| Preparing for the national boards begins as soon as a | | | | continuously they develop the mind set to answer |
| nursing student begins nursing school. Licensure as a | | | | similar questions posed to them in class and on |
| Registered Nurse is granted upon a student passing | | | | boards. There are numerous NCLEX guides on the |
| the national boards or NCLEX. Passing scores are | | | | market. It is up to the student to find the one that |
| based on the amount of questions that the nurse | | | | helps them the most. Using more than one guide can |
| gets correct in relation to the national average. | | | | also help a student learn to critically think about |
| Therefore there is no discrete passing grade. | | | | questions. |
| The fact that nursing students are started on | | | | The student should consult with their nursing |
| licensure testing preparation so early into their | | | | department and nursing instructors as to which of |
| curriculum is a testimony to those nursing schools | | | | the guides out there will give them the best test |
| with the highest and most numerous passing scores. | | | | preparation. Some teachers will offer students a |
| Choosing a nursing school should be based on | | | | private tutoring session for NCLEX review. The |
| credentialing and the schools success rate of passing | | | | student would be encouraged to take advantage of |
| the national boards. Certain schools that are not | | | | any nursing instructor willing to help students out on |
| accredited will be able to graduate nurses with an | | | | their own time, even for a fee. These types of |
| Associate Degree in Applied Science. However, | | | | instructors care about their students and want them |
| graduates from these unaccredited schools will not | | | | to be successful. |
| be able to continue to their bachelors in nursing at an | | | | There are also computerized tests that nursing |
| accredited university. The same is to be said of | | | | students must take in order to graduate. These |
| diploma nurses. | | | | tests are online and they are timed. The nursing |
| Passing the national boards is the final culmination of | | | | student's grade on these tests is not added in to |
| all of the work a student nurse has put into nursing | | | | their class grade. These tests are a separate entity |
| school. The methods of teaching and the type of | | | | altogether. The purpose of these tests is to measure |
| questions students have to answer throughout | | | | the student's competency in each of the fields of |
| nursing school are structured to help them pass the | | | | nursing curriculum and compare their scores with |
| boards. Board exam preparation classes are also | | | | other nursing students from their school as well as |
| mandatory toward the end of the nursing curriculum. | | | | with the rest of the nation. |
| These NCLEX preparation classes are offered for a | | | | The student gets a print out of their results upon |
| period of four consecutive eight hour days. There is | | | | completion of each competency test. The school also |
| no extra charge to the students for this preparation. | | | | gets the score and keeps a record of those |
| These classes are usually administrated a few days | | | | students who did not pass as well as those who did. |
| after graduation from the program. This intensive | | | | Those students that did not pass the exams are |
| preparation is not only helpful to the students to | | | | instructed to repeat the test again until they receive |
| successfully pass the boards, but boosts the schools | | | | a passing score. The scores are listed by a number |
| standing and credentialing as well. | | | | and if the student scores at a level that is termed, |
| As to whether or not students should seek out | | | | "unsafe", /then the student must retake the exam. |
| extra tutoring for the national board exam is entirely | | | | Those students who do not take these online exams |
| up to the student, and depends on how much extra | | | | seriously are surprised that when it comes close to |
| remediation they feel that they need to increase | | | | graduation they are prevented from graduating |
| their comfort level. Many nursing students complain | | | | because they did not finish or repeat the tests with |
| about the way that questions are worded in their | | | | a passing score. |
| nursing school exams. Instructors will always explain | | | | Nursing school is stressful right at the starting gate |
| that the reasoning for this is to help the students | | | | and keeps up the pace up until graduation. All of this |
| develop the analytical thought process necessary to | | | | constant bombardment with nursing tests and |
| pass the boards. | | | | computerized competency tests are designed to |
| The most helpful study tools for nursing school | | | | assist the student pass the national boards. |
| exams as well as the national boards are the NCLEX | | | | Learn more about nursing education at The NET |
| study guides. As students use these guides | | | | Study Guide. |