When Can I Register For The Nclex

How to Mentally Prepare for the NCLEX

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Manage expectations

The key to much in life, not just preparing for the NCLEX, is managing expectations. If you have a specific way you think something should go and it doesn't go that way, it can become incredibly difficult to focus. Therefore, if you keep your expectations controlled and realistic, when things move more smoothly or quickly than expected, you are pleasantly surprised rather than frustrated that something finally went well. Likewise, if you expect some obstacles and things end up running smoothly, you are relieved instead of stressed. This mindset is key.

There are specific practical steps involved with your nursing school, state board of nursing and Pearson Vue in addition to the actual NCLEX exam. Therefore, do not expect to simply breeze through this entire process of applying, waiting, scheduling, studying, testing and receiving results. Expect to accidentally fill out something incorrectly. Expect to have hiccups in aspects of getting your Authorization To Test (ATT, the form from your State Board of Nursing that says you are eligible to take the NCLEX). Expect it to take longer than they say it will. If you have some bumps in the road to address, when they happen (because honestly, that happens to even the best of us – I was fingerprinted at the wrong place and had to pay to do it all over again and almost missed a deadline) you're not panicking, but able to navigate and troubleshoot with ease.

Expect to be slightly intimidated by the process. It is overwhelming to manage finals, applying for jobs, finishing school and getting all of your paperwork together to even be able to sit to take the exam, let alone study for it. Again, it's a lot to do, but it is manageable. Once it's done, it's done. Manage your expectations by expecting the worst and hoping for the best in this process.

Minimize anxiety

This test is a big deal. It's not something you can sufficiently study for by pulling a few all-nighters, chugging coffee, running to a nearby testing location and finish in 30 minutes. Even those who do not typically experience anxiety can get anxious about the NCLEX. It's completely understandable because even if you did pass nursing school with a 4.0, it doesn't matter if you can't pass this one test. So even if you don't think this section applies to you, it does. If you are proactive in your efforts to decrease your anxiety during your NCLEX preperation, you will be able to focus more during both studying and testing.

Don't procrastinate

If you are waiting until you graduate to even think about preparing for boards, you are behind. NCLEX prep begins the first day of nursing school. During your first semester, get an NCLEX-prep book and start taking a look at it to familiarize yourself not only with the content, but the way the questions are structured.

As you begin your last semester of school, start to research different NCLEX prep course options and decide what will be best for you (not your nurse buds, you!). If you wait until the day after you graduate to even think about this process, you will be instantly overwhelmed. Devoting a little time throughout nursing school to understand and prepare for this process will pay off and minimize your post-graduation stress.

Make a plan and stick to it

Sitting down and physically study for this one comprehensive exam over everything you've learned during the last 2-4 years in college is a bit terrifying. Picking up your largest textbook and starting on page 1 with a goal to read everything is not the most efficient way to go about this task.

There are many NCLEX prep programs available, all with different pros and cons. Whatever you decide, pick one and go focus on that plan and the resources provided. Regardless of which program you go with, it is essential to take practice NCLEX test questions on a regular basis. Create a plan of both content review and taking practice questions for the most effective studying and stick to your plan.

Trust your plan and be diligent

When we get anxious, we doubt ourselves. Therefore, you may start to get anxious one night after you've taken a practice test and you thought you did just fine … suddenly you feel like you're getting everything wrong. You may want to just scrap your plan and try to re-read all of your nursing school textbooks in this next week before the exam.

When you feel the waves of anxiety, take a break. Collect yourself. Do some meditation, go for a long walk, be in silence, turn off your phone and center yourself.

Do not make decisions when you're anxious. Do not scrap all that you've done out of doubt and worry. Pull that anxiety into control first, and then try to objectively analyze your efforts. If you are truly concerned about your approach, chat with a friend about your concerns and see what they think before pivoting.

Trust your plan. Be diligent in following through. Look back to your carefully planned days of content review and practice questions and rest in that. Reassure yourself continually throughout this process.

Believe in yourself

I know this sounds silly and cliché, but really… believing that you can do this is powerful and important. The NCLEX is scary and intimidating, but possible to pass. Remind yourself that you can do this. Repeat: you can do this!

If every time you sit down to study, you think, "I'll never pass this test … I'll never be a nurse … None of this makes sense … I can't believe I'm even trying …" you are setting yourself up for failure. This will make it exponentially more difficult to focus during your study sessions if that is your mentality. A self-defeating, negative attitude is toxic and will not help you succeed in this endeavor.

So, whenever you sit down to study, sit down with confidence. Trust yourself. Trust your plan. Have a mentality that you will crush the NCLEX, and each day is a step closer to achieving your goal. While you may miss questions here and there, you need to review some aspects of various pathophysiology, pharmacology, care management- everyone needs to review those things. No one is perfect. If you believe in yourself, you'll be able to navigate those challenges and needs with confidence and therefore be able to extract even more value and learning from them instead of spending time beating yourself up for not knowing it.

Remember: you can do this.

More resources

The Ultimate NCLEX FAQ Guide – a great summary of the top questions students have about the NCLEX, from what to bring, to where to test, to how to apply, this goes over all of the nitty-gritty details.
Preparing for the NCLEX – Tips From a Nurse – a blog post about practical NCLEX preparedness.
How to Pass the NCLEX with 75 Questions in One Attempt – a blog post explaining keys to studying and different programs.
What is a Good NCLEX Score? – a great explanation of computer adaptive testing.

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Kati Kleber BSN RN CCRN, is an American Nurses Association published author, national speaker, podcast host, and owns and operates the popular blog for new grad nurses, FreshRN.com. Kati is currently pursuing her MSN in Nursing Education.