First, let me preface by saying I am in no way shape or form bragging. Whether you pass the NCLEX in 75 questions or 200 questions, or if you pass on your first try or second try, it doesn’t matter as long as you pass, right! I am just here to share my journey of what I did, how I did it and my outcome as a result. So lets get into it!
The first study tool that I used to help me pass the NCLEX was the Sanders Comprehensive NCLEX-RN Examination book. I believe they are now on the 9th edition for both the RN (Registered nurse) and PN (Practical nurse) versions. I cannot say enough good things about this book. It is comprehensive so not only does it have practice questions, it also has content review which is super helpful. This book is pretty much a catch all, so instead of having to lug around 2-3 nursing books while studying for the NCLEX, you just need this paperback and maybe your notes from class. Don’t get me wrong, this book is still pretty hefty, but manageable. Or, If you prefer ebooks they have that option for purchase well on Amazon. Me personally, I like to highlight content in the book and make handwritten notes so the paperback was what I went with. Again, what works for me wont necessarily work for you. Use these tips as a guide not an end all be all.
The Sanders book has 19 units and 70 chapters. It has more than 5700 questions, 1000 of those being just pharmacology questions! The type of questions include:
- Fill-in-the-blank questions
- Multiple-response questions
- Prioritizing questions
- Figure/illustration questions
- And so much more!
The second study tool that I used to help me pass the NCLEX, was the UWorld question bank. UWorld was my life for the 2-3 months before I took the NCLEX. I last used UWorld in 2016 so I’m sure so much has changed but it is still, in my opinion, a must have when studying for the NCLEX. According to their website, they have over 4550+ practice questions. They also have test prep for the NCLEX- RN, NCLEX- PN, FNP and Clinical medication math. Also, they just rolled out adaptive NCLEX test questions, which is the actual strategy the NCLEX uses while you are taking the test.
The third and final tool that was helpful to me while taking the NCLEX was the test plan. Yup, the test plan! Sounds very simple I know but, it helped to guide my studying. It also gives section by section percentages so you know what sections are more important to focus heavily on and which are not so important.