How to Prepare for the NCLEX-RN Exam in One Month

First-attempt pass rates for NCLEX-RN Canada have been rising with every passing year. Compared to the previous decade’s 79.9%, 85.8% of first-time NCLEX candidates passed their NCLEX-RN exams in 2020.

While ModernTech’s Priya Basil recommends preparing for at least 12 weeks before the Canadian registered nurse exam, many don’t start until they only have a month left. If you’re one of those people, follow this guide to prep for your NCLEX-RN exam.

NCLEX-RN Reading Week 1: T-Minus 30 Days

The only thing more difficult than being a registered nurse in Canada is becoming one in the first place. It’s a massive undertaking, so reserve the first week for laying the groundwork.

· Personalize Your Study Plan

You can’t start studying for the exam unless you have the right materials and resources. However, you can only decide what works for you if you know your strengths and weakness.

Thus, it would help if you built your study plan around the following:

· Are there some terminologies and practices that you don’t know?

· What do you know and are confident you can excel at during the exam?

· Would you need a timeout in case of anxiety or stress? What else could possibly distract you?

· Can you overcome your weaknesses, or would you need a mentor like Priya Basil to walk you through them?

· Are there ways other than memorizing that work for you?

· Select Your Test Date

Choosing a test date before even studying for it might sound stressful, but it’ll give you a specific date to work towards. Once you have the test date, you can start planning your practice tests, setting them apart just enough to prep and review.

One more thing: make sure your study plan is centered around your prep requirements. Whether those needs involve the theory, practice, or test strategies is up to you.

· Review Test Results

Once you start with practice tests, be sure to review the results. This will give you a fair idea about how far you are already in your study plan. Once you’ve measured your progress, start covering unfamiliar ground by adding more engaging content and materials.

Return to practice tests, and see if there’s any improvement in the unfamiliar areas. Don’t be afraid to expose yourself to thousands of question resources. The more, the higher your chances of getting practice questions during the NCLEX exam.

· Take it 60 Questions at a Time

Your study schedule may feel like an uphill battle, but you can divide it into even portions, and it might work out. For instance, you can try answering 120 questions daily, splitting them up into mornings and evenings. You know quite well that you might be required to answer more or less during the real thing.

Follow each half with a review and remediation of all questions, even the ones that were lucky guesses, as it would help you understand the logic behind the answer.

NCLEX-RN Reading Weeks 2 & 3: T-Minus 14–23Days

The next two weeks will be similar to the last step:

· Write a practice test with plenty of breaks.

· Review and remediate that test before you start a new one.

· Rinse and repeat.

While this can be repetitive, it reduces your odds of encountering unfamiliar content. Take reading comprehension practice, for instance. When you start practicing for a reading test, your correct answer ratio is quite low, but as you practice, you’ll notice an improvement in your score.

Apply the same logic to these practice tests. The more you do them, the more you’ll grow familiar with the content and embrace a certain test-taking style.

NCLEX-RN Reading Week 4: T-Minus 7 Days

You’re likely to experience plenty of nerves during the final week. This is where your distraction window will come in handy. Practice simple mindfulness exercises like breathing, meditation, and yoga to reduce stress and anxiety. You can also:

· Make time for healthy snacks.

· Drink more water and less caffeine.

· Go on a run.

· Sleep at least seven hours every night.

· On Day 29, visit the test center and follow it up with a fun activity to reduce your growing anxiety.

Join a Nursing Review Center for Better Remediation

You can improve remediation before starting another practice test by joining ModernTech, a nursing review center with many success stories of people passing on their first attempt. There might be no limit to how many times you can take the NCLEX-RN exam, but there’s certainly a limit to how many times you can afford to take one. Save your time and resources by joining their NCLEX review course.

Get in touch to study for nursing school.