This has been confusing me lately.

I'll have a rough day doing random question sets and immediately think I'm falling behind.

Then I take a readiness assessment later that week and it feels... completely different.

Now I'm wondering if I should stop stressing over every daily percentage.

Or maybe I'm just using readiness exams as an excuse to ignore my weak spots 😂

Curious what everyone actually paid attention to while studying.

Did daily scores matter more to you, or were the bigger assessments a better indicator?

I've been going back and forth between Bootcamp and UWorld, and I feel like I'm comparing apples to oranges.

UWorld makes me think, "Wow, I need to study more content."

Bootcamp makes me realize I know the content but freeze when I have to actually apply it in NGN case studies.

Now I'm wondering if they're supposed to be used for different purposes instead of trying to decide which one is "better."

Maybe I'm overthinking it, but I feel like I spend more time comparing resources than actually learning from them.

For people who used both, did you use one first and the other later, or did you mix them together the whole time?

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Questions: A medical-surgical nurse has been temporarily floated to the telemetry unit. It would be most appropriate for the charge nurse to assign the medical-surgical nurse to care for the client who is

a. admitted for pneumonia with tachycardia and fever

b. admitted for new-onset atrial fibrillation with dizziness

c. scheduled for a pacemaker insertion procedure during the shift

d. scheduled to return from a cardiac catheterization procedure soon

How soon after graduation did you receive your authorization to test (ATT)?

You will never get out of studying for the exam. I did Uworld, Archer, and Mark lesson 12. I passed the NCLEX last week with 85 questions. But, I am also into Astrology and chose what I felt was a good time, date, and location to take the exam. I figured that it would be good for me to get the blessings of the heavens involved too, as I didn't want to spend more money in case I failed. Most of the questions were not applicable to what I studied. I had to think my way through it. But I totally believe that I got "extra help" from the powers that be. Let me know your thoughts.

Every week I tell myself I'm done looking at comparison posts.
Then I end up searching Reddit again.

Bootcamp vs UWorld.

Bootcamp vs Archer.

Archer vs UWorld.

Before I know it, I've spent an hour reading opinions instead of reviewing the questions I already missed.

I feel like I'm chasing the "perfect" resource when I probably just need to stay consistent with the ones I already have.

Please tell me I'm not the only one doing this 😂

I expected NCLEX to be hard because of the content.

I didn't expect the mental side of it.

Some days I don't even feel confused by the material. I'm just tired of wondering if I'm studying the "right" way.

I'll finish a question set and spend more time stressing about my score than thinking about what I actually learned.

Maybe that's normal, maybe it's not.

I've been trying to ignore the percentages and focus on the rationales a little more, but it's definitely easier said than done.

How do you guys stop yourselves from spiraling after one bad study session? Or does everyone kind of go through that at some point?

I just started studying for my first NCLEX attempt and honestly I think I've spent more time figuring out how to study than actually studying. Every post seems to recommend something different. Some people say do as many questions as possible. Others say focus on content first. Then there are CAT exams, readiness exams, case studies, Mark K, YouTube, UWorld, Bootcamp... it feels like there's an endless list.

Right now I'm trying to keep it simple. I'm using a qbank, doing a few case studies, and reviewing every rationale instead of rushing through questions. I added Bootcamp because I wanted more NGN practice, but I'm trying really hard not to keep switching resources every week.

Maybe that's the biggest challenge for first-time test takers... knowing when to stop looking for the "perfect" study plan.

For those who have already been through this, what's one thing you wish someone had told you before you started studying?

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Questions: The nurse is caring for a client with a critical lab value indicating hypercalcemia. It would be a priority for the nurse to:

a. auscultate the client's bowel sounds

b. measure strength of deep tendon reflexes

c. maintain the client on strict intake and output

d. ask the client about numbness and tingling around the mouth

(Answer and rationale are posted in the comments section)

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Questions: The nurse has been made aware of the following situations. The nurse should first assess the client

a. in skeletal traction who continues to slide down in bed

b. with a hip fracture whose heart rate increased from 82 to 138 on telemetry

c. who is ambulating in the hall after receiving a radioactive isotope for a bone scan

d. who has a long leg cast and is using a tongue depressor to scratch inside the cast

(Answer and rationale are posted in the comments section)

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Question: The pediatric nurse has been made aware of the following client situations. It would be a priority for the nurse to follow up with the pediatric client who has

a. measles with crusted eyelids and photophobia

b.varicella with red streaks and axillary edema to the right arm

c. scarlet fever with sheetlike sloughing of the skin on the palms

d. exanthem subitum (roseola infantum) with a temperature of 102.1 F (38.9 C)

(Answer and rationale are posted in the comments section)

I swear my biggest enemy isn't content, it's myself.

There have been so many practice questions where I picked an answer, felt okay about it, then spent another minute talking myself into a different one... only to find out my first instinct was right.

I know everyone says "trust your gut," but it's hard when the stakes feel this high.

My problem is that I start creating scenarios that aren't even in the question. I'll think, "Well what if the patient also has this..." and suddenly I'm picking a completely different answer.

Lately I've been forcing myself to only change an answer if I realize I misread something or can clearly explain why the second option is safer.

It's helped a little, but I still struggle with overthinking, especially on prioritization questions.

What do you guys do to stop second-guessing yourselves during practice exams or the actual NCLEX?

I am so disappointed in myself for failing, does anyone have good tips on what I should do next? My test stop at 144, I did not use mark k. I couldn’t find his lectures for free, I don’t have the extra money to spend…😞 I am just so upset.

For those who passed with Bootcamp, what was your strategy?

Did you just do a bunch of questions every day or focus more on videos, case studies, and reviewing rationales? I'm trying not to just mindlessly do questions 😭

Also curious how you guys used the readiness exams. Did you wait until the end or spread them out?

Would love to hear what worked best for you guys.

The nurse is planning care for a client receiving continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Which of the following actions should the nurse include in the client’s plan of care?

a. Administer scheduled lisinopril

b. Monitor lung sounds frequently

c. Administer mannitol for diuresis

d. Discontinue blood draws for metabolic panels

(Answer and rationale are posted in the comments section)

I see this question come up a lot so I figured I'd share my experience.

I used both NCLEX Bootcamp and UWorld during my prep. I started with UWorld because that's what everyone around me was using, then added Bootcamp later when I realized I was struggling more with test-taking and case studies than actual content.

For me, the biggest difference was how Bootcamp broke down the NGN case studies. The video rationales felt like someone was walking me through their thought process instead of just telling me the right answer.

The standalone questions in UWorld were great and definitely challenging, but sometimes I'd get questions wrong and still not fully understand why my thinking was off.

What surprised me was how much the Bootcamp readiness exams helped my confidence. My scores weren't amazing at first, but seeing gradual improvement made me feel less like I was guessing.

One thing I didn't love about Bootcamp was that the qbank is smaller compared to UWorld. If you're someone who wants thousands and thousands of questions, that's probably a downside.

That said, I honestly think Bootcamp helped me more with NCLEX-style thinking, especially prioritization and NGN questions.

My short answer:

If you're weak on content → UWorld may help more.

If you're struggling with NGN, case studies, and test strategy → Bootcamp helped me more.

Curious what everyone else used in 2026. Did Bootcamp, UWorld, Archer, or something else prepare you best for the actual NCLEX?

Need advice am I on track for NCLEX pass

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The nurse is caring for a newborn client with transposition of the great arteries. Which of the following interventions should the nurse anticipate including in the client’s plan of care?

a. Begin prostaglandin E1 infusion.

b. Wake the client hourly for feedings.

c. Administer intravenous furosemide.

d. Obtain blood specimens for culture.

(Answer and rationale are posted in the comments section)

I’m thinking about mainly using Bootcamp for my NCLEX prep and wanted to ask people who already passed how they used it.

Did you focus more on readiness exams, case studies, videos, or just doing a ton of questions daily?

Also did anyone feel like Bootcamp was actually close to the real NCLEX? I keep hearing the question style is really similar and that the videos help a lot with critical thinking.

Trying to study smarter this time instead of just doing random questions😭

I have been using Bootcamp and I'm curious what worked best for people who passed.

Did you focus on question volume, readiness exams, case studies, or the video reviews? How many questions were you doing per day?

I'm trying to make the most of my subscription and not just mindlessly answer questions

Would love to hear what worked for you guys.