Reviewing for the NCLEX takes a lot of hard work. Whether you are preparing for the NCLEX-RN or the NCLEX-PN, you will have to study a lot of nursing concepts as well as answer a lot of practice questions to ensure that you are truly competent and competent enough to take the NCLEX exam.

The Important Thing to Know About the NCLEX Exam

Be warned that the NCLEX is a computer-based exam that does not allow you to go back to previous questions if you realized that you may have answered some questions incorrectly. It also does not allow you to take a look at the next question without producing an answer to the current nursing licensure exam question that is flashed on the screen. This is because the NCLEX exam uses CAT or computerized adaptive testing; meaning the next question is based on your competency answering previous ones. Knowing this can sound overwhelming because not only will you have to prepare with a better understanding of nursing concepts, but you also have to prepare yourself psychologically as well as develop good test-taking skills.

So, What Should You Review for the NCLEX?

Perhaps the question should be ‘how you should review for the NCLEX’ and not just ‘what to review for the NCLEX’. This is the reason why we started this article by informing you about some important tidbits about this nurse licensure exam.

A good understanding of what the NCLEX is and how it is administered is key for adequate preparation. As a recap, the NCLEX is a computer-based nurse licensure exam that uses CAT or computerized adaptive testing technology. Additionally, it tests aspiring nurses in 4 key areas:

• Safe and effective care management
• Psychosocial integrity
• Physiological integrity
• Health promotion and maintenance

Each of the broad nursing topics for the NCLEX above is subdivided into more specific nursing concepts. For example, questions regarding the care of suicidal clients are asked under psychosocial integrity while pediatric nursing concepts are asked under health promotion and maintenance. Higher-level NCLEX questions use mixed concepts and require outstanding comprehension as well as analytical skills.

Note that the NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN are nurse license exams that gauge an aspiring nurse’s level of competency. As such, these exams can and will ask about any nursing concept. With this said, some topics are NCLEX favorites or what we call as ‘NCLEX alert topics’ in the Global School of Health Online NCLEX Review Course. An example of a NCLEX alert topic would be the care of clients who are experiencing mania. Nurse exam licensure topics like this are given special emphasis in our 35-Days NCLEX Bootcamp review program to make sure that our students are prepared to take them on.

How Long to Review for the NCLEX Exam?

There is no exact set time that works for everyone but if you planning to attend an NCLEX review program, you should give yourself enough time to realistically prepare for the exam. Allowing yourself a 3 to 6 months timeframe is generally good. If you are in a time crunch because your ATT is expiring, attending our 1-month long 35-Days NCLEX Bootcamp review program can work too although technically it will take 6-weeks long to complete.

Another thing that is great about our online NCLEX review program at the Global School of Health is that if your NCLEX exam is not scheduled yet or if it looks like you may need a little more help after our comprehensive individualized assessment, then we can offer you some of our tailored NCLEX preparation services. Some of these services areour per-topic special coaching or re-attending some of our live online NCLEX lecture classes. Contact us today so we can tell you more!