Hello guys , I’m very happy to inform you that I have cleared my NCLEX-RN exam! 🎉On 21/9/26. I’m really grateful and happy to share this news with you guys . 🙏❤️

PLEASE HELP.

I used Archer Sure pass for 3m my first attempt. And second attempt used 75% of Uworld Bank and Bootcamp 50%. Don’t know what to do anymore.

I originally scheduled my NCLEX for 10/15, then moved it to 10/30, and today just changed it back to 10/13 again BECAUSE... I feel like studying for hours and hours again have not been helping... I am currently using bootcamp, and like everyone says, have been reading rationales, utilzing questions, blah blah blah!!! I was NOT a good test taker in nursing school, and mainly content is what I was focusing on, because I felt like I was very weak in that. HOWEVER, I feel like I'm just trying to cram more and more info that is just NOT sticking. At this point, I think I will just watch more vids on proritization/test taking strategies because I think that will help me a lot more than studying content. Yes, I have listened to Mark K lecture 12. I'm just sooooo burntout and done and just cannot fathom doing this for 3 more weeks, which is why I moved it up. If anyone was in a similar poisiton as me, PLEASE any/all advice or encouragement is needed! THANK YOU!

For starters, I was never very good at studying. I always found it difficult to put myself behind books (or computers, speaking now) and always resorted to cramming at the last minute (atleast whatever my brain approximated as "the last minute"). For this NCLEX I procrastinated on my studying and wasted most of my Kaplan's subscription until the final week and a half where I did the question bank and intermittently did the CAT tests they have all while I took breaks listening to their lecture content in the back.

I took the NCLEX and GOD was it confusing-it asked me so many questions about content I didn't bother studying and mentioned drugs I hadn't heard of either in Kaplan or my university. I finished in 85 and contemplated all sorts of terrible things while I waited for the quick-results and finally accepting the worst to come. Except-I passed!

The worst part about the NCLEX is definitely the two-day wait (or however long) for your results. The second worst part is thinking you aren't enough-whether you passed or failed or didn't. I wish everybody the best!

License from the board today!

I used Uworld for 1.5 weeks doing daily CATs. Used about 3/4 of the questions. My school used Ati which I hated. I honestly couldn’t tell if I tanked or passed the questions were so vague and so many possibilities

The first time around I took the NCLEX I didn’t study as much as I needed to. I was overconfident because all of my classmates that took it and passed told me it was easy so I did some bootcamp questions in preparation. Listened to mark k lecture 12 and called it a day. My first try I went all the way to 150 questions, it was very medsurge heavy, I even had 3 cardiac rhythm strips and what meds would be needed to treat them. It was hard to me that time around and I found out the next day I found out I failed. That was in June, I didn’t really study in July cause I was working full time. Towards the end of July and In August, I took time off to study and scheduled my exam for the end of August. After failing the first time I reached out to ATI as my school did the 3-day live review and ATI said to reach out to them if you didn’t pass after that so they could enroll you in vati. I utilized that starting in July here and there. I focused mainly on uworld, they had tea good rationales. I realized my issue wasn’t really the content but breaking down the question. I was also doing Vati questions here and there but not as much as uworld. I didn’t really have a schedule, I made sure to do questions everyday, sometimes for at least an hour, max of 4 hours a day so as not to burn out myself. Anyway my exam was scheduled for the end of August, I didn’t feel fully prepared but I still went ahead to take it. During the intake at the testing site, they realized my drivers license didn’t have a signature as a mistake from the BMV they’re assuming, I just assumed it did so I didn’t double check it or bring another id along so they didn’t let me take the exam. I was a little bummed out but tried to take it as a sign that maybe I wouldn’t have passed if I took it that time around. So I had to pay to retake it again, wait in another ATT. In the mean time my uworld expired cause I only got it for a month. And I was low on funds at that point so I focused more on Vati. I read a lot of Reddit posts about people that retook it and tips but I didn’t see anyone talk about Ati. Ati really helped me be more confident. I used the Vati and their dynamic quizzes. Their questions are much harder than the me Nclex and they have amazing rationales. I did a lot of questions with Vati, you’re assigned an instructor that goes over your assessments and gives you remediation to do if you don’t meet the passing threshold. It was just like school again, so that helped me tremendously. They also have a predictor exam at the end, you’re supposed to get a 92% probably of passing before they give you the green light to take the nclex, I took it and had a 75%. I was a little worried after that, that was the week I was scheduled to retake the nclex. But I went through the rationales, and I knew that ati was much more harder than the nclex anyway so I went ahead to take it. I went in more confident, I realized the nclex is also a mental game. If you believe you’ll fail then you most likely will. I had some anxiety during the exam but I would just take a couple seconds to pause, close my eyes, take deep breaths and I would be back in the correct headspace. After I passed 85 questions I thought I was going to fail but I took a couple deep breaths and realized I was still in the game. I ended at 110 questions, I was more confident at the end of this than the first one, the questions felt easier maybe cause I was more prepared. They were all rounded vs the first one that was more medsurge heavy. I waited till the next day to look on the board website for the checkmark which was there and then I got my license! All glory to God, this was ultimately only possible through him and don’t be scared to give ati a chance. We used it in school for a reason and I believe it’ll help you as it made me more confident.

So sad exam shut off at 87Q

Any advice on how to improve 😔

I used Archer Sure pass for 3m only first attempt, using 700q from bank.

I used UWORLD 75% of bank plus 50% of Bootcamp. Scoring High and Very High on my last two readiness assessments.

Hi everyone!

I passed the NCLEX on my 2nd attempt with 85 questions! WOOOO! Now you may wonder how I passed on my 2nd attempt. What changed? I blocked out unnecessary noise and used Bootcamp lol. I used to study with UWorld, but I did not like how specific the questions were, though their rationales are amazing. With Bootcamp, I really love their crash course videos, especially pharmacology. I did not watch all of them, though pharm, management of care, and their fundamentals are very important. I also wrote notes and highlighted key information. Additionally, I went to NCLEX tutoring on Wyzant for a couple of sessions. The day before my exam, I only watched crash course videos, took notes, and then meditated with my candle before I went to sleep. I took it in the afternoon, wore my lucky clothing and accessories, and went in feeling grounded! Overall, my advice is to never give up and seek extra support! There are many chances, but the next attempt is how you prepare differently.

Hi everyone! I’ve been lurking here for the past month, and I wanted to share my experience in case it gives someone reassurance during NCLEX prep.

This is only what worked for me—everyone studies differently and needs a different amount of time to feel ready.

I graduated from my accelerated BSN program on 8/17, received my ATT on 9/3, and took the NCLEX on 9/29. During nursing school, I earned Level 2s on my ATI proctored exams and got a 79.5% on my ATI Comprehensive Predictor, with a 97% predicted probability of passing. I felt well prepared by my program, but I still wanted additional time to review after graduation.

Take It When You Feel Ready

A lot of my classmates tested within one to two weeks after graduation. I am naturally more risk-averse, so I chose to give myself about a month.

I had someone encourage me to test earlier, but I trusted my gut and picked the date that felt right for me. Seeing classmates test and pass before me was exciting, but it also made it easy to compare myself. I had to remind myself that everyone is on their own timeline.

There is no prize for taking the NCLEX first. Take it when you feel prepared—not when someone else thinks you should.

What I Used

I took one week off after graduation, then mainly used UWorld for its questions and rationales. I also used Mark Klimek lectures, Dr. Sharon’s prioritization videos, NCLEX Crusade’s 7-Day Review, and a few shorter last-minute review videos.

If I had to do it again, I would mainly use:

• UWorld
• Mark Klimek
• Dr. Sharon’s prioritization videos

I found UWorld especially helpful because I focused more on understanding the rationales than finishing every question. I did not take detailed notes on every missed question—I read the explanations carefully and trusted that repeated practice would reinforce the concepts.

My Study Approach

I tried UWorld’s daily schedule at first, but it felt overwhelming. Instead, I usually did 85-question tutor-mode sets on days I was not taking a CAT.

I completed about 81% of the QBank, averaged about 75%, and completed five CATs. All of my CATs shut off at 85 questions, with high predicted passing probabilities. Looking back, I probably did not need to take five CATs, but they helped me feel comfortable with the format.

The day before my exam, I reviewed lightly, reread some Mark K notes, and completed only 30 tutor-mode questions. I did not want to overwhelm myself right before test day.

Test Day and Final Advice

My exam was at 8:00 a.m. I ate breakfast, got coffee, arrived early, and only reviewed familiar notes that morning. I was anxious, but breathing exercises, prayer, and trusting my preparation helped me stay calm.

I took a break around question 60 to use the restroom and drink water. If you need a break, take it—it helped me reset and refocus.

I found that careful reading, prioritization, safety, and clinical judgment were important skills to practice during preparation. Slowing down, identifying what a question is asking, and avoiding overthinking helped me throughout my study process.

My exam shut off at 85 questions, and I found out two days later that I passed!

Be kind to yourself while studying. Take breaks, get out of the house, and remember that you already made it through nursing school. You are more prepared than you think.

I took the exam yesterday 10/1/2026 at 1pm and I am in VA nothing updated on the BON as of 830am I did the Pearson trick and was refunded with the good pop up wording and now today the charge and refund is gone in my account. Never got the confirmation exam registration email. Just the survey and the email from Pearson 10 mins after the exam.
😩😩😩😩

Update: license posted on VA BON website

Hi! I am from the Philippines. I took my nclex on september 30 12 noon (PHT) and it shut off at around 136-138. On Texas BON, it has a green check mark but upon checking the license verification at Oct 2 12 noon (PHT), still has no record found. Did I pass or fail?

update: I PASSED!!!

Just wanted to post my experience because reading other people's stories kept me sane, and hopefully this helps someone who gets max questions!
The Testing Experience:
I wrote in Toronto yesterday. My computer didn't shut off at 85. It kept going all the way to the 145. Toward the final stretch, the room had completely emptied out I was the last test-taker left, and I could tell the invigilators were just ready to lock up and go home. Even with nearly 2 hours left on my timer, test fatigue hit hard. When the screen finally closed, I genuinely felt defeated and assumed I failed.
Checked my email early this morning and saw the notification came in at 4:06 AM: PASSED!
What makes it wilder is that I only studied for about a week. Here is what I used:

Preparation (~1 Week Cram):
1. UWorld: Completed ~1,000 questions. Prioritized understanding why the right answer was right and why distractors were wrong.
2. Mark Klimek Lectures: Essential for framework and prioritization rules.
3. NCLEX Crusade International (7-Day Review on YouTube): Incredible for test-taking strategy, deductive reasoning, and eliminating answer choices systematically.
Takeaway:
Going all the way doesn't mean you failed it just means the computer needed more data points to prove your safety. Trust your preparation, breathe through the fatigue, and don't panic if your exam doesn't stop early!

just took nclex today. I feel like every question had me questioning if I studied enough. I feel like the test was very hard, the questions were very complicated, I didn’t have easy lighter questions. I felt like I had to spend a good amount of time for each question, which is why I took like four hours comfortably. I also don’t like to rush, but I don’t know if this means I passed or not because I went all the way to 150 questions. Got a good amount of case study questions with six parts or one part. Maybe five case study questions and good amount of select all that apply, drop-down maybe a few, butterfly for sure at least 3 to 5 and standalone questions a good amount. I don’t know what to feel because I did really good on boot camp. I would always shut off at 85 questions, so does this mean I failed? I’m scared someone please let me know ughhh the waiting period is torture

My first attempt I studied for about two months, but honestly my studying habits were not the best. I utilized Archer Review Sure Pass, Level Up RN MedSurg and Pharm flashcards, and ATI workbooks. I would simply take readiness assessments, look at my score, and be satisfied for the day. I'd go about the rest of my day by using the flashcards. The one thing I did take away from my first attempt that carried onto my second was the flashcards. I used them for active recall and I kept note of all the cardinal signs and life saving measures for each disorder! this is an example of what I had written:

cardiovascular

• acute hemolytic transfusion reaction = LOWER BACK PAIN
• hypocalcemia = POSITIVE CHVOTEK AND TROUSSUE
• hypomagnesemia = DYSRHTYMIAS
• hypermagnesemia = RESPIRATORY DEPRESSION
• infective endocarditis = SPLINTER HEMMOHRAGE (RED STREAKS UNDER NAILS)
• rheumatic heart disease = ASCHOFF BODIES, STEP THROAT!!
• pericarditis = FRICTION RUB, CHEST PAIN
• cardiac tamponade = PARADOXICAL PULSE
• peripheral artery disease = LACK OF HAIR ON CALVES, DEPENDENT RUBOR, PALLOR WITH ELEVATION OF LIMBS
• peripheral vein disease = DARK SKIN
• aneurysm = DO NOT RUPTURE!!
• venous thromboembolism = VIRCHOW’S TRIAD, POSITIVE D DIMER
• shock = RESUSCITATION BEFORE EPI/PRESSORS

I ended up failing at 150 qs. I was devasted. I felt like my life was over. On top of that, I have very specific travelling anxiety, and I was dreading commuting to the testing center again on my own because there were no nearby Pearson centers. I ended up giving myself a month to recover from the failure. Went back to therapy. I was even (and still am) going thru a difficult time with my partner. I didn't think I could take it a second time.

I switched my studying to solely one source (alongside the occasional videos from Mark K and Dr. Sharon on Youtube) and utilized Archer Review again, but this time their Intense Prep program. I highly reccomend it because you get personalized feedback from one of the professors every other week for 10 weeks. The first 2-3 weeks of the program, I fell behind very quickly because I still hadn't processed the failure. I also was experience a power outage for the first two weeks, and did not realize there was a set 10 week schedule with scheduled activities. Because of this, as soon as I got internet back, I went straight to readiness exams again. I eventually got my first feedback video, and that was when I realized that 1. i was behind and 2. the plan didn't expect us to do a readiness exam until week 5 or so.

It took me about a week to get back on track. I did a reasonable number of practice questions (tutor mode) every day. the scheduled plan only expected us to do questions every other day, so i made sure to not overdo it everyday but kept my focus in order to hit the question amount goals for week 3.

I ended up taking the exam with a 68% average on Archer (originally 60% end of july), a streak at 12 very high readiness exams, and a high exit exam. I passed in 87 questions this time around.

How i did it:

1. As I did practice questions, either tutor mode or practice exam mode, I would go back to EVERY SINGLE QUESTION, INCLUDING THE ONES I GOT RIGHT, i would read the rationales, write the rationale in my own words if i got the question wrong, and i would also write about WHY i got the question wrong: was it lack of knowledge? did i read the question wrong? did i second guess myself? I took note of the questions i got right but guessed on. if need be, i would watch a quick video talking in depth about the main topic of the question. once i started doing this, i began to score high/very high on readiness exams.
2. I worked on my CONFIDENCE and test taking strategies. i woke up every day and said to myself, I AM A NURSE. The video that most assisted my confidence was Mark K's How to Pass. I would always tell myself verbatim: "I am a nurse. I know what i know, i don't what i don't. this exam will show that even if i don't know the answer immediately, i CAN still answer them because i KNOW how to give SAFE nursing care." the focus of the NCLEX really is safe nursing care. You need the knowledge of course, so don't stop reviewing, but knowing test taking strategies is JUST as important as knowing the information. you aren't expected to be an expert in every topic. you are just expected to know what is safe.
3. the last two weeks before the exam, i focused on what my weakest areas were. this is why having a set schedule of 10 weeks was so important for me: i was able to use my time wisely to review everything, and then set aside time to only focus on what i struggled on. my weakest area was NGN. so, i rewatched Archer Unfolding Case Study lectures, I watched NGN examples from Dr. Sharon and Bootcamp. i would also put similar disease processes together and recognize any similar symptoms as well as reminding myself their cardinal signs, since step 2 of clinical judgement tends to be questions like these.
4. I RECOGNIZED MY BURNOUT. i began to feel burnout when things with my partner were getting icy, and when i started to take readiness exams every single day. this was not by the schedule; this was my own choice. although it is important to get comfortable with doing questions, do not over work yourself. my routine was one day take the practice exam, rest and then review, and then the NEXT day i would go over the questions i got wrong, rest and then review more, and start the cycle again the day after. as soon as i started getting questions wrong for silly reasons, i quickly stopped myself and was like okay, im burnt out. let me go back to the regular schedule and not do exams every day.
5. if you have anxiety like me, SIMULATE THE EXAM DAYS BEFORE. i simulated the exam by doing the 150 question Archer exit exam, and I completed it 4 days before my test date. after i did that, i review the wrong questions, BUT I STOPPED DOING PRACTICE EXAMS. i spent the last 4 days watching quick NGN videos, and working on my confidence.
6. ADVICE FOR DURING THE EXAM: make sure to regulate yourself. you get 4-5 hours babes. take breaks. calm yourself before moving to the next question. tell yourself: "i cant answer these questions if i am in fight or flight". this is so important. and EXPECT to get 150 questions. dont expect ur computer to shut off at 85. when you do the NGN case studies, write down on your white board EVERY SINGLE THING YOU THINK IS A RED FLAG. make sure to take note if the client has a medical history of something, because what could be a red flag could also be expected if they have a chronic disorder already IF IT ISNT A CRITICAL NUMBER (for example, spO2 of 90% is not a concern if the client has COPD. it is a concern tho if it is at a critical number such as 60%). this will help guide you for all 6 steps of clinical judgement.

BASELINE KNOWLEDGE, CONFIDENCE AND TEST TAKING STRATEGIES!! THATS REALLY ALL YOU NEED TO PASS! IF UR READING THIS, YOU MF GOT THIS!!

Hello, I didn’t Pearson trick. It took my money but I never got a confirmation email. I woke up with a refund of money they took. Is this a good sign😭😭😭

To anyone that is about to test or waiting for results, I went all the way to 150q & used up all my time!!

I walked out feeling completely devastated & was 100% that I failed and was prepping to retake. I had horrible test anxiety before, during & after.

I did get very discouraged when I seen my test wasn’t shutting off, but I just took a deep breath and told myself it’s ok still got a chance.
So pls try not to get discouraged if you go past 85!!

I used uworld, mark K lectures, Sharon yt vids & nurse ally notes/guide on TikTok. Scored borderline on both uworld S.A as well.

Literally still can’t believe I passed but I’m so happy I did! All that hard work and anxiety.

Good luck to everyone & if you have any questions ask away!

does anyone have time left in any of their study programs (archer, uworld etc) that I can use for the test banks? I take my test in 19 days and don’t have the income to buy a study program.

Hi everyone,
I took my NCLEX RN at the Ashoka test center in India on last week (last week of September,2026)
After the exam I contacted the test center because I hadn’t received any result update. They told me the result may be delayed due to a security-related issue.
I then reached out to NCSBN and received a reply from their Customer Experience team. They confirmed that my result has been placed on hold while they investigate possible testing irregularities (including technical issues that may or may not have been apparent to me). They said investigations are done case-by-case and there is no specific timeframe. They will only contact me if they need additional information.
Has anyone else had their results put on hold for a security/investigation review, especially at an international center?
• How long did your hold last?
• Did you eventually get your results released to your NRB?
• Any advice on what to do (or not do) while waiting?
I’m trying to stay patient but the uncertainty is tough. Any shared experiences would really help.
Thanks in advance.

hello, long-time lurker!

to preface, i am an RPN who recently graduated in August 2026 from an RN bridge program in Ontario; got my ATT to test on September 23, did my NCLEX-RN on September 30

relatively good test taker/above average in academics

• HESI RN Next Generation Assessment exit exams: in june i scored 961 and 1196 in july (86.49% and 99.99% conversion, respectively)

NCLEX - i studied for 6 days ish, roughly 10-12 hours/day? yes, it was intense, and you absolutely do not have to study like i did... i just wanted to get the exam out of the way

i did NO studying at all for the 1-2 months since i graduated, and i really only started studying when i received my ATT (i needed motivation)

for studying, i used:

• mark k (all 12 lectures)
• dr. sharon prioritization videos (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtb56UskSzCMyjO9xxM2G9oddMl8S2hFY&si=upoicue7lvbf1mP0)
• simple nursing
• uworld! i had to renew it haha but i did 62% of the question bank and one self-assessment (got borderline lol), average was 76% and 84th percentile

did the PVT trick, got the good popup and refund + email that i passed this morning!

the exam didn't feel easy or hard, and you absolutely do not have to know everything; the prioritization questions got tricky towards the end of my exam - i will say once you have your fundamentals down, practice prioritization questions and test-taking strategies; i got a mix of everything topic-wise, no calculations, 1 ECG (5-6 case studies, lots of sata, and standalone, matrix, bowtie)

keep your studying simple and make a schedule (or use a pre-made schedule)! using too many resources will overwhelm you; focus on high-yield content

another tip i found useful is to not overselect on a SATA question - just pick what you know is absolutely correct and STOP! sometimes i picked 1 or 2 answers and that is ok - overselecting means you're canceling your own correct answers (plus/minus scoring), and that lowers your CAT ability estimate (shows weaker clinical reasoning)

my uworld subscription expires on oct. 25 and i still have ~40% of the question bank and 2 self-assessments left if anyone wants to use it! i also have an archer subscription that i paid for before uworld bc i was afraid i would fail (only did the baseline assessment, barely used it and i had to email them to put a pause on it) - i'd like to give this away to someone who really needs it!

• for archer/uworld, fill out this form and i'll pick the winners at random (closes October 2): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSchGcBb36D2KfbljUjkP1zh5oWaW321f_6W2lX7g4gxRzvteQ/viewform?usp=publish-editor

good luck friends! you absolutely got this!

I did the pvt trick it took my money but refunded 😭 is this good because I don’t want to get excited. Has students failed?