Preparing to Take the National Council Licensure Examination

(Estimated reading time: 2 minutes)

If you want to become a nurse in a US state, territory, or in Canada, you would have to take the NCLEX or the National Council Licensure Examination.

The first step is to apply for the examination permit. You can either do this on your own or enlist the help of an international exam application processing agency, like IPASS. With the latter option, you can focus more on studying for the exam rather than worrying about the status of your application.

It’s important to spend enough time studying for the exam, especially on areas you are uncertain about. The NCLEX usually publishes a study plan. It allows you to know the types of questions to expect and the formatting of the test.

Here are some National Council Licensure Examination tips that you can follow before and during the exam.

Focus on Critical Thinking

Critical thinking skills are important in nursing. It helps you make the right decisions on the type of care your future patients would need, especially during an emergency. You need to be able to make quick and efficient decisions.

Take a Lot of Practice Exams

There are many resources available to do this. Put yourself in as many test-like scenarios as possible before the real thing. This way you can test your readiness for the exam. Practice tests help you realize that many of the questions will try to trick you. These will also help you not to be distracted by random details, but instead focus on the root of the question.

Try to Visualize the Situation

The National Council Licensure Examination is attempting to test your abilities as an entry-level nurse. Approach the answer as if it was a real-life situation you faced on the job. Think about what you would do based on the knowledge from the book.

Eliminate the False Answers First

Go over the answers and identify which ones are true or false. Eliminate the ones that are obviously false and spend more time comparing the answers that make more sense. Again, it’s important to pay attention to what the question is really asking.

Finally, the most important part is to review for the exam. You can self-study using different resources, participate in a classroom review, or avail of one-on-one online tutorial services. IPASS can help you on your NCLEX journey in every step of the way.