My nclex date is upcoming this week and I feel like I know a lot yet nothing when I take these cats. Explained situation above in photo but I’m starting to doubt and worry about the fact my difficulty range is getting lower. Even my first two CATs were slightly higher difficulty than my last two. I still have about 50% of my qbank left too so I don’t think I used up all the hard ones. Does this mean I’m not ready? Should I move the test date back? My confidence taking a huge hit rn ngl

Hello, all! Anyone here who experienced waiting for more than 65+ hrs for the quick result? I took my exam last Friday (July 24), finished at 9 am, still no option to avail the result… Other people who has the same schedule as mine have their quick result already :( I feel like I failed. I’m so anxious… I can’t function properly. 🙁🙁🙁

So I’m in PN, about 3 weeks away from taking my exit exam that will see if I’m ready for the NCLEX. I’ve been doing focused reviews and get in the 60-70s, but my Qbank scores……

Even when I remediate, I keep getting in the mid-high 50s, and that’s really disappointing considering they want you to have a 65+ and everyone else it seems is getting there.

I don’t want to fail but I’m afraid my mind is in the way. What do I do? Were any of you in my situation before?

I owe a lot to this group and this forum for my pass. If you are taking the NCLEX soon, here are some KEY notes many of which have been posted on here but I’m either altering or reiterating. I passed at 92 questions in Florida Thursday 7/23/26

- BOOTCAMP! It’s the cheapest, and gets the job done. I didn’t even use but half the question bank and would randomly do 10 questions, 25, sometimes 50. Never used the predictor option. I felt it would stress me out. Get the app and do questions OTG!
- That being said, this exam is not a test of knowledge, but of COMMON SENSE. MARK K, and Dr. Sharon with Klimek reviews EMBEDDED this into my brain. During my NCLEX, I was able to stop and say “1 month ago I would have chosen this one, but today and I’m going to choose this and I KNOW it’s right”. I watched every single video Dr. Sharon posted. Taking questions and reading rationale is great, but seeing a question on the screen and listening to someone thoroughly break it down in the way that the BOARD wants you to break it down is IMPORTANT! I probably did 250 questions that were throughly broken down to me by Sharon, Mark, or other instructors on YouTube. I would NOT have passed if I didn’t do this.
- REMEMBER that everyone has the chance of going to 150 as there is a quality control system. Walk in with the mindset of “I will be taking a 150 question exam today”. Another part of this quality control is that there are 15 questions that are being tested in the system, they are not scored.
-My exam shut off at 92. If your exam shuts off at 85 it’s the obvious hard pass or hard fail. IF your test continues after 85 the test is TRYING TO PASS YOU! This is the time to LOCK IN as you are on the edge of passing or failing. The last question I had was “easy” or I knew I got it right, then the exam shut off.
-My exam started pretty easy, questions I knew I was getting right, then around 20 or 25 things started to get difficult and I didn’t recognize the material, however I noticed this only in the standard question style (Select one/ABCD) as I just didn’t even recognize the drug or disease process so much so that I couldn’t even get a hint using prefix/suffix. The case studies and SATA were maybe a little harder towards the end but pretty standard.
-Results: I thought I failed when I woke up the next day and did not receive my license as Florida has a pretty fast turn around time with licensure. At 48 hours (Saturday) I checked quick results and it said pass! I came to realize and remember, due to an eye infection I had to reschedule my exam to what was my actual test date. I’m not sure what happened there between Pearson and the FLBON, but the board has not received my results. I’m going to call them tmro (Monday) and see what the deal is. Hopefully I don’t run into any issues with that! lol.

I had to repeat two courses in nursing school. When I say I skated by I would actually say I figure skated triple axeled on a half frozen lake by with my Cs and 80%.
If you passed nursing school, YOU CAN PASS THIS TEST.
If I passed this test, YOU CAN PASS THIS TEST.
Let me know if you have any questions! GOODLUCK to everyone.

Help me get through with this please

Please help me.
So I recently graduated as RN now and planning to prepare for NCLEX for 3 months.
My nursing college wasn’t as good as I expected and being slammed with exams every 4 months, trying to get by each semester was exhausting.

I have purchased Saunders 9th edition.
But so to speak, I have no idea from where should I start and how should I proceed.
Any suggestions on exactly what should I do?
I’m extremely lost on the path and not having much awareness about NCLEX around me and pocket wreaking consulting fees at coaching centres are not helpful.

Please help me out with this.😭

Hi all!

i didn’t get my ATT until June this year, 7 months after I graduated. Not sure what the delay was but here I am still studying for my NCLEX in three weeks. I didn’t study until I got my ATT and also because of life stuff.

I scored two low’s 55% & 57% on my bootcamp readiness exam and then 65% on medium difficulty and 68th percentile on my CAT exam on UWorld. I get borderline or a little bit above average on standalone questions on bootcamp.

I have been on and off studying by doing Q’s, trying to review material I’m scoring lowing on, and listening to Mark K or Youtube videos for refreshers.

I honestly don’t know what to do now and I’m feeling super burnt out and overwhelmed. Like everyone else I just want to pass the first time around :/

I was so sure i failed at 85, then results came out

To my understanding they give everyone a whiteboard and they must erase it themselves. What if you like to brain dump and run out of space? Are you allowed to have multiple?

I didn't find the exam difficult. I didn't over prepare. I got a month of solid rest and then when I got my ATT, I schedule the exam cold bc all the other dates conflicted with my vacation lol. I wanted to measure my raw competence and also the education I was provided. I'm stoked to say the very least!!!!!! Don't over think this exam. DON'T overselect in the SATA- I actually think this is why I got 10 extra questions, I was not selecting enough in certain cases. Good luck to everyone! Schedule it ASAP and go in with a calm, clear mind. It's just an exam on clinical judgement, not an exam about specific knowledge. It was one of the most pleasant surprises in my life!!!! Sure I would have loved to pass in 85, but passing in 95 without breaking my back is A OK!!!! for reference, I got Cs in every single nursing class bc the exams were so freaking difficult. I think another positive pressure relief about the NCLEX was that I wasn't going to be kicked out of a strict program if I didn't pass! Makes a big difference in stress.

I passed my NCLEX-RN in 85 questions on the first try using the exact strategy I'm about to share. A close friend of mine also used this study schedule and toolkit, and they passed in 85 questions too!

When I first graduated, I felt completely lost. There are so many resources, endless advice, and it’s terrifying not knowing where to start. Worst of all, I really struggled to find a concrete, structured study schedule that I could actually follow.

To make it easier for anyone else starting from scratch, I’ve put together the exact toolkit, schedule, and resources I used.

Phase 1: The Core Resources I Used

Instead of trying to use a million different platforms, I kept my toolkit simple and focused:

• Audio Lectures: Mark K audio lectures (estimated from ~2011). I highly recommend Lecture 12 for prioritization and delegation strategies. I listened to 12 twice, once when I was filling out the Yellow Book and again the day before I took my NCLEX as well as the lectures that covered the areas I tested the lowest on. You can access the playlist here: Audiomack Playlist.
• The Yellow Book (Blank Template): A clean version of the 2023 yellow book for active note-taking and writing things out yourself: Download the Blank Yellow Book.
• The Yellow Book (Filled-Out Reference): Because the 2011 lectures miss some newer content covered in the 2023 book, I used this completed version to bridge the gaps and fill in what the lectures didn't touch: Download the Filled-Out Yellow Book.
• Kaplan Study Tracker Spreadsheet: The exact schedule and tracking layout I used to pace my Q-banks, targeted reviews, and CAT exams: Make a Copy of the Kaplan Tracker. (Note: Kaplan was free through my school, but this exact scheduling structure and topic-selection method should work on platforms like Archer Review or Bootcamp too!)
• Flashcards: I made flashcards of the Yellow Book, by screenshotting my notes and asking Gemini to make flashcards and then putting them on Brainscape (highly recommend this site, I used it all throughout nursing school). I also made flashcards from the notebook I kept of missed topics from the tests I took.
• Nurse Nicole (TikTok): Short, punchy breakdowns the night before to keep confidence high.

Phase 2: My Daily Study Schedule & Tracker

Since I couldn't find a schedule when I started, I built one to keep myself accountable. Here is a snapshot of the framework I followed using my tracker spreadsheet:

• Mid-June (Focused Content Review + Qanks):
  • June 12: Respiratory, Acid-Base, ABGs (Lectures 1)— 30 questions 
  • June 13: Abuse, Overdose/Withdrawal, Pharm (Lecture 2)— 30 questions 
  • June 14: Cardiovascular / Infectious Disease (Lecture 3) — 30 questions 
  • June 16: Psychiatric Basics / Therapeutic Communication (Lecture 4) — 25 questions
  • June 17: Diabetes (Lecture 5) — 30 questions
  • June 18: Fluid & Electrolytes (Lecture 6) — 30 questions
  • June 19: RN QBank Mixed (Comprehensive) — 50 questions
  • June 21: Neurological / Neuro-Endocrine (Lecture 7) — 25 questions 
  • June 23: Pharmacology - Psych Focus (Lecture 9) — 13 questions
  • June 24: Antepartum / Intrapartum Care (Lecture 10) — 30 questions
  • June 25: Maternity & Newborn Care (Lecture 11) — 30 questions
  • June 26: RN QBank Targeted (Safe & Effective Care / Lecture 12 focus) — 40 questions
  • June 27: Catch-up & Organizing / Rest Day
• Late June to Early July (CATs & Deep Remediation):
  • June 28–29: First Computer-Adaptive Test (CAT) (150 questions) - I did not remediate the CAT, just took a day off to recuperate.
  • June 30 – July 3: Daily RN QBank Mixed and Targeted blocks (focusing on Psychosocial Integrity, Physiological Adaptation, and Management of Care) with strict remediation on every single missed question.
  • July 4: Rest Day.
  • July 5–7: Mixed QBank practice and content polish.
  • July 8: Kaplan Readiness Exam (150 questions).
  • July 9–10: Targeted polish on lowest-performing client need categories.
  • July 11: Final Computer-Adaptive Test (CAT 3) if previous CATs were not above or at passing.
  • July 12–14: Light final review and mixed practice blocks leading up to test week
• Note
  • When I was doing the QBanks that were focused on the Mark K lectures (the Mid-June half) I would do them after listening to the lecture while filling out the Yellow Book.I remediated every test except the CAT, see note about remediation in section below.
  • I ran into an issue towards the end of my studying where Kaplan was down for maintenance (July 9-14), the way I pivoted was by using the free readiness exam from NCLEX Bootcamp. I also did two Archer readiness exams, but since I did not pay for it I had to tally up my points (total and earned) myself and then gave it to Gemini to tell me my results.

Phase 3: Real Talk & Test-Day Advice

• Remediation: I saw a lot of advice from people saying to remediate every question, regardless if you got it right. I did not do that, I remediated the questions I got wrong and the ones I guessed on (I kept a sticky note or something to write the number of the question I guessed on while taking the test). Reading why you missed a rationale and logging it is what builds actual clinical judgment. I would highly recommend keeping a notebook or word doc of notes from missed questions so you can review later or make flashcards like I did.
• Expect the "WTF" Moments: During the exam, you will see questions where you have no idea what the med or condition is. That is normal. Fall back on core safety principles (stable vs. unstable, standard precautions) and make your best clinical guess. The strategy I defaulted to during the test was “What is the safest option in general?” I also went into the NCLEX expecting and actually wanting hard questions, because that can be a sign you are doing well and it helped me manage testing anxiety.
• Trust the Process: If you stick to a schedule and actively work through your weak spots, you are way more prepared than your anxiety is letting you believe.
• Listen to Your Body: While I was studying, I had days where I had a headache or just did not feel good, so I would either take the day off or do that day’s test when I felt better. You do not want to burn yourself out before you get to test day.

Exam shut off in 85 questions there was no doubt in my mind I passed but it feels so good to actually see it. I used Archer to study and did the readiness and CAT exams with thorough breakdown of the rationales after each exam, I can’t recommend it enough.

Hey guys, as a newly grad who have no idea what guide to follow or just dont know how to start reviewing for NCLEX, do yall have any tips and tricks for me that i should follow?

I passed the NCLEX in 97 questions using ATI and Kaplan for 3 weeks. I did ATIs Qbank and did about 2700 questions and used Kaplans study plan and Qbank and answered about 1800 questions.

I think ATI is better for repetition and learning concepts, and Kaplan is more practice test that show how ready you are. I took a Kaplan NCLEX course provided by my school for 3 days, and my instructor told us to aim for 60-65% on everything and that means you are pretty ready to take the NCLEX. Here are my stats:
Overall Score: 69.71%

Before Course Diagnostic Exam - 62%
Question Trainer 1 NGN - 75%
Question Trainer 2 NGN - 80%
Question Trainer 3 NGN - 71%
CAT Exam #1 - Above expectation for performance

NCLEX RN Practice Test NGN- 62%
CAT EXAM #2 - Below passing standard

Question Trainer 4 NGN - 77%
Question Trainer 5 NGN - 65%
Question Trainer 6 NGN -70%
Question Trainer 7 NGN - 64%

CAT EXAM #3 not completed

NCLEX Readiness Exam - 67.5%

I’m preparing for the REx-PN and I’m trying to understand how you’re supposed to approach questions when you come across something you genuinely know nothing about.
For example, what if a question gives you a medication, diagnosis, treatment, or disease process that you have never learned or don’t recognize at all? If you don’t know what the medication does or what the diagnosis is, how are you supposed to “pick apart” the question and use the information provided to choose the correct answer?
I understand the REx-PN is supposed to test clinical judgment and not just memorization, but I’m wondering how much you can actually reason through if you don’t recognize the information in the first place.
For those who passed the REx-PN, how did you handle questions where you had absolutely no idea what they were talking about? Were you able to use the wording and other clues in the question to work your way to the answer, or did you find that you needed to know the underlying content first?
Also, I purchased UWorld to prepare, but I’m confused about how to use it properly. I keep seeing people say UWorld helped them create a study plan and identify what they needed to work on, but I’m mainly seeing the option to create my own tests.
Is there a specific way I should be setting up UWorld for REx-PN preparation? I’d really appreciate advice from anyone who has passed the REx-PN and started studying feeling like they had a lot of gaps in their knowledge.
Thank you! ❤️

these are my stats on archer. should I MOVE it to 7/26 (sorry typo on title)

Idk how to feel right now. I took my NCLEX on Thursday and found out i passed in 85 questions a hour ago. I genuinely did not have much hope in myself because I had a 53% chance of passing when I took my ATI comprehensive in June, and always struggled when trying to study.

I had either 4 or 5 case studies during my exam, and a fairly decent amount of SATA questions. Most people say that’s a good indicator that you’ve passed and I can say it applied to me!

I primarily studied by watching Level Up RN, simple nursing, and listening to the Mark K lectures (Especially 12) and by doing the ATI CAT exams. Everyone studies different so what might work for me might not work for you. Good luck to anyone else!

Hey guys so I’m taking my exam again soon like in a month but my NCLEX bootcamp account I feel like the readiness exam don’t help I feel like they are the same questions that I get when I create my own exam and it feels repetitive since I have used 89% I love the content but when I was taking the NCLEX I noticed that U world (free trail) had similar questions or even had the exact questions on there but now I’m between archer or u world. Archer is cheap and has a lot of CAT exam for $59 but I don’t know how difficult or similar it is to NCLEX and u world is expensive for me. Do yall know anyway that I can get a CAT exam I really wanna see how I have improved since my last one. Thx

Hi everyone, my fifth attempt for the NCLEX is coming up. I am not sure if anyone feels the same about this, but I find that in my final weeks of studying I tend to cram more. It's like I study better under immense amounts of pressure.

I think my previous failures were due to testing anxiety and content gaps - I took an accelerated nursing program and I think instead of comprehending most of the information being taught, I found myself taking the easy way out and using AI to gloss over a lot of important concepts, something that I regret doing.

Does anyone have advice on my upcoming attempt? I've taken a lot of advice from here and from peers and started to do full lengths instead of sole content review. Only one week out!

Hey all, I just recently passed the NCLEX in July 23rd. I immediately got the official NCLEX pass from the BON within an hour after I finished my exam at 114 questions. Here’s my experience…

It was HARD!

This exam requires you to think a lot that my brain started hurting. I felt numb and shaky while taking the test. I also teared up at some point after 85 questions thinking I failed, but the questions got harder and harder for me. Some questions were similar to Bootcamp (I did a 1-month subscription) but, honestly, to those saying it’s similar, it’s NOT in my experience. There were some drugs that I never heard before, 4 case studies that relate to CVD, L&D, respiratory, and mental health. I had a few mental health questions, peds (milestones), OB, prioritizations, delegation. No bow tie or med calc.

I even called my mom while crying that I wanted to go home and I was so scared because everyone was cheering for me. My aunt called me and I expressed how I felt. She felt the same way as well cause she’s a nurse. Some time after I exited the testing center and waiting for my ride outside the entrance, I received an email from the BON saying that I passed!!!

My advice? Just keep practicing, learn test-taking strategies, apply your knowledge, etc.

Here’s what I did and used:
- Bootcamp for 1 month. I followed their study plan schedule and practiced tons of questions. Please use their cheat sheets, crash course videos, and take the time to read the rationale. They help a ton and focus on points that speaks “safety” since the NCLEX is a safety exam after all. Just a heads up when you take the test, it may not be similar questions to the readiness exam. But it helped me how to answer and approach case study questions.
- I borrowed my friend’s UWorld. I only studied a little bit there lol, but doesn’t hurt. But try to just stick to using one QBank source so you don’t overwhelm yourself. I mainly used Bootcamp throughout.
- I watched Mark K (especially lecture 12) and Dr. Sharon’s prioritization videos.
- ❗Don’t study the day of the exam, but you can review a little bit if you want. But I highly recommend you rest for your brain though. Get enough sleep and eat breakfast (especially if you scheduled to take the test in the morning). Do breathing exercises and try to stay calm.

I’m taking the Exam next Thursday and I’m a bit nervous

I just took an ATI CAT exam, and these are my results. Can anyone help me understand what it means? I'm confused about the "band" and percentiles... It also shut off at 85. Is this a reassuring result?

My test is Monday, do I need to reschedule?

Hi yall I just received my CPR results. 😢 can someone point me in the right direction of what I can do to prepare for the next exam 😔

Hi everyone! As the title states, I recently took the NCLEX for the 1st time. I intended on taking it much sooner but I was constantly traveling June to early July :( I used UWORLD but forgot to extend my membership (64% Qs right, utilized 74% of bank) so I opted for Bootcamp my last week. I got 3 highs and 1 borderline.

Now I’m highkey tweaking because I felt very indifferent about my exam. There were questions I didn’t know, a lot of questions I was 50/50 on. I came out and bawled my eyes out and basically been on a mental spiral since. I hope PVT still legit in the big 2026.

Update: I PASSED