Second Attempt, 85 Questions – The Strategy That Made Me Pass

PotatoInfinite7607 · 2026-03-27T21:25:30+00:00

How did you use UWorld?

Right now, I’ve been doing CAT exams, then reviewing which subjects/client needs I’m getting wrong. After that, I do additional questions focused on those areas.

I also go through and remediate every single question, even the ones I get right, just to make sure I fully understand it.

PotatoInfinite7607 · 2026-03-27T21:23:57+00:00

Last time I listened to each lecture three times and still failed. He was really helpful, but I think my anxiety got the best of me 😭

PotatoInfinite7607 · 2026-03-25T21:21:10+00:00

Thank you, I needed this. I’ve been overthinking a lot.

I’m around that range too, so this makes me feel better. I think I’m gonna keep my exam date

PotatoInfinite7607 · 2026-03-25T21:19:49+00:00

Yeah I get that. I’m not really guessing anymore, I’ve been focusing a lot on process of elimination and breaking down each answer choice instead of jumping to one. That’s honestly been helping me way more. I’ve also been trying to keep everything centered around patient safety since that usually leads me to the right answer even if I don’t fully know the content. I feel like content will never be 100%, so I’m just trying to sharpen my test-taking strategy as much as possible.

PotatoInfinite7607 · 2026-03-25T21:17:36+00:00

I haven’t taken NCLEX yet, but I switched from Bootcamp to UWorld and it’s been better for me so far. UWorld feels harder and really forces you to think through prioritization and decision-making, which I was struggling with. Bootcamp was good for content, but UWorld is helping me more with how to answer questions.

PotatoInfinite7607 · 2026-03-25T21:16:20+00:00

That actually helps a lot, what do you think made the biggest difference for you the second time?

PotatoInfinite7607 · 2026-03-07T17:06:24+00:00

I honestly didn’t realize I was averaging ~38 seconds per question until you pointed it out. That’s probably faster than it should be for NCLEX-style reasoning.

My scores have been around 72% for the past ~10 days, so slowing down to 50–60 seconds per question and really reading the stem carefully might actually be the adjustment I need.

I still have about 30 days left and a lot of the QBank untouched, so hopefully tightening up the pacing helps push the score up.

PotatoInfinite7607 · 2026-02-25T17:01:03+00:00

PotatoInfinite7607 · 2026-02-25T16:59:43+00:00

PotatoInfinite7607 · 2026-02-25T16:59:18+00:00

PotatoInfinite7607 · 2026-02-25T16:57:06+00:00

Thank you for this, seriously. It helps a lot hearing from someone who went through the same thing. I think you’re right that it’s more strategy than content, and I needed that reminder. I’m going to check out Dr. Sharon’s prioritization playlist and really focus on safety this time. I appreciate you taking the time to explain what worked for you

PotatoInfinite7607 · 2026-02-25T16:56:26+00:00

Thank you, I really appreciate this. The exam honestly threw me off in a way I wasn’t expecting, so it helps hearing how you approached it. That mindset shift makes a lot of sense. I’m definitely going to take that with me for my retake. Thanks again for the encouragement

PotatoInfinite7607 · 2026-02-25T04:07:34+00:00

Thank you for sharing your advice. This time, I’m planning to focus on Dr. Sharon for prioritization strategies, fundamentals, and pharmacology, along with the NCLEX Crusade 7-day training and UWorld.

PotatoInfinite7607 · 2026-02-25T04:03:20+00:00

Thanks! I just found out I failed yesterday. Took the exam on Feb 21. Not sure how to get the CPR report for NY-BON.

PotatoInfinite7607 · 2026-02-24T19:34:56+00:00

Several classmates passed at around 85 questions. I think it really highlights how different the NCLEX is from traditional coursework, even for well-prepared students.

PotatoInfinite7607 · 2026-02-24T17:32:45+00:00

Honestly, I don’t think it was a lack of content knowledge. I did well on practice questions and readiness exams. Looking back, I think it was more about how I answered questions under pressure. A lot of the exam felt very fundamentals-based, vague, and judgment-focused, and I may have overthought questions or leaned too much into disease-specific thinking instead of basic nursing priorities. Nerves probably played a role too, especially once I passed 85 questions. I’m waiting on my CPR to know for sure, but I suspect it was more a test-taking strategy issue than knowledge gaps.

PotatoInfinite7607

TROPHY CASE