Nursing students must pass the NCLEX® (National Council Licensure Examination) to receive their nursing license. In short, the NCLEX® stands between you and your ability to be a licensed nurse. Now, the great news is that you can retake it if you don’t pass the first time. But the Picmonic crew is positive that with the right prep, you can definitely pass the first time. Plus, we don’t want you to suffer the ego hit of not passing the NCLEX® on the first try or waste your time and money on a second test. So we compiled all the reasons nursing students don’t pass the NCLEX®, so you can avoid such a fate and learn how to pass the NCLEX® on your first try.

Get in the Right Frame of Mind

First of all, don’t view the NCLEX® as an obstacle. This will only increase your anxiety over this challenging test. Instead, look at it as an opportunity. This is your opportunity to show yourself – and the nursing community – what you know. And the time and study you put into preparing for the NCLEX® will make you a better, more qualified nurse.

The Most Common Reason for Failing the NCLEX®

You may have aced all your exams in nursing school, so you should be totally prepared for the NCLEX®, right? Wrong. Many nursing students expect the NCLEX® to mirror their tests in nursing school, and that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Unlike nursing school exams, which test for knowledge, the NCLEX® tests your ability to apply and analyze situations using the nursing knowledge you gained in school. Your critical thinking skills will be tested, and questions will require you to make the kind of nursing judgements you’ll face in the real world.

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The Shocking Truth aboutPassing the NCLEX®

Here’s a sample question to show you what we mean (we got this sample question from our free Question of the Day.)

(Find the answer at the end of this PDF)

NCLEX® Exam Format

Another thing that some nursing students confuse is what to expect for the test. Unlike most other certification qualifying tests, the NCLEX® requires everyone to answer a minimum of 75 questions to a maximum of 265 questions. Additionally, you will be given 15 experimental questions; these are being tested by exam administrators to possibly use on future exams.

You have a maximum of 6 hours to complete the exam, meaning if you are required to answer all 265 questions, you will only have an average of 1 minute and 21 seconds to complete each question.

Many nursing students make the mistake of preparing only for the minimum 75 questions. In your test exam prep, you must subject yourself to practice rounds with more than 75 questions. Otherwise, you may lack the mental fortitude to concentrate for the 6 hours the exam may last.

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A 22-year-old woman is brought into the ER by her friends who told you she collapsed at a nightclub. They tell you she took some MDMA, and you suspect an amphetamine overdose. What symptoms would you expect to see? Select all that apply.

1. Mydriasis 2. Tachycardia 3. Hypotension 4. Seizures 5. Hypothermia

AmphetamineAmp-feet

Watch our “How to Dominate ‘Select All That

Apply’ Questions Webinar”

Your exam ends only when:

1. You have demonstrated minimum competency and answered the minimum number of questions (75) OR

2. You have demonstrated a lack of minimum competency and answered the minimum number of questions (75) OR

3. You have answered the maximum number of questions (265) OR

4. You have used the maximum time allowed (6 hours).

Remember, you can answer any number of questions between 75 and 265, and it could be a pass or fail. Don't get discouraged while taking your exam if you get more questions than you thought you would! We know people who've answered 265 questions and ended up passing. The important thing is to stick with it.

Active vs. Passive Studying

A mistake many nursing students make is assuming that any kind of studying is worthwhile. Instead, you should strive to make every moment of study count. Simply setting a goal for a number of hours to study each week isn’t enough. You need to make sure you’re actively studying, a method proven to be more effective than passive studying. Passive studying, while it has its purpose, is not the most effective method for people who have to master large quantities of information – such as nursing students. Active studying means you’re engaged in the study materials. Here are some examples of passive vs. active studying:

Passive: Copying notes as they are writtenActive: Rewriting notes in your own wordsPassive: Sticking to one study methodActive: Using more than one method of learning, such as Picmonic’s audiovisual study cardsPassive: Rote memorization of factsActive: Prove to yourself you’ve mastered the material by teaching it to someone else

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Other forms of active studying include self-testing and creating flowcharts of related concepts. Kaplan recommends choosing a formal preparation method for your studying, rather than just preparing for the test on your own. There are many ways to diversify your study methods and make your study time more deliberate, including:

• Taking practice exams • Studying with Picmonic’s proven mnemonic cards • Quizzing other students • Divvying up topics among other students and “teaching” them to one another • Describing complex procedures to someone outside the medical field – if you can translate an intricate topic into common language, you have mastered it.

Expect the Best

Learn the shocking truth about passing the NCLEX® exam with six simple steps. Remember how Eeyore was always expecting his house to fall on him? Remember how it always did?

This is a simple concept, but it’s one that nursing students have a tendency to lose sight of in the stress and anxiety of a career-defining exam: Believe you are going to pass. Don’t expect the exam to be easy. Don’t expect to ace it without studying. Don’t expect to be cool as a cucumber for the whole test. Expect the exam to be challenging, and prepare as such. But do expect to pass.

More than just expect, you should visualize it. Picture yourself as a registered nurse. See yourself helping people, being the face they turn to when they’re scared and sick, being the comfort and the beacon of hope for patients. See yourself supporting doctors and other medical providers and knowing you’re making a difference every day.

On the days when all you seem to see or do or think about is studying for the exam, take a few minutes to focus on what it’s really all about: your valuable career as a nurse. Make this mini meditation a practice, and you might even find yourself doing it during the exam to calm any test anxiety.

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Picmonic Can Help

Picmonic nursing content is designed by actual medical providers and then rated by nursing students who have taken the NCLEX®.

Then, it’s organized! Lack of organization during studying is another reason nursing students don’t pass the NCLEX® the first time.

Much of the Picmonic team is comprised of medical students and providers and we know the importance of organized study materials. That’s why Picmonic incorporates settings to allow you to organize your study cards by topic, search for an exact card by keyword, and create a custom playlist of topics you want to focus on. You can also add notes to study cards, and you can rate your level of confidence for each Picmonic, so you know what ones to come back to for another round.

Check out Picmonic for Nursing, and learn how this researched backed study system can help you remember information and retain it for longer in order to ace your NCLEX® exam and be the best possible nurse.

Picmonic also has a Pass the NCLEX® Guarantee! If you do not pass your NCLEX® within 1 year of your Picmonic subscription expiration date, we’ll hook you up with a full refund or double the length of your access free. Click here to learn more.

P.S. - The correct answer to the question earlier is 1, 2, and 4.

Here’s why: Amphetamines are central nervous system stimulants. Characteristics of amphetamine intoxication may include mydriasis, tachycardi,a and seizures. Hypotension and hypothermia would not be symptoms you'd expect to see with amphetamine overdose.

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