Let’s find out your NCLEX strategy!
Instructions:
For each question, add 1 point for either STRATEGY, CONTENT, or Q&A. At the end, add your total points and see if it matches your preferred studying strategy!
Do you know your content? If yes, one point for strategy. If no, one point for content.
Have you graduated more than a year ago? If yes, one point for content. If no, one point for strategy.
Can you put more than 5+ hours studying per day? If yes, one point for content. If no, one point for Q&A.
Do you feel like you need to know the little details? If yes, one point for content. If no, then one point for Q&A.
Do you have the attention span for little details? If yes, then one point for content. If no, then one point for strategy.
Are you confident in NCLEX? If yes, then one point for Q&A. If no, then one point for strategy.
Are you strong in NCLEX strategies? If yes, then one point for Q&A. If no, then one point for strategy.
Do you like memorizing charts? If yes, then one point for content. If no, then one point for Q&A.
Have you failed before? If yes, one point for strategy. If no, then one point for content.
Add your total points up and see if it matches your preferred studying strategies.
Content Review
If your content is weak, you should focus on refreshing your content, especially if you have forgotten what you learned over the years of nursing school. Comprehensive reviews provide information, charts, and practice questions for every topic that you have covered in nursing school.
Read Top NCLEX Comprehensive Review Materials Article
If you choose content review, I highly recommend looking at all the chapters and creating a study plan to write out how long it would take to study the book. For an example of study plan, see our article Organize Yourself and Get Confident with the NCLEX.
QD Nurses highly recommends: Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN® Examination, 6e (Saunders Comprehensive Review for NCLEX-RN).
Helpful tip: Use the Saunders CD, download the audio, and listen to it as often as possible!
Strategy Review
Forget content review and reading from topic to topic! Sometimes it just isn’t worth it when you simply do not have the time or the attention span for it. Maybe you already know the content, but just need the right strategy to attack the questions. Don’t you hate it when you know the topic of the question, but just can’t get the answer correct?
Read Top 5 NCLEX Strategy Review Materials Article
QD Nurses highly recommends: Lippincott’s NCLEX-RN Alternate-Format Questions 5e and Prioritization, Delegation, and Assignment: Practice Exercises for the NCLEX Examination, 3e.
Q&A Review
The more questions you answer, the more rationales you will read. You will also learn content by reading rationales as well. It is easier to absorb the material by practicing.
Read Top Question & Answer NCLEX Review Materials Article
This is QD Nurse’s ideal review strategy – How to Analyze and Breakdown NCLEX Questions.
Usually when you use practice exams, they do not repeat the questions to make sure you understand. Q&A review makes sure that you have a clear understanding by asking you several questions about the diseases and repeating the rationales so that it becomes clear to you.
QD Nurses highly recommends: NCLEX-RN Questions and Answers Made Incredibly Easy.
