Can I Register For The Nclex Several Month After Graduation

When to accept the NCLEX after graduation

Alright, and then you've graduated nursing school and are trying to effigy out when to take the NCLEX after graduation. Unfortunately, there isn't an answer to this question that is correct for everyone. However, there are certain things to consider every bit you brand this important decision for yourself.

Yous don't want to take information technology too early if yous're not ready, but you don't want to wait too long. The longer yous wait, the more yous forget.

You also want to take this seriously. Don't but test to see if you'll pass, then only study and take it again if you accept to.

It's not that simple. Or affordable.

Taking your nursing boards is expensive. In that location are fees from both your land board of nursing and Pearson Vue (the people who administrate the NCLEX) to consider, in addition to any lost wages from not existence able to start piece of work as a nurse right away. Plus, you must await a minimum of 45 days to retake the test. That'due south 45 days of lost wages. If you lot're one of the lowest paid nurses in the country, you'll be missing out on at to the lowest degree $5,600 in lost wages and fees… not to mention what you'd pay for a review course on meridian of information technology. And so let'southward swoop deeper into figuring out when to accept the NCLEX after graduation.

And then, when practise about people take the NCLEX afterwards graduation?

As far every bit my timeline is concerned, I graduated May eighth, 2010 and I tested June 15, 2010 (5.five weeks later on). I took an NCLEX review class, an assessment afterwards to meet where I needed more content review, and took 25-50 practice questions 6 out of 7 days a calendar week until June 13th. and then, I did zilch nursing related on June 14th. Finally, I tested on June 15th and passed in 75 questions in virtually 1.5 hours.

Reminder: I'm not a smashing test-taker. I attribute this success to diligent and purposeful studying and planning.

I thought information technology'd be helpful to hear from other nurses about their mail service-graduation timeline. I asked nurses on Twitter, with almost 800 nurses responding. Results showed that 79% tested between 2-viii weeks after graduation, and 98% of voters would accept either tested earlier or at the same fourth dimension if they had to do it all again.

Bottom line: examination equally soon as you're prepare, don't expect.

Outset, assess yourself

What is critical to do when studying for this exam is to identify the areas in which yous demand focus. I recommend taking an NCLEX simulation exam. By doing this, you lot get the feel for the exam and computerized adaptive testing (more on that later on), likewise every bit identifying those specific topics to hone in on.

Bonus if you lot can find one that has:

An adaptive question algorithm – so it's set up is like the NCLEX and not merely a agglomeration of multiple-choice questions
Multiple practise attempts – you'll want to re-test again after you think you're ready
Rationales for the questions to review later on
Alternate format questions

Come with a report plan, and write it out on your agenda. I wrote out the number of practice questions and a specific corporeality of time I was going to review content each day and and then gave myself a mean solar day off each week.

For example, plan to report for two 20-infinitesimal focused blocks of fourth dimension with breaks in between, followed by 25 exercise questions, another break, and so another 20 focused minutes. If you break things up into manageable chunks, information technology makes the tasks more conquerable.

Next, know how the NCLEX works (if yous don't already)

The NCLEX is non like your normal nursing school examination. It is a computerized adaptive test. Here's a great video explaining the NCLEX as a computer adaptive test.

Essentially, you're offset given a question of medium-difficulty. The next question you get depends on how you lot answered the previous question. If you answered information technology correctly, you lot'll get a harder question. You'll then become harder questions until you get one wrong. If y'all answered it incorrectly, you'll get easier questions until you get one right… then yous'll get harder ones. This continues until you either pass or neglect. Check out this 1:21 minute video that describes the confidence interval well.

Check out more on this in another FreshRN blog post, Preparing for the NCLEX – four Tips From a Nurse.

Recall: timing matters

In one case you're gear up, yous can't just go to your nearest testing middle and test. There are quite a few steps y'all must take before beingness able to actually take boards.

First, you've got to utilize with your state board of nursing (BON) to have the exam. For example, here's the website to the Indiana State Board of Nursing and where I would go to apply for licensure past exam if I wanted to practice in the state of Indiana. They've got to do the typical groundwork cheque to ensure it'southward appropriate to give you a nursing license (should yous pass boards), and check your transcripts to make sure you did indeed graduate from an accredited nursing program. In that location are also fees that come up along with applying for licensure, which vary from land to state. This process can be quick or slow, but it depends on your country and if your schoolhouse takes their sweet time getting your transcripts sent in.

Keep in mind, if y'all've got things on your record like a DUI/DWI, it'll accept longer for this to occur. This doesn't hateful you lot won't go cleared necessarily, only it just takes longer if there are things that show upward on the background check.

In addition to this, you've got to annals with Pearson Vue (the people who administer the NCLEX). There is (yous guessed information technology) another fee to register with them. As I write this at the stop of 2017, information technology'southward a $200 fee.

In one case these two steps have been completed, you lot must wait.

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When you're cleared, y'all receive your Authorization To Test (or more than normally referred to as an "ATT"). Simply after you take an ATT can you schedule yourself to sit down for boards. Pearson Vue will provide a list of locations near you with dates and times. Some will be as shortly the next day, to a few months away. The catch is, ATT's expire afterwards xc days (12 weeks). You MUST have an active ATT on the twenty-four hour period you get take your exam. They will not make any exceptions and extend the date on someone'due south ATT.

So, if you were hoping to test later on than 12 weeks mail service-graduation, you're not going to want to submit paperwork to get your ATT right later on graduation.

There is a really proficient explanation of this hither, on the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) website… you know, the people who write the NCLEX.

To review:

TheNational Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) writes the NCLEX
Pearson Vue administers the NCLEX
Your respective State Board of Nursing is who grants your nursing license. They will only exercise this when they see that you lot're appropriate to give a license to subsequently a groundwork check, transcripts show you've graduated from an accredited nursing school, and yous've passed the NCLEX
Information technology takes time to get your ATT, so plan appropriately both practically and mentally

Think, you will start this process and while information technology's happening you should continue to written report and set up. Information technology's not a process where you utilize for your ATT and once y'all get that, then you study. You should exist studying throughout this unabridged time.

Ok, so what'due south the answer?

Sooooo…. I wish I could just tell you a definitive reply, but I can't. At that place are so many variables… from each state BON'southward timeline to each school to become transcripts out, to your own individual and unique study needs.

If yous're the typical nursing school graduate, you will examination between 2-8 weeks (0.v – 2 months) subsequently graduation. This is well within the 90 days/12-week windows of an ATT. This would hateful you could wait a few weeks post-graduation to begin your paperwork to obtain your ATT and in one case you receive this, yous could schedule yourself pretty soon thereafter.

I waited almost two weeks later graduation before submitting my paperwork just in case they flew through it and I wasn't fix to test inside the dates on my ATT. I didn't want to chance needing to re-initiate that procedure and pay more fees. Once I received it, I scheduled myself to test near 2 weeks afterwards. Honestly, the scariest part was scheduling it because I knew in one case I did, there was no turning dorsum!

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One thing that both the NCSBN and Pearson Vue recommend doing is non waiting until the end of your ATT to look for an available testing appointment because they fill up upwards quickly.

To get your mind around where y'all'll test, you can view available locations ahead of time. Shoot, you could fifty-fifty do that right now!

My recommendations are:

Before you graduate, familiarize yourself with your State Board of Nursing (where you want to practice, not where you went to school) website and the procedure. Have note of how long it'll have you lot to go everything together and what they're request for. Call up, this is your responsibleness, not your school'south. I thought my school would take care of this for me (for some reason), but they did not.
Familiarize yourself with the Pearson Vue process equally well
Pick your NCLEX review plan
Once you graduate, take an NCLEX simulation test and see where you stand up, and if you'll need more than or less time to study
Create an NCLEX study plan customized to your needs
Use to your state BON and Pearson Vue when appropriate (considering how long y'all want to study and if you lot've got anything that may delay your ATT… similar things that may come up upwardly on your background check – once more, if you're like most, you'll wait 1-2 weeks post-graduation to begin this process while simultaneously studying)
Stick to your report program
Test when you're set – don't filibuster!

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