NCLEX STUDY HACKS - The NCLEX isn’t your classic scantron or pen ...

• Recognize the NCLEX Format

The NCLEX isn’t your classic scantron or pen and paper exam; it stands out amongst other digital medical exams. You’ll answer questions the same way as your typical online exam, but it will adapt (in subject and difficulty) to your correct and incorrect answers.

The exam is split into four sections: Safe and Effective Care

Environment, Health Promotion and Maintenance, Psychosocial Integrity, and Physiological Integrity.

Each of these sections has its own subcategories such as: Reduction of

Risk Potential, Newborn Care, Safety and Infection Control, and Chemical Dependency.

NCLEX STUDY HACKS

Both the NCLEX-RN and PN have 75-145 questions, with five hours to complete. If you answer enough questions correctly in a row, you could pass the exam in 75 questions.

Knowing how this exam is laid out makes it easier to imagine how you’ll take it while you’re studying.

• Develop Your Own Test-Taking

Strategy Everyone has their own preferred test-taking strategies to get through them as effectively as possible. Figuring out an NCLEX-specific testing strategy for you will help when the day comes.There’s no “good score range” on the exam, so instead, work to develop a strategy to confidently pass on your first attempt.

Ask yourself: Do you typically get through questions quickly? Does it help to

say questions out loud? Do you tend to get stuck easily? And keep the

following in mind for the NCLEX, specifically:

• Which types of questions you should spend more time on.• Questions typically get more challenging to answer progressively.• You can’t skip questions.• You have to answer a minimum of 75 questions.

• Understand How the NCLEX is Scored

Since the NCLEX is a pass/fail test, you won’t immediately get your graded results. Instead, your state board of nursing will receive your overall passing score.But it’s still worth knowing the inner workings of how this exam is scored to help feel out your performance as you take the exam.The exam is computer-adaptive and uses algorithms to determine your score. One of three rules is used by the computer to determine whether

you passed or failed the NCLEX:

• Run-out-of-time (R.O.O.T.) Rule – Maxing out the five-hour time

limit could indicate failure.

• Maximum-Length Exam Rule – Answering the maximum 145

questions could also indicate failure.

• 95% Confidence Interval Rule – The NCLEX will pass you if you hit a

95% confidence interval based on correct answers.Taking the NCLEX next year? Find out what changes are coming in 2023.

• Prepare for More Than the Minimum

(Amount of Questions) Technically you can pass the NCLEX at the minimum required 75 questions.But it’s not a great idea to expect to answer every question correctly (immediately).