Hi all,

Because I OBSESSED over forums to savage for any tips I could find and answer any questions I had, I thought it would only be fair to give back to forums and post my NCLEX experience.

I began my NCLEX study journey with the ATI Live Review, which was given for free at the end of my last semester. After that, I boycotted all things ATI. I somehow won a free 7 day trial with Hurst NCLEX Review, so I started with that. Hurst offers about 25 content review videos that are about an hour long each. I utilized the content given in those videos to make my NCLEX binder. Hurst was helpful for an overall content review, but I ended up buying UWorld for practice with questions. Before my content review, I was getting between low 40s to 50s on the tests. After I completed Hurst, I started getting anywhere between the 50s to 70s. I averaged in the 68th percentile for my performance. I also purchased the additional self assessment that UWorld offers. I took that about a week before I had my NCLEX. I scored a 76% and got the "very good chance of passing" rating.

I studied for 2 weeks straight, anywhere from 5 to 8 hours a day. I finished my NCLEX in 75 questions. The format of UWorld is nearly identical to the NCLEX, which makes for no surprises. The PVT worked for me, but my official license didn't post on the state board of nursing website till about a week after I passed, so I did end up paying Pearson for the quick results. I do recommend Hurst for all those who need a core content review, I was just lucky enough to get a free trial. UWorld offers amazing rationales and helps you REALLY understand why an answer is right versus wrong. It also really taught me how to answer a question correctly even when I had no base knowledge about what the question was asking.

Good luck to all my other fellow future nurses. YOU CAN DO THIS!