NCLEX Test Prep
The NCLEX is the last thing that will separate you as a future nurse from your dream career. It’s the culmination of all your schooling, clinical rotations, late-night study sessions, and pop quizzes.
The NCLEX is administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing and is the examination that determines your nursing license. There are two NCLEX exams, one for RNs (registered nurses) and one for LPNs (licensed practical nurses).
If you’re preparing for your NCLEX or other nursing exam, you may want to consider enrolling in a review course or other test preparation program. The NCLEX is a comprehensive exam, so it helps to be as prepared as possible for not only the questions on the exam, but the type of exam and what to expect on test day as well.
Answering the Basic Questions
You can expect a comprehensive and well-assembled NCLEX prep course to cover all the basics, so you have as little to worry about on test day as you can manage. Some basics you should get answers to include:
● Where do I find a testing facility?
● How is the test administered?
● How do I know if I’ve met all the requirements to sit for the NCLEX?
● How early should/can I register to take the NCLEX?
● How do I learn about the testing dates available to me?
● What do I need to bring with me on test day?
● What is the registration fee for the NCLEX?
Of course, these questions just scratch the surface of what you’d hope to learn in advance of the test. From the NCSBN, you can obtain official test plans, which help you anticipate the type of questions you’ll be asked and how to prepare to answer them.
According to the NCSBN, the purpose of these plans is to:
1. “Guide candidates preparing for the exam
2. Inform the direction for item development
3. Facilitate classification of exam items”
Included in the downloadable test plans are:
1. “Definition of each Client Needs Categories
2. Nursing activity statements
3. Detailed content examples
4. Sample NCLEX items
5. Item writing guide (educator version)”
These test plans can help give you a strong foundation for your review course, which you may find either online or on campus.
