For a nurse, one of the most important examinations they will ever undertake is the National Council Licensure Examination, or NCLEX, which is a nursing examination developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) in the United States.

NSCSBN has developed two examinations that are used to test the qualifications of entry-level nursing candidates. The NCLEX-RN exam is a test for registered nursing candidates, while the NCLEX-PN exam is for licensed practical/vocational nursing candidates.

Passing these exams are a requirement for anyone attending nursing school. The NCLEX exam is designed to test the knowledge, sills and abilities that are essential for safe and effective nursing at the entry-level.

NCLEX-RN Exam
For the NCLEX-RN exam, the exam is split into four categories: Safe Effective Care Environment, Health Promotion and Maintenance, Psychosocial Integrity and Physiological Integrity. Most of the questions are multiple choice, however broader questions have been added in recent years. For example, some questions will require the candidate to identify and select a particular area of a drawn body part pertaining to the question, or answer a mathematical question, often relating to medication dosages.

NCLEX-PN Exam
The NCLEX-PN exam also uses computerized-adaptive testing, with questions that measure the higher levels of cognition. The exam is split into the same categories as the NCLEX-RN exam: Safe Effective Care Environment, Health Promotion and Maintenance, Psychosocial Integrity and Physiological Integrity. However, some of the aspects of the categories and the questions asked are different.

Tips To Pass the NCLEX Exam
Passing the NCLEX exam does not need to be a stressful part of nursing school, but simply another chapter in an exciting career, yet to begin. By following a few simple steps to ensure you are properly prepared for the test and ready for a rewarding career in nursing.

Make A Study Plan
This is a process that should start several months in advance, and you are going to need to calculate your total study time and arrange when you want to study. You should break the weeks into sections so you can spend a certain week studying for a certain topic. As well, you need to organize your notes into headings, sub-headings and more so that the material is structured in a way that will allow you to learn the important information in an easy manner. If your papers are just a jumble of notes, it will be very difficult for your mind to put the information together in a logical manner.

Use Study Tools
It is important that as you study, you test your ability to practice nursing judgment, rather than focusing on facts. As well, you can apply critical thinking.
Another excellent way to aid in your studying is to become a part of a study group. A group can prepare questions to ask and share within in the group. This will aid in the process of studying and develop your “on-the-spot” answering capability. That being said, do not stay with a study group that is not helping you in your process of studying the nursing material.

Anxiety and Stress
When you are preparing for a big exam like the NCLEX exam in nursing school, you are going to deal with anxiety and stress. Stress, in turn, can cause you problems when you are trying to learn the material and make it difficult for you to retain the information.

When this happens, give yourself some positive reinforcement and remind yourself of the tough tests you had in the past, which you passed with no problem, despite being worried about them.
You can practice relaxation techniques that will calm you down and allow you to assess the questions and studying with a calm mind. All you have to do when you get anxious is to breath in slowly, count to ten and exhale.

As well, try doing some exercising in the weeks leading up to the exam and under no circumstances should you spend your last few days cramming to learn everything you can.

Before The Test
On the day of the test, make sure you get up nice and early after a good night’s sleep, have a healthy breakfast and ensure you are relaxed before proceeding for the exam. Make a list of everything you need the night before, including your identification, to ensure you are not racing the morning of the test to get everything together.

And Most Importantly….
Relax. It is so very important that you go into the test with a clear head, knowing that no matter what happens, it is not the end of the world.

Go in their with confidence, knowing you have studying the materials, and keep a positive frame of mind throughout the examination.

Do not get discouraged and do not let stress dominate your mind.

Breath, Relax and Pass.