NCLEX Exam Tips

Before the NCLEX Exam:

• Organize a study plan for yourself and stick with it for at least several months before the NCLEX exam.



• Organize a study group with some of your classmates. Be careful, however, not to let the study group slow your progress down.



• Become familiar with the different parts of a test question.
  1. Background Statement: A brief statement that describes the situation. This statement may or may not offer any information that will assist you in finding the correct answer.
  
  
  
  2. Stem: The question or statement that contains the actual problem portion of the question.
  
  
  
  3. Options: The list of possible answers.
  
  
  
  4. Correct Answer: This one's self explanatory...right?
  
  
  
  5. Distractors: The incorrect options that try to steal your attention from the correct answer.


• Answer as many practice questions as possible in the months prior to taking the NCLEX exam. The more practice you get, the better you will do.
  
• Make flash cards and keep them with you at all times. When you have spare time, review your flash cards.
  
  
• Spend extra time studying any topics that are hard to understand.


• When you are doing practice questions, mark the ones that you get incorrect. This will allow you to review them later.
  
  
• Don't cram the night before the NCLEX exam. Cramming is not usually helpful.


• Be prepared. Know where the testing location is prior to going to take the NCLEX exam.
  
• Be prepared. Have your identification and exam admission ticket in a secure location prior to going to take the NCLEX exam.
  
  
• Get a good nights sleep on the night before the NCLEX exam so you will be well rested

NCLEX Exam Day:

• Eat a good breakfast on the day of the exam.



• Wear comfortable clothes to take the NCLEX exam.


• Arrive early to the NCLEX exam site, but don't study when you get there. Use this time to relax.
  
  
• Relax during breaks; try to focus on something other than the NCLEX exam.



• Completely read the question before reading any of the choices.



• If more than one option seems correct, re-read the entire question.


• If a question doesn't make sense, try rewording it in your own words.
  
• Pay close attention to bold or italicized words in the question. These usually give some clue as to the correct answer.
  
• Before answering the question, try to identify what the question is asking. Is the question asking for nursing interventions, medical interventions, patient symptoms, family responses, etc.?
  
  
• You're not allowed to go back to a previous question... so answer carefully.



• As with any test, on the NCLEX exam it's generally not a good idea to change your mind about an answer.



• Plan on using all five of the allotted hours for taking your test.



• The NCLEX exam is computerized and consists of between 75 & 265 questions. Don't worry about how many questions it gives you before the computer cuts off, that gives no indication as to whether you are passing or failing. Source: nursingstudy