Tackling NCLEX Test Day

By -
You've been working towards a goal for at least 2 years, and the day you are going to achieve that goal is finally here! It's finally time to take your NCLEX-RN exam to become a Registered Nurse! Congratulations on making it to this point! But now it's time to make your testing day be the best, most successful day it can be.

Tackling NCLEX Test Day

1. The night before

Test day preparation really starts the day before. The night before your scheduled NCLEX it's important to get good sleep. Plan ahead so you aren't scheduled to work the night before and don't have anything scheduled late in the evening. Eat a healthy dinner (or enjoy your favorite comfort food - there's no judging here!). Put away all your NCLEX study materials - you've done the work, and you're ready! Find a way to relax and go to bed at a time that will allow you to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep. Some test takers need to get away from distractions at home and book a hotel room for the night before. And if your hotel room happens to have a hot tub, that's a perfect way to escape the distractions and stress!

But here's my big advice for the night before. If you don't pay attention to anything else on this page, please follow this advice : SET 2 ALARMS!!! This is not a time you want to accidentally set an alarm wrong or turn it off without waking up. Just set 2 alarms and put one across the room if you're prone to hitting snooze or turning them off.

2. Testing day

Feed your brain - Start your day off right by eating a healthy breakfast to fuel your body and brain! It can be tempting to skip breakfast if you're nervous and experiencing "butterflies", but your body needs breakfast. If you're usually a coffee drinker, be sure to drink your morning coffee so you don't end up with the all-too-familiar coffee withdrawal headache! Protein in your breakfast is helpful to keep your energy up during the test. Avoid a high sugar breakfast so you don't experience the "sugar crash" while taking your test. Consider packing a protein bar or a quick snack and bottle of water to provide a little pick-me-up during a test break.

Get some exercise - If you have time before your scheduled testing time, taking a short walk or run can help ease some nerves and clear your mind. This isn't the time to start training for the half-marathon, just a gentle walk can make a big difference. Maybe your testing appointment is at 8:00 am, and you don't want to get up early enough for a walk/run. Instead, try a few jumping jacks or even some good stretches before entering the testing center.

Dress comfortably - Remember, you could be sitting at a computer for up to 5 hours (5 hours is the maximum allowed time - the average testing time for the NCLEX-RN is 2 hours, 14 minutes1), so you want to be comfortable. Hats, scarves, gloves, and coats are not allowed into the testing room.

3. At the testing center

To check in at the testing center, you MUST HAVE an acceptable form of identification. This is super important to remember - you will NOT be allowed to take the NCLEX if you do not have acceptable identification. ID must be government-issued, current, and have a recent photograph and signature. Forms of ID that meet these requirements in the U.S. and Canada accept are:

Passport (book or card)
Driver's license
Provincial/territorial or state-issued identification card
Permanent residence card
Military identification card

For international test centers, including Puerto Rico, passport books and cards are the only acceptable identification forms. 2

Your first and last name on your Authorization to Test (ATT) MUST MATCH EXACTLY the first and last name on your identification. If you have a legal name- change, you must bring an original copy of your marriage license or divorce decree and/or court documents showing a legal name change.

As you check in, you will go through a process of obtaining biometrics, including taking your picture, a palm vein scan, and your signature. You will be asked to store any electronic devices (including phones and smart watches) and any other personal belongings. 2

4. Test time!

Once you are called into the testing room, you will be provided with an erasable note board, and you may request earplugs from the test administrator (TA). The TA will ensure your test is ready to go on the computer and your time will start. After 2 hours, you will be offered an optional break and another optional break after 31/2 hours. If you need an additional break, you can summon the TA, but remember that all breaks count against your 5- hour time limit. To take a break, you must leave the testing room and will be asked to do a palm vein scan before your break and when you return.

Once you start your exam, it's time to apply all the hard work you've done from in your nursing program and your studying. Use your critical thinking skills, andskills and select the BEST answer. Peterson's Master the NCLEX-RN advises that you should read and review the scenario in the question and then ask yourself:

  • What exactly am I being asked to do?
  • Where am I in the nursing process?
  • At what level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs is the client?
  • What is developmentally appropriate for the client?
  • Is there a safety component?

Working through those questions will help you identify the answer to a lot of questions. Additionally, Peterson's reminds NCLEX takers to "always prioritize the client before a task!"! 3

5. After the test

It can be tempting to go home and look up all the questions you think you missed or to guess whether you passed or failed based on the number of questions you received- don't do this! You can pass or fail at 75 questions, and you can pass or fail at 145 questions, so you cannot determine your pass/fail from how many questions you answered. Your rest results are not available immediately so you might as well find a good distraction for the next couple of days! Go treat yourself to a fancy coffee drink, a soda, or some ice cream (or an adult beverage- again, there's no judging here!)

References

1 (2020). 2019 NCLEX Exam Statistics. Retrieved February 18, 2022, from https://www.ncsbn.org/2019_NCLEXExamStats.pdf.

2 NCSBN. (2022). Exam day. NCSBN. Retrieved February 18, 2022, from https://www.ncsbn.org/exam-day.htm

3   Peterson's. (2019). Chapter 1. In Master the NCLEX-RN (p. 7).

Do you want to face your NCLEX exam day? Choose EduMind's NCLEX RN exam prep course to pass your exam in first try!

About the Author: Lana Wilkins, MSN, BSN, RN

Lana Wilkins is a Registered Nurse with over 16 years of professional nursing. She is a nursing educator, consultant, Subject Matter Expert, and writer with a passion for helping students and new nurses. She holds a B.S. in Nursing from the University of Oklahoma and a M.S. in Nursing Education from Western Governors University. Outside of the world of nursing she can be found managing the chaos of 2 kids, a husband, and a cat, being crafty, or spending time with friends.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pick Wisely Your Project Management Methodologies

By -
Image
"Project Success is in the delivery of a Project Output that meets Clients expectation with Maximized Efforts" "Victory is ensured for well-matched project management methodology and the right type of Project" A Project is a collection of activities like planning, executing, implementing and monitoring for an expected outcome. Project Managers who handle all the various activities to provide the clients' required output is called Project Management. Project Managers plan, assign, execute, monitor and document the various stages and are responsible for making sure that all this is done without any hindrance. While they are managing a project there are a lot of methodologies that can be used. Here are some popular and not popular methodologies that Project Managers can use in their business practices. Project Methodologies Project Management practices has a few common project management methodologies which is known in the business circles. ...
Read more

Managing Conflict in a Project Team

By -
Image
"Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means" "Be quick to resolve conflicts before they mature to become wars. The energetic crocodile was once a delicate egg!" - Israelmore Ayivor, The Great Hand Book of Quotes Conflict may be defined as a difference of opinions and actions that prevent smooth functioning of a project. Conflict may occur due to a lot of reasons. We human beings are not similar to each other, and just as our fingerprints are unique our thoughts and actions are also unique and different. These differences can lead to conflict. Table of Contents 1. Insufficient Resources 2. Differing Priorities 3. Different Working Styles 4. Methods and Techniques to Reduce Conflict 1. Insufficient Resources: Sometimes the cause of conflict may be du...
Read more

Ways to Improve Efficiency - Time and Motion Study

By -
Image
"The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency." - Bill Gates "Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things." - Peter Drucker The term "efficiency" gained popularity in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The Time and Motion Study was used to find ways of improving efficiency at work. Time and motion study help in reducing and controlling costs, improving working conditions, and motivating people. The Time study was developed by Frederick Taylor. The Motion study was developed by Lillian Gilbreth and her husband Frank Gilbreth. It is interesting to note that Lillian Gilbreth is known as the first woman engineer and also as the mother of modern management. The Time study involves the continuous observation of the task with a timekeeping...
Read more