How Long To Study For Nclex – One of the things nursing students start talking about in their first few weeks of graduation is “crossing the line.” This generally respected subject is also known as the NCLEX exam.
The NCLEX is an exam that every registered nurse must take after graduation from a certified nursing program. Passing this exam will reflect the knowledge and skills you will acquire as a future registered nurse.
Continue reading this guide as you will be learning how to study for NCLEX.
How Long To Study For Nclex
If you just graduated from nursing school, if the information you learned while studying for your final exam is still fresh and clear in your mind, it could take anywhere from two to six weeks to study for the NCLEX.
This study will include a comprehensive content review of everything you have learned, as well as practice with specific questions to prepare you for the specific challenges of the NCLEX, which heavily tests critical thinking and analytical skills.
Most nurses preparing for the NCLEX have other responsibilities, so it’s a good idea to spend two hours a day studying and problem-solving.
If you can’t give up, try for at least an hour a day, preferably not before two months. Remember, it’s better to set aside some time every day than to wait the last few weeks before the exam and study 10 hours a day. You will learn more efficiently and remember better when you spread your learning over a longer period.
What Is NCLEX Exam?
The National Board Licensure Exam (NCLEX), is a standardized test used by each state’s regulatory board to check if a candidate is ready to become a licensed nurse. There are two types of NCLEX exams administered by the National Council of Nursing, and the exam you take depends on the position you are seeking.
How to Prepare for the NCLEX
1. Do experimental tests
One way to help study for the NCLEX is to take practice tests in a free environment. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) offers the NCLEX practice exam for the RN and PN exams. It must be completed in five consecutive hours and can only be completed once. There are books available that offer hundreds of sample questions, often taken from previous exams, for personal study before taking the official mock exam.
2. Work with a partner
Some prefer to read alone, while others like to work with their test partners. Working with a partner or group can be beneficial because it not only provides accountability and camaraderie but explaining concepts is an effective way to get you to understand the material. Also, learning partners can help interpret questions and find solutions in a more collaborative way than books.
3. Manage your time
Preparing for a major licensing exam like the NCLEX should feel more like a marathon than a sprint. Research shows that fitting long learning and repetition times into short periods can improve short-term outcomes, but little information is remembered in the long term. Consistently working for shorter and longer periods can help students retain information better.
4. Understand your unique learning style
Not all learning methods work for everyone. Some people do well in instructor-led or interactive group work, while others do well independently with workbooks. You must assess your learning performance and use learning methods that suit your learning style.
How Is The NCLEX Exam Administered?
When you arrive at the test center on test day, you must present valid identification, read and sign the documents, pack your personal belongings, and proceed to the test room. Here you have up to six hours to complete the exam. If that seems like a long time for the test, you can be sure that you will have plenty of time to think about each question. There are at least two predetermined breaks during the exam.
The NCLEX exam is administered using a testing method known as Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT). This means that each time you answer a question, the computer re-evaluates your nursing ability based on your answer and the difficulty of the question. The system is designed to ask questions that are difficult enough to give you a 50% chance of being correct, based on your previous answers.
This form of testing also means that testing times may vary from candidate to candidate. If you are within the pass threshold, you will continue to receive questions until time runs out or until you reach the confidence threshold by answering enough questions correctly.
Although it may seem complicated, this format has a good reason. First, the highly rated candidates only conveyed their ability to answer “easy” questions correctly, not their ability to perform in a real-world setting. Also, asking fringe candidates a series of very difficult questions often leads candidates to make assumptions. A series of correct guesses leading to a valid conclusion is also not ideal. This sensitive format helps to better assess the general competence of the nurse.
What Is The Content Of The Test?
1. A safe and efficient service environment
This area tests the nurse’s ability to create a welcoming and functional environment for patients. Topics of study may include accident prevention, ethics, client rights, and home safety.
2. Promotion and maintenance of health
The modern nursing practice focuses on the treatment of disease and the prevention of future health problems. This unit challenges students’ knowledge of the principles of growth and development, covering the aging process, newborn care, lifestyle choices, and developmental stages.
3. Psychosocial Integrity
NCLEX also assesses students’ knowledge of mental illness, and this category focuses on emotional, social, and spiritual factors (such as abuse, substance abuse, and stress) that can affect a patient’s health.
4. Physiological integrity
Nurses must promote physical well-being by ensuring that patients remain calm and relaxed. Topics in this section include risk management, treatment procedures, and abnormal responses to treatment.
Conclusion
The National Council Licensing Examination (NCLEX) is one of two standardized tests that nurses must pass to become licensed practical nurse (LPN) or registered nurse (RN) (RN).
Nursing students must earn an accredited nursing degree and pass the NCLEX-RN (for RN) or NCLEX-PN (for PN) exams to become licensed (for LPNs). This step is important because it allows states to independently verify a candidate’s nursing knowledge and assess their ability to safely practice as a nurse.
Frequently Asked Question(s)
Is 2 weeks enough time to study for NCLEX?
You can take a couple of practice quizzes and tests to evaluate how prepared you are. If you feel prepared and do well on the practice tests, then two weeks may be enough time to study and refresh your knowledge. If you do study for the NCLEX in two weeks, aim to spend four to six hours a day studying.
How hard do I need to study for NCLEX?
ather than using memorization skills, logic and critical thinking skills are required to succeed on this exam, making it more comprehensive and challenging. So, if you find yourself asking, “How hard is the NCLEX-RN? – The short answer is, it’s very hard.
What are the chances of passing the NCLEX the first time?
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) reports 13.43% of NCLEX-RN candidates fail the exam on their first attempt. The number of unsuccessful test-takers is low compared to the more than 86% who pass the exam on their first try.
Which state has the hardest NCLEX exam?
None. There is no “easy” state to take the NCLEX. The NCLEX is a national exam administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). Because it’s national, the NCLEX will be the same regardless of what state you choose to take it in.
What are considered hard questions in NCLEX?
Each category of questions requires an increasing level of critical thinking skills. Analysis, synthesis and evaluation questions would be considered higher-level NCLEX questions. Synthesis questions are based on creating or proposing solutions, such as a plan of care.
Reference(s)
- brainscape.com – How long should I take to study for the NCLEX?
- allnursingschools.com – What To Know Before Taking The NCLEX
- rasmussen.edu – What Is the NCLEX? What You Need to Know About This Key Nursing Exam
- study.com – What is NCLEX?
Recommendation(s)
