Are you ready?
​Know your ABC’s to conquer the NCLEX!​

Passing the NCLEX requires an organized, systematic plan to achieve your goal. The question is, where do you start and how will you get there? To enlighten you on these questions, let me share with you the simple ABC acronym that I have been sharing with students to guide them in their NCLEX preparation.
 
A – Attitude and Determination
This is a crucial element as you prepare for the NCLEX. Without the burning fire to achieve your goal, you will easily give up when you encounter frustrations and failure. You must stay motivated and always think about the reasons why you want to become a nurse and this will inspire you to study hard and wake up each morning excited to open your books. Remember, it is easy to get bored, tired and distracted when studying. So make sure that you always think of your purpose why you want to pass the NCLEX!
 
B – Basic Core Content Mastery
Some students think that answering thousands of NCLEX-style questions will make them pass. However, unless you have the mastery of basic nursing concepts, you will have a hard time passing the NCLEX. Take note that the Bloom’s Taxonomy of  Learning presents “remembering and understanding” as pre-requisites to learning at the “application and analysis” levels (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloom%27s_taxonomy). You can not be a walking encyclopedia when taking the NCLEX but you have to learn at least the “need-to-know” concepts versus the “nice-to-know”.
 
C – Critical Thinking and Test-Taking Strategies
Once you have mastered core concepts in nursing, you will be ready to tackle critical-thinking questions. The magic of learning occurs when you answer NCLEX-style questions. But make sure that the questions that you answer are on the application and analysis levels as these are the common type of questions in the NCLEX. Hence, it basically means that what matters is not only the quantity of questions but also the “quality” of those items that you answer. Various online resources are available to help you improve your test-taking skills such as UWorld or NCSBN Learning Extension. Also, be reminded that you should also read the rationales even if you get the correct answers. You may even have to take notes so you can always go back and review the information!
 
Now you know the essential elements to pass the NCLEX. If you feel that you have met all of these, then you will surely make it! But again, do not forget to start with  element A – it all starts with your personal motivation to never give up, get inspired, put the time and effort to become a licensed professional nurse!