The NCLEX
NCLEX Administration in the Philippines
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN®) authorized Pearson VUE to expand testing availability for the NCLEX® examination to Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Exam delivery begins at the Pearson VUE-owned and -operated Pearson Professional Center in Manila on August 23, 2007 and exam scheduling opens Friday, July 13, 2007.
You may reach the new test center at:
Pearson Professional Centers
27th Floor, Trident Tower
312 Senator Gil Puyat Avenue,
Makati City,
Manila
Telephone Number: +63 2 887 2198
Directions:
From Buendia LRT Station take a Guadalupe-bound jeepney (near Kennedy Global School). Trident Tower is located immediately after the old Shell Maya station, just off the Ayala-Buendia stoplight. Examinees coming from EDSA (Buendia MRT or Guadalupe Tulay) should take an LRT-Taft-bound jeepney and alight just before the Ayala Avenue – Malugay intersection. Those coming in from Ayala Avenue should walk towards Buendia via Geronimo Street (RCBC Plaza and Metrobank GT Towers)
Applicants in the Asia Pacific (Philippines included) who wish to schedule an exam should call +612 9478 5400 (EXT. 3) 8:30 am-6 pm. By dialing this number, you are making a long distance call to Australia. There is no local number available yet. You must also have a credit card ready to pay the scheduling fee.
Test Information
The NCLEX exam deals more with familiarization of the questions than memorization. We provide you thousands of questions coming from NCLEX test contributors. NCLEX test writers are basing their questions and answers using the (book) knowledge and not practical experience. Remember, we are NURSES and not medical doctors. Our focus is on patient care. There are four keys to answering the questions correctly:
Safety measures of the patient are very important. NCLEX test writers and contributors are mainly covering their bases and focus on patient care. The correct answer is the answer that identifies the safest approach. It may not be the fastest or the best, but it is the safest. The NCLEX test contributors are trying to make sure that you are competent enough and recognize safety measures before application.
Assessment is a detailed process making decisions toward patient comfort and safety. A good nurse can do almost everything in almost all cases. Basically collecting more data and factual information and delegating responsibilities to the appropriate support personnel before notifying the attending physician.
Laboratory (normal range) Remember your laboratory normal values. This requires memorization. There is no guessing game here. Reviewing for the NCLEX, is knowing your laboratory data ranges. Generally, any abnormal laboratory test result is flagged with an asterisk but not in NCLEX test. Concentrate on the blood gas values. These values in particular can be complicated. Most of the times these normal values will require further assessment.
Medical terminology is another key point on reviewing for the NCLEX. Practice from A-Z.
The structure of the NCLEX is a Computer-Adaptive, multiple choice test organized into four “patient needs” sections:
Physiological Integrity
Health Promotion and Maintenance
Safe, Effective Care Environment
Psychosocial Integrity
The computer during the NCLEX test will give you difficult questions if you answer a question correctly or less difficult if you answer the question incorrectly. The first question on the NCLEX test will be below the baseline required the passing score. Consequently, a graph could be constructed using questions as point on the graph. The points and below the passing baseline contribute to your overall testing score. The NCLEX test attempts to match you with questions that are at your level of nursing knowledge and understanding.
The NCLEX is not a time pressured test, does not time you each question presented in the CAT format. You are allowed to answer the question presented without time constraints. However, the maximum amount of time allowed to NCLEX challenger/examinee is 5 hours.
The CAT format on the NCLEX , again , is not a time pressured test. Allow each question a reasonable time for assessment and understanding. Treat each question with the same level of difficulty. If you find the questions are getting easier, it does not mean it is a warning that you are falling below the passing baseline of difficulty. Don’t panic!
And again, NCLEX is not a time pressured test. If you take the maximum number of questions on the NCLEX, a safe time to spend on each question is 1 minute.
We offer study aides that you would find very helpful to understand the NCLEX format better:
Go to the section of PRACTICE and practice! Practice! Practice!
NCLEX – Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT)
Note: This section is from National Council of State Board of Nursing: Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) overview. Go to www.ncbsn.org
On some test, the test examinee will have the option of taking it in either a computer format or a paper-based format. However, that option is increasingly decreasing as testing companies are fast moving to computer based formats as their services are modernized.
Most of these computer-based tests are called CATs (computer adaptive tests) they are called adaptive, because they adapt to the individual test examinee skill. These tests will begin with a question of moderate difficulty. If the test examinee answers it correctly, then they will proceed with a more difficult question. If the test examinee answers the first question incorrectly, then the next question will be easier. This process will continue with questions becoming either more difficult or easier as the test examinee answers previous questions correctly or incorrectly.
The more difficult questions will typically yield a higher score, meaning that the test can differentiate between the skill levels of individual test examinee with fewer questions.
One problem with this format though, is that it forces the test examinee to consider only one question at a time. A test examinee frequently can’t “skip ahead” as the computer has to know whether the test examinee will get the previous question correct or incorrect in order to know if it should make the future question easier or harder.
Test examinee taking test that have CAT format will get their test scores back much quicker.
In addition, while the thought of a computer based test may intimidate those who are unfamiliar with a computer, the computer based test format usually requires only minimal computer knowledge and will offer a familiarity tutorial before the test to allow the test examinee to get acquainted with how to move the mouse, answer the questions and move through the test. The computer and paper format will use questions from the same overall pool, so test neither arguably harder nor easier.
Too much self confidence to pass NCLEX is wrong. You may be the best nurse in the world, compassionate, caring, even achieved the highest academic honor in your class. No matter. The board exams will test what you know. If you do not know much, you will fail.
Start intensive study early, at least six months before your exam date. Do not wait until the last minute (or the last month). Six months ahead of the exam date, fantasize that the exam is next week. Panic. Then relax. Lucky you: you have plenty of time.
Six months before the exam date, identify two important sources and begin to review them. These should be: a) a comprehensive textbook in nursing, and b) any official review materials promulgated by an NCLEX specialty organization. The textbook need not be read cover to cover, instead, sections you feel uncomfortable with should be closely reviewed, while other sections can be skimmed or ignored. In contrast, every section of the specialty-recommended study materials should be scrutinized and learned to the point of full understanding, using whatever outside sources is necessary.
Take notes and make lists of what you read. Unless you have a photographic memory, you will remember little of what you read. If you memorize facts piled upon facts about patient care in a cram course before the NCLEX, you will likely be distracted by the details and not focus on the concepts. Reading a paragraph six months away from your date exam is no help if you do not remember it.
Make list of materials that you review as potentially important, especially if the subject is mentioned in the specialty-recommended materials; review your notes continually as you get closer to the exam. Examples of lists you might make for nursing assessments.
Take a comprehensive review course. Ideally, the course should be spread out over 4-6 weeks. One week to two weeks intensive review course from the NCLEX professional lecturers is also helpful if taken at least 6 weeks ahead of the exam, so you can review the course syllabus in depth. Use the syllabus to augment notes that you prepared from the two sources.
Stay focused. Commit a certain number of hours a week to study and don’t allow yourself to become sidetracked.
Practice taking (Computer Adaptive Test) test is highly recommended by NCLEX test writers and contributors. It helps improve your score under actual test conditions. Simulation is a powerful technique.
Remember, the NCLEX examination is a pass/fail exam. Achieving score in the 90th is not required to pass the test. The NCLEX-PN is designed to make sure every Practical Nurse has the knowledge to practice safely at a level of competency.
After you gather all the documents required to take this test, The Kennedy Global will assist you in preparation for the NCLEX-PN examination
How and where to register for the NCLEX examination;
How and when to schedule an NCLEX exam appointment;
Find the location of the NCLEX testing centers;
Assist you to fly to Hong Kong, Saipan, to any location that does not require a visa
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Bring at least two forms of identification with your picture for entry to the examination center.
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Don’t make any changes in your personal appearance like altering your hair color before the exam. Your appearance has to match your picture in your application. Be sure that all documents that were submitted are perfectly matched to your present identification. Bring your supporting papers in case there is a name changed like a marriage certificate. Lack of evidence may jeopardize you and miss your testing time.
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You will be thumb printed before the examination.
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If you wear reading glasses, do not forget to bring an extra pair in case something bad happen to the first one.
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Bring some snacks that you can take during test break.
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Bring a sweater in case you get uncomfortable because of the room temperature. Some test taker loses their concentration because they are cold and nervous.
Review system is necessary to have for NCLEX test taker.
Information On-Line- A General Description and Links to Various NCLEX Sites.
Study for the NCLEX exams via the Internet is the least recommended—not yet anyway. Still, the amount of nursing information is vast and getting vaster, far exceeding the relative straight-, forward medline searches most our nurses have been familiar with.
We have a database of selected test questions available in our library 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
Practice CAT with tutorial guide is believed to be more effective than practicing On-Line alone.
Selected trained US-based lecturers and educator that can provide an important edge in today’s ever-changing NCLEX world.
Our selected books, references, materials, and handouts are highly recommended and written by the authors of the # 1 best selling review book in the industry in the field of nursing.
Our database will be continuously updated adding new released questions and new alternate item format.