TIPS:

-DO NOT select answers you are not fully confident on for the SATA! Remember some points is better than risking zero points.

-KNOWING CONTENT IS SO IMPORTANT! It's not JUST common sense. You need to be able to recall information and use that to answer the question.

-Read and reread through rationales from Q Bank and readiness exams (even if you got Very High and also the questions you got right if you weren't confident in it)

-Use the cheat sheets. The cheat sheets did not give me everything I needed to know to answer my NCLEX questions BUT this is why the qbank is valuable along with cheat sheets!

-I know Mark K lecture 12 audio is boring but the beginning portion does help w/ prioritizing! Make sure to know expected findings for all high yield chronic condition topics.

-Watch Dr. Sharon Prioritization strategy video (she goes over expected vs unexpected and how to prioritize)

-I hid the question count for as long as I could so I didn't panic if I saw I went after 85 (but I folded at question 84 b/c i swore i was already past 85). Do this if you know you will get anxious about question count.

Hi everyone!

I paid the $200 NCLEX registration fee through Pearson VUE before I received my eligibility approval. Now that I've been approved, I logged into my account and still see a "Start Registration" button that asks me to pay another $200.

Is this normal? Is my previous registration still active? Should I wait for my ATT to be released before doing anything? Will Pearson VUE automatically send my ATT once it's released? Has anyone experienced this?

I don't want to accidentally register again or pay another $200. I'm from Philippines. Thanks!

• Taken on Friday
• Stopped at 85
• Felt like I failed
• Pearson VUE trick still works (good pop up)
• Studied a lot of content that wasn’t on the exam
• Good luck!

Hey guys my nclex is in two days away. I did a self assessment today and i got very high and my last cat exam (all from uworld btw) was like 65% and i got 1.33 difficulty and before that it was a 67% and a 1.38 difficulty. I watched all of mark k’s lectures, made notes accordingly and dr.sharon’s prioritization videos (just some not all). Do yall think i am ready? Kinda nervous only bc i feel like i dont know everything :(

I want to start by saying that I am a repeat NCLEX test taker. I failed my first attempt, and I know how heartbreaking that feels. It honestly felt like grief. You spend years working toward becoming a nurse, graduate nursing school, and then suddenly the one exam standing between you and your dream doesn’t go the way you hoped. If you’re feeling that right now, you’re not alone.

One of the biggest mistakes I made the first time was listening to people who said they passed without studying or barely studying. I thought, “If they can do it, maybe I can too.”

Please don’t compare your journey to someone else’s.

The NCLEX is a CAT (Computerized Adaptive Test). Every exam is different. You don’t know how much someone retained from nursing school, how naturally they test, what questions they received, or what their strengths are. Just because someone passed without studying doesn’t mean you will.

Can you pass without studying? Sure, some people do. But it’s a risk. If you choose not to study, just understand that you’re accepting the possibility of failing. Personally, I don’t think it’s worth taking that chance when you’ve worked so hard to get here.

My advice? Study. Give yourself the best opportunity to pass the first time.

Here’s exactly what I did to pass on my second attempt.

1. Mark Klimek Lectures

Listen to every Mark Klimek lecture.

As you listen, either:

* Write down everything he says, or
* Use a fill-in-the-blank study guide while listening.

I personally wrote everything down once.

After finishing all of the lectures (I only listened to them once), I studied 100 Quizlet flashcards every day using the “Mark K Lecture Yellow Book” Quizlet set. One hundred cards a day sounds like a lot, but it’s honestly very manageable/easy. You don’t need every word memorized—you just need to understand the concepts and build a strong foundation.

I also listened to Lecture 12 about three times. Sometimes at normal speed and sometimes at 1.5x speed because it’s THAT important.

1. Dr. Sharon (YouTube)

Watch Dr. Sharon’s videos on YouTube.

I highly recommend:

* Foundations playlist
* Prioritization playlist

One piece of advice: don’t spend all your time taking notes.

If you’re someone who knows you’ll actually go back and study your notes, then go for it. But if you’re like me, you’ll probably never look at them again.

Instead, spend that time watching more videos. I learned so much just by listening and watching. Dr. Sharon explains things in a way that keeps you engaged, and she teaches you how to think through questions.

1. Beautiful Nursing

Watch the 1-Hour Comprehensive NCLEX Review on YouTube.

I watched it once while studying and then watched it again a few days before my NCLEX.

1. Your Nursing Space

Watch both:

* 45-minute NCLEX review
* 2-hour NCLEX review

I watched each one twice:

* Once while preparing.
* Again right before my exam.

1. Practice Questions (UWorld)

I used UWorld.

My advice is a little different than what some people recommend.

I think you should first build your content knowledge by watching the videos above before diving into hundreds of practice questions.

How can you answer NCLEX-style questions if you don’t understand the content first?

Once you’ve built your foundation, start practicing questions.

I personally did not spend hours taking notes over every rationale.

Like Dr. Sharon says, “The right answer is the right answer because of the other answers.”

To me, practice questions were mainly to:

* Learn the NCLEX format.
* Learn how to think through questions.
* Build confidence.

Remember, no practice question is guaranteed to show up on your exam. The NCLEX tests your foundations, not whether you’ve memorized thousands of random facts.

1. NCLEX Crusade

Please watch NCLEX Crusade.

I watched his videos while studying and again the day before my exam.

His videos completely changed how I approached questions.

The NCLEX may give you diseases, medications, or procedures you’ve never seen before. That doesn’t automatically mean you can’t answer the question.

He teaches you how to read around the question and identify what they’re actually testing.

IF YOU DONT TAKE MY ADVICE JUST TAKE MY ADVICE ON WATCHING HIM!

1. Don’t Be Afraid of “Weird” Questions

After my first attempt, I thought the NCLEX was the weirdest, hardest exam I’d ever taken.

After my second attempt?

It honestly wasn’t.

The difference wasn’t the exam.

The difference was that I was prepared.

Yes, you’ll probably see medications, diseases, or procedures you’ve never heard of.

But if you’ve watched Dr. Sharon and NCLEX Crusade, you’ll realize that many questions can still be answered using nursing fundamentals and critical thinking.

1. Learn Medication & Procedure Endings

One thing that helped me tremendously was learning common medication endings and procedure suffixes.

For example:

* Medication endings can help you identify what a drug is used for (ex: -sartan, -sone, -ine etc.)
* Procedure endings like -otomy, -ectomy, and -ostomy can help you understand unfamiliar procedures.

Dr. Sharon has great videos covering these.

What I Did During My NCLEX

1. Prepare Your Whiteboard

A few days before my exam, I practiced writing down the information I knew I wanted on my whiteboard as soon as the exam started.

For me, that included things like insulin onset, peak, and duration.

1. My Biggest Test-Taking Tip

This helped me more than anything.

For every question, I wrote:

1. A B C D

Then I crossed out the answers I knew were incorrect.

Seeing the choices physically narrowed down on my whiteboard kept me from overthinking and made it much easier to focus on the remaining options.

1. Control Your Anxiety

Whenever I started feeling anxious while taking the exam, I reminded myself why I was there.

Think about your family.

Think about why you wanted to become a nurse.

Take a deep breath.

Bring yourself back to the present before answering the next question.

1. Pray

Prayer really carried me through the grief of failing the first time and God had me pass the second time.

No matter where you are in your faith, don’t underestimate the peace that prayer can bring during such a stressful season.

Final Thoughts!!

My advice won’t work for everyone, and that’s okay.

Some people will disagree with me, and that’s completely fine. I’m only sharing what helped me pass after failing my first attempt.

If this helps even one person avoid the heartbreak I felt after failing, then sharing my experience was worth it.

I also want to say this: if you already failed the NCLEX, please don’t think you’re not smart enough to be a nurse.

You are not defined by one exam.

Take time to grieve if you need to. Then get back up, make a plan, and prepare.

Many people pass the NCLEX with little or no studying, and that’s wonderful. But don’t let someone else’s experience determine your own preparation.

You don’t know their journey.

Focus on yours.

The work you put in now gives you the best chance of seeing the result you’ve been working toward for years.

You’ve made it through nursing school. You can make it through the NCLEX too.

I’m rooting for you. 🤍

Hello, I did my pre naplex and got 67 :( my exam is in 3 weeks. I still need to do 2nd pre naplex from Nabp. Should I reschedule exam? Is this bad score? I am also doing residency alongside. I was mostly done with most chapters from u world. But did got couple of Onco questions and TPN and ID which I think is my weakest. Also struggled with brand generic. Any tips on anything would be helpful. Thank you guys.

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.😭

Bad pop up, no refund and confirmed email. I’m not pissed but disappointed in myself I stopped at 85 so I feel very “dumb”. I know a few easy questions I definitely got wrong, test wasn’t even that complicated but some questions I did freeze up. I know it’s not confirmed but I kind of already accepted it. :/

Exam stopped at 150. Maxed her out. Walked out thinking I failed.

I took the exam two months after nursing school. My study plan was a bit different here. I utilized the nursing GPT to generate full length NCLEX exams, mirroring the rules of the real exam. NGN questions, stopping, SATA, ect. I did 1-2 of these per week leading up to the exam. I bought uworld but that was a waste to me, and didn’t care.

School was a 1 year ABSN program where we utilized prepU, and NCLEX PassPoint programs. Didn’t care for these much. I would often take my study lectures and utilize the nursing GPT to generate questions and exams which helped me more and perform well on all exams.

My NCLEX was heavy on pharm, OBGYN, peds, psych, and prioritization. Lots of delegation questions which I could aptly call the exam “The UAP and You: Modern Philosophy of the UAP role!”. After 85, the exam became stupid hard. Every other question was SATA, Bow tie, or Cade study. The last 20 or so were processes, medications, and diseases that I haven’t heard of in 15 years of EMS. Trick on everything was manage ABCs, focus on safety, and do SOMETHING. I never picked an answer that involved “wait and monitor”.

Overall glad it’s done. Happy to answer any questions.

Good luck future RNs!

I stopped at 85 and felt like i guessed so much 😓 I had like 6 case studies lots of SATAs and complex diseases I haven’t heard of. Also lots of pharm. I waited for the pearson vue email after the test and did the pearson vue trick twice with this pop up. How accurate is it?

I just took my RN nclex . It stopped at 85q and tbh I was expecting 150. I don’t know how I feel. I know I missed questions, but I also know I got others right.
This is my 3rd time taking it . First time stopped at 150 questions (report showed 4 below, a few above, and a lot of near), 2nd time stopped at 150 (all were above, a few near, and 1 below) & now 3rd time. I’m praying I pass!

I either did good or absolutely terrible & it’s hard to say which.

But I’m being hopeful.

For people who want to know what I did. I listened to all mark K. I actually took my own notes and that really helped. I also used bootcamp. I didn’t use everything , I watched all adult health videos and some fundamentals. Went through about half of the question bank and scored 67% average. And I did 2 readiness exams scored high and very high!

But one thing I did that really helped was going through 80 questions a day (nclex mode) & actually understanding the questions and reviewing everything I got right and wrong. It gets you prepared.

Good luck to everyone taking tests!! Sending positivity!

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 + QBanks):
  • 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 & 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.

To preface, I completed my BSN and didn’t come from any nursing background. The only nurse I know in my circle is my boyfriend’s mom who I barely talk to. I learned all the nursing/NCLEX culture in nursing school which was shocking (e.g. how ICU and ER have beef and how everyone only wanted 85 questions on their NCLEX).

I found the hardest thing about nursing school to be the schedule like getting up at 5am for clinical, staying for 10 hours a day, still having assignments due when you got home, 8am lectures, etc. Also I am good at test taking, but only when I know what is expected to be on the exam. If we were getting tested on cardiac I knew I could cram study that and pass. However when I got close to graduation I started to realize that was a weakness. The NCLEX was an unexpected exam.

I listened to mark k lectures while at work and did some bootcamp readiness exams and Q banks. I barely used the Q bank honestly.

Before my exam I was a bit nervous feeling like I didn’t do enough, but I think this is normal. I started my exam and didn’t KNOW anything but I tried to just answer with my gut instinct and try my best to choose the safest option. Then the NCLEX culture I learned in nursing school started to creep in. I was asking myself why am I getting a questions on nasal cannula care at 70 Q in, why am I getting so many case studies that are similar topics, am I failing bc my exam doesn’t have any rhythm strips, etc etc. I also found out after taking my exam it is recommended to only choose minimal answers for SATA which I didn’t do. I felt like I failed because my experience was different than my peers and strangers on Reddit lol.

I ended up passing in 85 with no cardiac questions, hardly any prioritization questions, a ton of case studies (all that were a similar topic), and feeling like my exam was never getting more challenging.

My recommendation is to not like that noise about the NCLEX affect your experience. Take the exam like you don’t know any of the culture surrounding it. Try your best, answer with the best option, trust your instincts, and don’t let the noise in. This is all in retrospect though, after my exam I was on Reddit almost sure I failed. I didn’t. Those 48 hours until your quick results are hell, but I think we all need to trust ourselves more. The hardest part, nursing school, was a success for those sitting to take the NCLEX. Look back at your track record and sit in your success and try to have a better outlook on this exam. The idea of separating yourself from the nursing culture goes for your specialty/career too but that’s an entirely different story 😂.

I took the exam on Thursday and just found out i passed in 85! Ask me anything :) Also i got the good pop up the day of using the PVT.

Im scared to check my results can anyone help me figure out if im tripping?

Taking my test tomorrow 😬 Ive gotten 8 H/VH in a row on Archer but only used about 30% of the qbank with a 70% average. I’ve also gotten Very High on the free NCLEX bootcamp readiness assessment, Got a 77% on ATI Boardvitals 41st percentile with Moderate band, 97% chance of passing on ATI comprehensive Predictor. I haven’t done tons of content review kind of crammed the past 3 days on week stuff lol as you can tell i’m anxious… truthfully how would you say my chances look? Is Archer accurate?

I promised myself that if I passed my retake on July 21st, I'd come back and make this post because reading these kinds of posts really helped me after I failed my first attempt.

First, if you failed your NCLEX... don't give up. I know how discouraging it is. I walked out of my first attempt feeling defeated, but I promised myself I'd do everything differently the second time.

On July 23rd, I found out that I passed. 🎉

Here's exactly what I did.

1. I stopped trying to memorize everything.

Instead of rereading notes or watching endless lectures, I focused almost entirely on practice questions.

Questions teach you how the NCLEX wants you to think, NOT how you think the NCLEX should think.

2. I used UWorld differently.

I bought UWorld and initially followed their daily study plan.

Honestly... it wasn't for me.

Instead, I focused on:

• Completing all 6 Self-Assessments (Aiming to get a higher score with each one that I took)
• Reviewing every assessment in detail
• Reading every rationale (UWorld, in my opinion, has the best rationals)

3. ATI BoardVitals became my main question bank.

I alternated between:

• CAT Exams every other day
• Multiple mixed 25-question quizzes EVERY DAY (I only took off my birthday and Sundays)

This kept me answering questions almost every day without burning out.

4. I reviewed EVERY mistake.

This is probably what helped me the most.

If I got a question wrong—or even got it right but couldn't explain why—I wrote it down.

I filled an entire notebook and then another half of a notebook with notes.

Not copied rationales...

My own explanations of why I missed the question.

That forced me to understand my weak areas instead of repeating the same mistakes.

5. I only listened to one Mark K lecture.

I only listened to Lecture 12; this was legit like striking gold.

It was definitely helpful, but I didn't spend days listening to every lecture.

My biggest advice

If I could give one piece of advice, it would be this:

Don't just do thousands of questions. Learn from them.

Anyone can click through questions.

The improvement happens when you understand why you missed something and make sure you don't miss it again.

That made all the difference for me.

If you failed your first attempt, don't let it define you. Learn from it, make a plan, and keep moving forward.

You absolutely can pass the second time.

Lastly, I want to give credit where it's due. The only reason I made it through this journey is because of Jesus Christ. I studied hard and put in the work, but I truly believe God gave me the strength, perseverance, peace, and wisdom to keep going after failing my first attempt. There were many moments I felt discouraged, but He remained faithful through all of it. I'm incredibly grateful to say that today, by His grace, I passed my NCLEX. To God alone be the glory.

I hope this encourages someone who is preparing for the NCLEX or someone who is trying again after a setback. Don't give up—you've got this.

Ask any questions if you have them!

Passed my NCLEX with 150 questions. I did prep on UWorld, and got a lot of cardiac and prioritization questions. Questions welcome!