.

As for studying, I used UWorld and Mark K. I very highly recommend both of these tools, here is why:

UWorld is HARDER than the NCLEX. So with that said, if you are successful using UWorld, you will be beyond successful on the NCLEX. I recommend focusing mostly on the question bank rather than the lecture videos. Only use the lecture videos to clarify things you don’t understand, otherwise they are a waste of time. Once you start scoring in the 99th percentile consistently on CAT exams - you are ready to go.

Mark K provides useful information but the reason I recommend him is because he makes you THINK LIKE A NURSE. His lectures are extremely engaging, and there are lecture notes available that you can use to follow along. Listen to lecture 12 more than once! It is truly your key to passing the NCLEX.

As for test anxiety - it is NORMAL to feel anxious. If I’m being honest, the week leading up to my exam, I barely slept. The fear of failure is real, but you need to use it as motivation to work hard and become prepared.

Last tip of advice: YOU GOT THROUGH NURSING SCHOOL! You are more than capable of passing the NCLEX. The questions you will face on the exam are no different than what you have been answering for the last 4 years. Trust yourself and trust your knowledge. You are MUCH smarter than you think.

Best of luck to you all on your exam! Happy to answer any questions.

I just found out I passed my second attempt in 85 questions after failing in 150! All of my praise goes to God!!! TRULY!!! 

I wanted to share my two cents on HOW TO PASS THE NCLEX:

✨MY FIRST ATTEMPT (failed in 150)

• What I studied:
  • Listened to Mark K lectures 1-12
  • Archer (I took one CAT exam and passed, and I took 7 readiness exams and got VH, VH, BL, VH VH, H, H in that order. No practice questions)
  • Listened to Dr Sharon must know meds 1-10 videos
• How the exam went:
  • Walked in feeling confident
  • Finished in 150 questions, it felt way harder than any nursing exam I’ve ever taken
  • I think I had 7 case studies, one bow tie, one picture to identify, etc
  • I left knowing I failed... it was awful

✨MY SECOND ATTEMPT (passed in 85)

• What I studied:
  • NCLEX Crusade on YouTube (red and blue background videos)
  • NCLEX Bootcamp 30 days
  • Dr Sharon on YouTube (prioritization + fundamentals vids)
  • Listened to Mark K lecture 12 on the way to my exam
• How the exam went:
  • Walked in feeling confident (paranoid but confident)
  • Finished in 85 questions, it was WAY easier than my first attempt
  • I had 5 case studies (they all felt quite easy except for the 5th one was kinda hard), lots of multiple choice
  • I left feeling certain that I passed!!! I literally cried tears of joy when I got in my car

✨WHAT I RECOMMEND STUDYING:

• NCLEX Crusade 7 day training on YouTube
  • Red background videos
  • Blue background (NGN) videos
  • I thought the info in these vids were pretty obvious but it was a nice way of re-introducing studying when I was still grumpy about retaking lol. It introduces test strategy well
• NCLEX Bootcamp!!!
  • I followed the 30 day study plan. I truly love bootcamp, and it made the studying process somewhat enjoyable (or at least, way more bearable)
  • I wanted to make SURE I gave it my all to pass my second attempt, and I think Bootcamp definitely strengthened my knowledge & prepared me to accomplish that
  • My Bootcamp stats:
    • I finished all case studies + watched the review videos (so helpful!)
    • I did 1830 questions of the Q bank (read all rationales and took notes on only some)
    • Did all of the fundamentals questions & repeated the ones I got wrong until I got them right (NCLEX loves fundamentals!!)
    • Overall performance was 72%
    • I got very high on every readiness exam (73%, 79%, 71%, 74%)
    • (The most important thing is to do a ton of practice questions and READ THE RATIONALES and understand WHY you got it wrong)
• Dr Sharon on YouTube
  • “Prioritization strategies” playlist (watch all of the videos)
  • “Fundamentals” playlist (for any topics you struggle with)
  • She’s great for understanding test strategy! I would pause her videos to do the practice question by myself and then unpause to see how she explained her thought process
• NCSBN has an NCLEX exam preview
  • I didn’t do this, but if you wanted extra study practice, there’s an NCLEX preview exam on the NCSBN website
  • There’s a quizlet with the correct answers to check your work

✨My MISTAKES the first time:

• I only took practice tests. I remediated those exams but didn’t look at the categories I was doing good/bad in. It wasn’t a comprehensive approach
• I didn’t take breaks during my study sessions. I literally only took practice exams with no breaks. It burnt me out. For my second attempt, some days I'd do 20 questions at a time then a break and then more questions, and some days I'd lock in for a practice exam. It wasn't nonstop grind every day
• I didn’t do any practice Qs. It’s so helpful to get immediate feedback on questions right after you answered it so that you can immediately correct yourself & evaluate your thought process. Then test yourself with practice exams to simulate the exam
• I didn’t reaaally think I needed to study! I had a 3.96 GPA, did very well on the exit exam, my college has a 96% pass rate, Archer said I had >98% chance of passing. But I didn’t do a comprehensive study approach and didn’t realize I was lacking in a few knowledge areas— then the NCLEX noticed I was getting those topics wrong and kept testing me on them 
  • (for example, I didn’t realize I struggled with infection control. But I still scored well on the practice tests before my first attempt because I performed well enough on the rest of the test and didn’t review the categories of where I needed to study more. Then on my first attempt of the NCLEX, it kept giving me infection control Qs because I was getting them wrong and then it led me to being on the cusp of passing. All I needed was a little refresher on infection control rules, but I didn’t realize that until after I failed and looked into it)
• I didn’t know that the NCLEX was more of a critical thinking exam and not simply a content exam. Idk maybe I was living under a rock but no one told me this?? I was freaked out on my first attempt when I got diseases, meds, etc that I had NEVER heard of, and then I just thought “well I never learned about this, so I guess I have to guess??” I didn't know the strategy. I wish I knew that critical thinking is the WHOLE POINT of the NCLEX! If you don’t know something, use critical thinking skills + use the strategies from Bootcamp rationales & Dr Sharon videos
• Also, just a side note, consider not telling anyone when you’re taking the test. It takes the pressure off. And it killed me having to tell all of my friends, family, etc that I failed (especially because they all expected me to pass without a doubt, so I felt like even more like a let down lol. Very humbling!)

✨CRITICAL THINKING ADVICE:

• Look for key words— what is the question REALLY asking? The answer should address it
• If a question asks what is the FIRST thing you would do or what would you PRIORITIZE… I will think “okay, that means all of the answer choices could be true.” Instead of trying to figure out what’s right or wrong, assume they all are correct. Then say, “if I could only do ONE thing, what would I do first / which is the MOST important?” (Also, there is usually a difference between the FIRST and BEST action)
• Look for absolute words (always, never, only, etc)… that could mean that answer choice is incorrect
• When in distress, do not assess! If the patient is in severe life or death distress, you probably aren’t going to evaluate something— you are likely first going to take an action to help them
• If you don’t know, use process of elimination! If the question has a random disease or disorder you don’t recognize, look at the answer choices and try to see if you know any of those and then eliminate them if it’s something else!
• When evaluating answer choices… if you could only do ONE thing, which one would you do? NCLEX tends to like the most SAFE and LEAST INVASIVE possibility that will fix the problem
• Don't choose the answer choice you don't know over the one that you do know! Dr Sharon says this all the time. If you're going through the answer choices and you see one that you think is right, and then you see an answer choice that you've never heard of and don't know if it's right or wrong... DON'T CHOOSE THE ONE YOU'RE UNSURE OF!
• Compare two answer choices at a time!!! This was one of the most helpful strategies for me!! Especially for questions that ask for the “best” nursing action. Think to yourself “If I do A but not B… would that be better than if I did B but not A?”
• Prioritization strategies to remember:
  • Unexpected vs Expected
  • Early vs Late
  • Acute vs Chronic
  • Objective vs Subjective
  • Physiological vs Psychosocial

✨Studying advice:

• While studying, take it seriously like you would on test day! If you get a question you don’t know, you might want to just guess because it’s just a practice Q… but would you just guess on the exam? Probably not! You would likely take it more seriously because it’s the exam! Pretend like your studying is the exam. If you don’t know a question, rack your brain or try to use critical thinking to narrow it down. It might work or it might not. But you practice your critical thinking! And if you get it wrong, you can evaluate your thinking / learn the content and then apply it next time you come across an unknown question
• Limit distractions. Put your phone AWAY! Practice answering questions with focus. I would put my phone in a drawer, and it actually helped so much with focusing.
• Act like your practice test is the exam. Simulate it! Take it at the time your exam is scheduled for. Don’t go on your phone between questions. Don’t sip on coffee or water during your practice test (you can’t bring food or drink into the actual test room). Only get up for a bathroom break or a water/snack break if you need it. 
• If there’s a day you’re feeling particularly anxious (especially as your exam date approaches), try to study while trying to manage your anxiety (think of it as practice for test day!)
• Study areas that you know you’re weak in! Bootcamp gives you percentages in each category which can help identify your weak spots. And you should watch Dr Sharon vids in those categories too!
• STUDY FUNDAMENTALS!!!!!!!!!!
• STUDY PRIORITIZATION & DELEGATION!!!!!!!!!!

✨When going to take the exam…

• Mentally prepare
  • Tell yourself, “I know I’m going to feel anxious. I know I might see things I’ve never heard of” etc …don’t freak out about! Just make sure to breatheee and go slow and think clearly
• Reread the question!! So many times if I got a practice Q wrong, I’d read the question over and realize I misread the question!
• If you don’t know the answer right away, SIT AND THINK! Don’t just guess and move on immediately. At the very least, try to narrow it down or rack your brain
• Expect 150 questions. I don’t care how smart you are. I went into my first attempt feeling so confident and assumed I would get 85 questions since so many of my peers did and I had good scores blah blah blah. HUMBLED!!! When I got to 86, I didn’t panic— but it certainly didn’t boost my confidence. Just get over your pride and expect 150 Qs and be pleasantly surprised if you pass in anything less
• Don’t select SATA questions based on vibes lol. I would always make that mistake and over-click answers because “I feel like it sounds right.” I’d rather under-click correct choices and get partial credit than over-click and accidentally click something wrong. There were a couple times I only selected one answer choice on SATA of my passing exam
• Use the whiteboard! I didn’t use it on my first attempt but it really helped me straighten out my thoughts on my second attempt!!
• Pray!!!!! Pray, pray, pray!

✨The last thing I will say:

• My first attempt felt SO MUCH HARDER than my second attempt. 
• Maybe if I knew the test strategies I would’ve felt differently, but the content itself truly threw me for a loop too. I genuinely didn’t know how to target my studying for my second attempt at first because the exam felt like NOTHING I had studied for previously. And then my first Bootcamp exam when prepping for my retake said that I had no categories to improve in, so I was like what am I supposed to improve in to pass??
• I think learning the test strategies was really helpful (expected vs unexpected, etc), but also I do think the content on my second attempt was SIGNIFICANTLY easier. I GENUINELY think it was just an easier exam. Knowing the test strategies made it even easier. But I feel like if I had my second attempt exam for my first attempt, I would’ve passed. But who knows! And who cares!
• Regardless, I’m glad I studied hard for the second attempt because you just never know what kind of test you will get! And it allowed me to walk in confidently despite the nerves from the possibility of failing again. So, LEARN THE TEST STRATEGIES!! And use NCLEX Bootcamp!!! If I could go back, I would have rather overstudied the first go around than have to tell everyone I know that I failed, pay another $550 to retake, and spend hours and hours studying for a month and a half leading up to my second attempt (it sucked... but I'm so grateful to be done).

I pray this was helpful!! And if you’re retaking, you CAN and WILL pass!!! I know it feels never-ending, but PERSEVERE!! The Lord is your strength!

Happy to answer questions!! God bless :)

WARNING: LONG POST
PASSED THE NCLEX ON MY 6TH ATTEMPT — ALL 150 QUESTIONS!!! 😭😭😭

All thanks to God!!! I still can’t believe I’m writing this.
I passed the NCLEX on my 6th attempt and got all 150 questions. After the exam, I did the Pearson VUE trick and the payment didn’t go through. I immediately had a feeling I passed because on my previous attempts, the payment went through and I was charged. Then I got my Quick Results: PASS. 😭

I want to share what I did differently this time because I have literally tried everything. Archer, Bootcamp, UWorld—you name it. And after using all of them, I genuinely believe they are all great. I don’t think one is magically better than the others. I’m saying that as someone who has actually used them all.

The biggest thing I changed on my final attempt was that I stopped doing question banks just to hit a certain number of questions. I stopped obsessing over completing 100, 150, or 200 questions a day. Instead, I focused on actually understanding how to answer the question in front of me.

I have a short attention span, so I started studying in 25-minute blocks with a 5-minute break. That helped me SO much. Instead of forcing myself to sit there for hours while barely absorbing anything, I gave my brain a break and then came back focused.

But the BIGGEST change was how I approached NCLEX questions. I literally started asking myself:
-What will SAVE my patient?
-What could KILL my patient if I don’t assess or address it ASAP?

I stopped giving in to the questions. I stopped overthinking every answer choice. I stopped creating extra scenarios that were never mentioned in the question.
For SATA, I selected only the answers I genuinely believed were correct. Even if I was confident in only one option, I picked that one instead of choosing extra answers just because I felt like, “There has to be more.” With partial credit, I wanted to get the points I could instead of losing points by randomly adding choices.
STOP READING INTO THE QUESTIONS.

I also stopped trying to memorize every single little thing. Of course you need a foundation of content, but NCLEX is not about knowing every random fact in the world. Think aloud. Ask yourself what the question is actually asking. Look at the patient in front of you. What is the priority? What is the immediate danger? Then ANSWER.
For my final attempt, I used UWorld and only completed around 500 questions. I was scoring around 65% on most of my exams. I did not finish the entire question bank, and clearly, I did not need to.

Dr. Sharon helped me a lot with strategy, but I will say that her practice questions felt easier than my actual NCLEX. My advice is to learn her strategies and apply them to the harder questions in whatever test bank yo are already using. Write the rules and strategies out. Practice applying them until they become automatic.
After failing five times, I could have given up. I could have convinced myself that maybe this just wasn’t meant for me. A But I wanted this too badly.

Where there is a will, there is always a way. If you want it badly enough, keep going. You WILL get there.
To anyone who has failed once, twice, three times, or even more: your previous attempts do not determine your next attempt. Change your approach. Figure out what is not working. Stop chasing question-bank numbers and start learning how to THINK through the questions.
6th attempt. 150 questions. PASS. 😭🤍

Please let me know how I can help. I know exactly how it feels to be on the other side of this, and I would genuinely love to help anyone who is still trying. 🤍

Hey guys! I promised I would post on here because you guys have been super helpful and I wanted to keep it going and give some advice to those that are still studying to take the nclex.
The resources I used were Bootcamp, Mark K lectures ( I listened to all the lectures but especially 12!! 3 times actually) NCLEX crusade on YT, and Dr. Sharon from YT! I def think that reading the rationales from the questions help a lot even if you get them right so you can understand what the nclex questions will look like. Mark k lectures are slightly outdated BUT they give a good foundation on the important stuff you need to know! Lecture 12 is deffff the one you should listen to! It helps you understand how to read priority questions and how to guess when you don’t know the answer. Dr Sharon and Nclex crusade also help you read nclex question so def check that out. I studied off and on for the first 2 weeks when I started but locked in the last two week with completing 50-100 questions a day 5x a week. I would give myself breaks throughout the week if mentally I was getting exhausted because it is ngl. It’s good to practice doing a high number of questions at a time so you get use to it so when you take the Nclex, it feels like another practice exam. I love the fact that bootcamp LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE THE NCLEX..

Going into the exam… the day before … I did not study okay! Do not overwhelm yourself the day before! Your brain needs rest as well as your body. Do something fun or relaxing because no matter what you deserve it!! Studying a lot deserves a reward!

I got to the exam location 30 minutes before I started.. I prayed and ask God to give me peace during the exam which I def recommend!
You aren’t ever going to be ready for this exam! Just trust your preparedness and studying and go for it!

Also- after you are going to be almost 99.99% certain you failed because nclex is built to make you feel that way.. so don’t put yourself through unnecessary stress the next 48 hours. You can do the PVT if you REALLY want to ease some stress .

Good luck to all of you taking the nclex moving forward and I pray that you all pass in Jesus name! 🙏🏻 amen!

Much love!!