The NCLEX-PN is one of those exams that you can take at any time, when you feel like doing so. So when did I think it was suitable for me to do so? Well, let’s talk about that.
When I first took the NCLEX-PN, it wasn’t easy to get my head around some of the questions. There were a few key areas that I was still struggling with – but you just need to get back to basics. The reason I mention that is that there were many questions that had to do with memorising facts, which isn’t necessarily required to sit for this exam.
That said, when I first took the NCLEX-PN, I sat it purely as a personal challenge. After all, I was already having trouble with my old exams. It had always been difficult for me to understand what was being asked of me.
Even so, for my second attempt at taking the NCLEX-PN, I went in knowing that I knew the material pretty well. It was not difficult to recall answers to passages if I was trying to go back and review the questions. What was harder was remembering the key points of each section.
Now the idea behind the NCLEX-PN is to answer the questions on your examination. However, in order to do that, you have to think at the level that is relevant to your examination. In other words, you have to try and summarise the subject matter in your mind.
As I mentioned earlier, I was still struggling with different areas. I remember having problems with question 6 in particular – which asked me to find the best explanation for the legal principles at the centre of the exam. For me, the key points were “structure”integrity”.
With proper knowledge of these concepts, I felt I could easily answer questions such as this one. I was also able to recall answers to a number of others as well.
It wasn’t until I was halfway through the exam that I began to get some problems. At this point, I was almost totally failing on most of the elements I had struggled with previously. And there were still more areas that I felt I didn’t really know much about.
So, after only two and a half hours of study, I dropped the attempt. This time, I was prepared to take the NCLEX-PN at my own pace. I didn’t want to be there at the end taking too many examinations at once.
Fortunately, the NCLEX-PN practice questions and answer sheets don’t differ much from the real thing. Of course, I still have to study like crazy to get up to scratch. But, if you make sure that you have covered the material in an exam-style format, it should be easier to get that way.
Another word of warning though – don’t be tempted to cheat on the NCLEX-PN. If you are taking it for a real exam, don’t try to find shortcuts that will get you through.
