We recently hosted a webinar for nurse educators (who specialize in NCLEX prep!) where they shared the most frequent misconceptions nursing students have about taking the NCLEX
1. Studying for the NCLEX begins after graduation
The NCLEX covers what you learn in your courses and clinicals, so students who wait until they graduate end up relearning it under time pressure. Studying for nursing school prepares you for the NCLEX, and practicing NCLEX-style questions can help you the whole way through school.
2. You need to buy an expensive prep package
Many students assume they have to pay for expensive, intensive third-party prep programs or boot camps. Some nursing schools already provide programs specifically to help nursing students prep for the NCLEX. Ask your program what's included before you spring for a boot camp.
3. Test day is the same as taking a regular exam
For the NCLEX, you go through a security screening that gives TSA a run for its money. And then you face up to 150 questions. Students tend to underestimate the stamina required, and the nerves and anxiety involved. Some schools host a mock NCLEX on campus so students go through the whole process once before the real thing.
4. Knowing whether you got a practice question right is enough
Knowing why you got it right helps you cement the knowledge for use under pressure. For each practice question, work out why the correct answer is right, why the other options are wrong, if you missed any clues, and whether you misread the question. Some programs also have students build concept maps and bring them to advising meetings.
