NCLEX-RN®: Tips and Tricks to Pass the Exam
- To pass the NCLEX-RN®, you have to prepare. And preparation looks different for everyone.
- Use study methods that have been successful throughout your education and consider adding a prep program like Slone NCLEX.
- Incorporating myriad study styles is one of the best ways to ensure you’re ready come exam day.
The secret is, there is no secret. To pass the NCLEX-RN®, you have to prepare.
What matters though is how you prepare. And that looks different for everyone.
Some studies suggest that success in the classroom is a predictor of how you’ll do on NCLEX-RN®. Others compare how computer-based studying fares against a textbook-focused approach.
For our money, we encourage a multi-pronged approach. Use the study methods that have helped you feel confident throughout nursing school, add in a prep program like Slone NCLEX, and don’t shy away from trying something new.
And if you’re among the cohort that has struggled a bit (we’ve all been there!), there’s no shame in reaching out to professors or other students for one-on-one help or to form a study group.
Here we’ll discuss various approaches you can incorporate into your study plan (and in some cases before you’re even ready to start studying) to pass the NCLEX-RN®.
It Starts in the Classroom
Academic success is an indicator of NCLEX-RN® success. That’s what researchers found in an exploratory study published in October 2024 in the journal Teaching and Learning in Nursing. They determined that GPA and academic performance in anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology courses predicted passing NCLEX-RN® scores in more than 84% of students in their sample cohort.
So don’t neglect your studies. Be as dedicated as a student as you want to be when you’re a full-fledged nurse. It will only help you in the long run.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask For Help
A 2024 Journal of Nursing Education study noted that remediation efforts, such as an NCLEX-RN® coaching program, were created to help graduating seniors “who had a low GPA or low scores on the standardized predictor examination.”
“Coaches met individually with students to work on test-taking strategies and develop a plan of study, as well as ways for students to manage test anxiety,” the authors stated, noting that program results were not available at the time of publication.
Sometimes, individual coaching is what you need. It takes away distractions and can reduce anxiety you might have about answering questions in front of other students.
Be Proactive
Prior to the Next-Generation NCLEX’s launch in 2023, one nursing program shifted its curriculum to include a “clinical judgment framework.” (The Clinical Judgment Model was one of the changes implemented with the NGN.) Doing so increased the program’s first-time pass rates by 24%, according to a 2023 Nurse Educator article.
That said, if your nursing program’s curriculum hasn’t already incorporated a clinical judgment approach, find prep courses, like Slone NCLEX, that do. The more proactive you are in ensuring you’re studying the most relevant material, the better off you’ll be.
Don’t Just Hit the Books
Studying NCLEX-RN® textbook material is a given when it comes to preparing for exam day. But when that day comes, you’ll be answering questions through computer-assisted quizzing (CAQ). So incorporate that method into your study plan.
An April 2024 study from Teaching and Learning in Nursing examined the differences between students who prepared for the NCLEX-RN® with CAQ and those who used textbooks. The authors found that the “CAQ group had higher exit HESI [Health Education Systems Incorporated] examination scores compared to the NCLEX review textbook preparation group.”
The Bottom Line
There’s no one way to guarantee a passing score on the NCLEX-RN®. But by focusing on your pre-NCLEX classes and clinicals; incorporating multiple study formats; and asking for help when you need it, you will be one step closer to a successful exam day.