Nursing Faculty

Hello all,

I hope that this community discussion thread is the right place to ask this question.
I am currently a nursing student from San Diego, California and I'm aiming to be finished with my all of my classes by the end of this year and hoping to take the NCLEX by the end of January next year.
Anyways, I was curious about what advice everyone had regarding NCLEX review. I have been going through ATI's Capstone Review through my school and have signed up for the Hurts Live Review in November. As of now I've really just been reviewing from a "NCLEX-RN Excel" review book just occasionally.
I was wonder what advice, study tips, and resources you recommend to help pass the NCLEX on the first try. I feel like I need all the help I can get so all advice is greatly appreciated.
Thank you!


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Alejandra Flores
Nursing Student working towards her BSN, RN
San Diego CA
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​Alejandra,
Congratulations on your impending graduation from nursing school.  You are wise to be starting to review for the NCLEX now.  The following is information we provide to our students to help them to best prepare to write the NCLEX-RN.
1.  Go the National Council of State Boards of Nursing NCSBN) website https://www.ncsbn.org/ and review the NCLEX-RN test plan which can be located under the NCLEX and Other Exams navigation bar at the top of the page (in green).  The test plan describes the overall content of the NCLEX and also provides information as to how much weight is placed on each major exam category. Also expand the heading Candidate Bulletin and Information and read the information in that document.  Read the section on Computerized Adaptive Testing as that section describes how CAT works in the NCLEX testing environment.  While you are on this site read and familiarize yourself with the information provided for Exam Day and After the Exam.  There is additional information under the NCLEX FAQs tab.
2. Once you are familiar with the expectations of the exam itself, develop a study plan.  Has your program provided any diagnostic tools for you to determine your areas of strengths and weaknesses related to the NCLEX?  If so, use that information to determine which areas you need to allocate the most review and refresher.  You mentioned ATI.  Does your nursing program use any of the ATI testing products?  If so, use the results of that testing you assist you in focusing your study.  Will you be taking any standardized tests such as the HESI exam before you graduate from your program.  If so, use the results of that exam to also direct your study.  Ask your faculty members to help you determine your areas of content strength and weakness based on the results of any standardized or teacher-made tests you have taken.
3.  There is a relatively new product which can be purchased by individual students which helps prep students for taking exams using CAT methodology.  That product is PassPoint.  We have recently started using this product with our students and they find it to be a valuable study aid.
4. Using NCLEX prep books is a good strategy.  You may want to ask your faculty for their recommendations as not all NCLEX prep books are created equal. Make sure the book you are using is based on the current NCLEX-RN test plan.
5.  A review course is also a helpful strategy for  many students. Most of our student enroll in the Hurst review and have found it helpful.
6. We all learn in different ways.  Some of us are visual learners, some are auditory learners, etc. Figure out which type of learner you are and cover all of the bases as you are doing.
7. We try to expose our students to as many NCLEX-style questions over the course of our program as possible.  Between our teacher-made unit exams, ATI, HESI, and PassPoint we expose our students to 3,000-4,000 or more NCLEX-style questions over the course of our BSN program.  The more questions you are exposed to the quicker you will recognize patterns in the way questions are asked, the more content you will be exposed to and the more confident you will become in taking NCLEX-style questions.
8.  Finally, take time to take care of yourself.  Engage in healthy lifestyle practices.  Eat right, get enough sleep and rest.  Keep your anxiety in check by engaging in physical exercise and activities such as yoga, meditation, mindful breathing, etc.
Remember, with the right preparation and the right mindset you can do this.  8 out of every 10 people pass the exam on the first attempt.  Wishing you the best of luck with your preparation.


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Melinda Oberleitner RN DNS
ASSOCIATE DEAN
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Breaux Bridge LA
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