Short story: European graduate, 10 years out of school, no experience as a nurse.
First try I did the Kaplan online self paced (after my real NCLEX-RN) I realized that it has an extremely outdated format. I failed after 100 questions. On the report it said for one or two categories near the passing standard. The rest were all passing standard or above. I can't remember but I believe I failed the pharmacology.
Somebody told me about the Uworld's program. I signed on to the 6 months option just because I felt really discouraged... I took it in the beginning very casual but always answering 75questions and made sure that I read all of the rationales carefully. I was averaging in the mid 50's, low 60's. At the end of the q bank, I retook all the wrong questions and now I was averaging again in the 60's. I took my assessment tests one week before the scheduled exam. For the first one I got a good chance of passing with 65%, and the second one was 74% putting me at the 83rd percentile with a high chance of passing. I did them on 2 different days.
The last 4 days were intense. I only read the Kaplan text book that I bought on amazon. A synthesis of all the diseases, I read the thing once 600 pages. 300 each day. And watched youtube videos of REGISTERED NURSE RN. about TB, Diabetes, Isolation, and a few more. If I would have discovered her earlier I would of watched more. All those vids were very but very important and great. And the last day the day before the exam I only went over the lab values until I knew every single one with no mistake, and I found a very good pamphlet on allnurses.com, I think someone's notes. But very but very helpful.
[PDF]NCLEX-RN Thread - AllNurses.com (put this into google. you will fid it).
Then the big day came. I went to the exam's location, just on time. I started and I really focused on all the questions I was given. but not too long if I didn't know the answer I tried to pick the one that made most sense. I am sure I missed a few questions but when I saw 75, I said just before clicking next "Oh dear Lord please help me). I got a message saying that my exam was complete and that I was selected to participate in a survey of research and I will be given 25-30 questions that will not count towards my decision. The timer was still going and the numbers were piling up. The questions were very but very strange.
After the completion it stopped and I got again the message that said that those questions are purely experimental and they do not matter.
I went home thinking that I failed most likely. I was so used to the tutor mode, that I was willing to find my mistakes in the rationale and correct myself, but no chance of that on the real nclex-rn.
I started to feel like I failed it.... I took the exam on Monday 16 of Oct. I was super afraid to check the PVT so I did not. But I wake up really early on Wednesday the 18th, so 2 days later ad I decided to check my Breeze CA account, I was listed as a Rn. SO I have a success story after 10 years out of school and I just feel blessed.
Thank you Uworld and I hope that this will help you guys to tone down your anxiety. Just remember the key is repetition. Repetition of questions and reading the rationales.
Best of luck to everyone!
UWORLD ROCKS!!!!!!