National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN) Preparation
For what purpose is the NCLEX-PN exam administered? The National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN) is the exam necessary to acquire a license as a licensed practical nurse (LPN) or licensed vocational nurse (LVN). It is intended to assess basic understandings, skills, and abilities needed to deliver safe and efficient patient care. Every nurse must pass this exam. It ensures that the candidates have the competencies required for safe nursing practices. Format of the exam Computerized adaptive testing (CAT The NCLEX-PN exam is administered using computerized adaptive testing, which modulates the test’s question difficulty in response to the test taker’s answer. You will receive a more difficult question if you answer a question right, and a simpler one if you answer it incorrectly. There are between 80 and 150 questions on the NCLEX-PN exam. Questions type Multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blanks, hotspot, calculations, audio, graphics, tables. Time limit The exam typically lasts between 5 and 6 hours. Content areas The exam is divided into several major content areas: Health promotion and maintenance. Psychosocial integrity. Physiological integrity. Safety and infection control. Coordinated care. Basic care and comfort. Pharmacological treatments. Reduction of risk potential. Test scoring The score of NCLEX-PN is calculated in “logits’’. A Logit scoring system is used to evaluate whether a test-taker passes or fails the exam because it is computer adaptive. If your logit score is -0.18 or above, you passed the test since you answered enough questions correctly. You have failed the exam if your logit score is less than -0.18, which indicates that you did not correctly answer enough questions. The number of questions you must answer on the test varies because this logit is continually updated based on your responses to each question. The exam will conclude if you complete the required minimum of 75 questions and the computer system can accurately identify, with an accuracy rate of 95%, whether you passed or failed. PREPARATION FOR THE TEST A lot of review books, practice questions, online resources, and study guides are there to prepare for the NCLEX-PN exam. There are many review courses specifically designed to prepare for the NCLEX-PN exam. Best books for NCLEX-PN preparation Kaplan NCLEX-RN Prep Plus It contains a summary of all the important concepts making, it an effective way of learning. To prepare the best content, it provides an extensive review guide including all concepts. Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN Examination The information in this book is offered in a way that makes it great for visual learners and gives you the exact amount of the information required without any extraneous details. It also contains graphics, tables, and charts that aid in preparation. NCLEX-RN Questions & Answers Made Incredibly Easy It contains a lot of questions with practice exam formats. A wide range of challenging questions with the best quality of the text and content makes it the best choice for the candidate. HESI Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN Examination It provides clear and concise information with the help of tables, charts and graphics. Well-explained and well-presented content including summaries of different topics is given. Flashcards Kaplan NCLEX-PN flashcards and Saunders NCLEX-PN flashcards are useful to memorize important terms, medications, and different concepts. You can also customize your own flashcards based on your written notes. Review programs and online study courses Different online courses including video lectures, practice questions, and learning tools are available, such as: ATI Nursing Education NCLEX-PN Review from Hurst Review Services Practice exams and study guides Full-length practice exams and guides with essential concepts and test strategies are available to prepare for the exam. NCLEX-PN Test preparation strategies If you want a significant difference in your performance in the exam, you should take effective test-taking strategies. Understand the test format You should know how CAT adjusts the difficulty of the questions and should know the types of questions given in the test and prepare well for the test. Create a study plan Organize your study time to give your attention to all content areas based on your strengths and weaknesses. Also set achievable goals. Focus on core areas Master key contents and pay attention to commonly tested topics. Manage your time Keep track of time. Don’t take too much time to attempt a single question. Practice regularly Practice regularly to understand the format and the type of questions that you will encounter in the test. Read each question with full attention and then answer it. Review your results It provides clear and concise information with the help of tables, charts and graphics. Well-explained and well-presented content including summaries of different topics is given. Impact of the NCLEX-PN exam on career The NCLEX-PN exam has a very important impact on the nursing career as it is the vital first step towards obtaining professional licensure. Passing this exam provides validity about the abilities and competencies of the candidate and opens a wide range of job opportunities in healthcare sectors. This exam also enhances a candidate’s professional credibility and competitiveness in the job market, which verifies their adherence to national standards.
Tips to pass the NCLEX-PN exam the first time
Passing the NCLEX-PN exam in the first attempt is not that easy. Some people don’t pass the exam on the first attempt, but it’s okay if you work hard and keep determined towards your goal; you can achieve it. Through comprehensive preparation and using effective study and test-taking strategies, you can increase the chances of passing your NCLEX-PN examination in the first attempt. Here are some tips and tricks for you to be well-prepared for the exam and pass it in the first attempt: Understand the exam format. Know the question type. Concentrate on core content areas. Discover your learning style. Create a study plan. Take advantage of study resources. Remember your ABCs. Analyze yourself during test prep. Take care of your mental and physical health. Manage test anxiety. Know test-taking strategies. Keep practicing. Consider the time, but don’t rush things. The night before the exam. Be confident and believe in yourself. Understand the exam format. You should know the exam format properly to pass the exam more efficiently. It helps you in knowing what is going to be given in the exam and how to attempt the exam. NCLEX-PN is an exam based on CAT (computer adaptive testing), the level of the exam adjusts according to your skills and ability level. When you answer the question correctly, you will get another difficult question. Same as it; if your answer is wrong, you will get an easy question. To prove your knowledge and proficiency level, you must answer more questions correctly. The candidate will pass the exam if enough questions are answered properly to stay above the passing percentage, that is 95%, and the candidate will fail the exam if the passing percentage is not achieved. Know the question type. You should know the types of questions included in the exam. There are minimum 85 and maximum 150 questions, and the passing percentage is above 95%. You have 5 to 6 hours to answer a maximum amount of questions. The types of questions include: Multiple choice questions Almost 80% of the questions are multiple choice questions. So prepare well for it. Fill in the blanks Understanding each question and then filling the spaces with the right answers. Select-All-That-Apply Carefully read and understand every single option and then eliminate the wrong one because you need to spell out all the right options. Hot Spots These questions involve different graphics and images, and you need to select a specific one. Concentrate on core content areas. Focus on core topics and make sure you have good command on every single topic. It is very important to know the content of the exam so that you can prepare accordingly. The NCLEX-PN test plan is divided into several content categories, and each category carries a specific percentage. Categories involves: includes: Management of care Safety and infection control Health promotion and maintenance (approximately 6-12%) Psychological integrity (approximately 6-12%) Physiological integrity (approximately 41-67%) and sub-category includes: Basic care and comfort Pharmacological therapies Reduction of risk potential Physiological adaptation Each and every content topic must be prepared well. It doesn’t matter if any content topic carries less percentage compared to the other topic; both are equally important. So look for every useful piece of information in each content and maximize your knowledge and skills in it. Discover your learning style. You should know your best way of learning. Whether you pick knowledge quickly and effectively from reading books or watching online videos, Are you good at note-taking? Analyze yourself and discover the best way of learning and understanding. Do you need any guidance or instructor, or are you good at self-study? You should know these points in order to adapt to a better learning style. Create a study plan. Create a proper study plan and make sure to follow it. Know your strengths and weaknesses and invest your time accordingly. Set specific goals for each study session. Assess your knowledge and skills, set clear goals, organize study materials, and monitor your progress. It helps in the effective gain of knowledge. Take advantage of study resources. Utilize different resources to gain more knowledge. Seek help through online videos, articles, and study-guides, and make sure you are Take practice tests to familiarize yourself with exam patterns, to know your competencies, and to perform well in the exam. Listen to relevant recorded lectures and podcasts. Consider using online NCLEX-PN review courses. Participate in study groups to expand your knowledge and enhance your understanding. . Remember your ABCs Remember the ABCs—airway, breathing, circulation–the most important priorities in patient care. When answering questions, choose options in A–B–C order. It is considered a very important concept in nursing depicting a prioritization approach for monitoring and managing patients. Analyze yourself during test prep. Analyze yourself during test preparation honestly. Make sure to have a good understanding of the questions. Answer each question with confidence without the fear of answering wrong. Try to stay focused on the questions and don’t give up too early. Take care of your mental and physical health. Always focus on your mental and physical health. Remember that a tired body and mind cannot perform well in the exam and can make it difficult to pass the exam. Being well-rested should be your top-most priority. Maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle to keep your mind and body fresh. Manage test anxiety. Use relaxation techniques that include deep breathing and meditation to manage test anxiety. Know about the test environment to reduce stress on exam day. Know test-taking strategy Read each question carefully and limit the amount of time you spend on each question. Review your answers carefully. Learn from your mistakes, but don’t panic. Stay focused and avoid distractions. Keep practicing Practice is a key to success. Keep practicing till the exam day to achieve your goal. Take practice exams regularly to evaluate your progress and know where you need to work hard. Consider the time, but don’t rush things. You have five to six hours to complete the