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Studying for the NCLEX can be daunting. The most common problem I ran into is not knowing where to start since the NCLEX tests you on content you’ve learned all throughout nursing school. One NCLEX resource that I found incredibly helpful in tackling this issue was the Saunders Review for the NCLEX-RN Examination book. This review book was one of my top resources that I used to pass my NCLEX. Here are my top 10 NCLEX study tips when preparing for the NCLEX while using this review book! 

1. Evaluate which areas/topics you need to review prior to building your study plan to avoid over studying. A good tool that I found useful to evaluate myself was by taking the pre-test from the Evolve online resource.  
   • Access the Evolve online resource using the code found inside your book.
   • Select “Exam review” → “Assessments” → “Pre-test”.  
   • The results of your pre-test will guide you on where to begin your review and allows you to avoid simply going the entire book from front to back cover. 
   • The pre-test will also create a study plan/calendar tailored to your results, providing a structured plan on how to break down your studying. 
2. Create an NCLEX study plan or calendar. 
   • As previously mentioned, once you finish the Pre-test on Evolve, it will curate a study plan for you. However, don’t limit yourself to this. If you think that you need to further review one topic more than the other, feel free to customize your plan. What I did was print out a blank calendar from the internet and filled each day with content from the study plan that I got from Evolve while making a few tweaks on which contents I wanted to review more.
   • A good rule of thumb is to begin studying as early as you can for the NCLEX and as late as 30 days prior to your test date.
   • Creating a study calendar allows you to visually see what you’ll be doing day by day and alter it as you see fit depending on your schedule.   
3. Put together an NCLEX study binder.  
   • Any three-ring binder or a notebook will work perfectly.
   • Use this binder to store any handwritten notes so that you can easily look back on any key information. 
4. When reviewing a chapter, read/skim through the information at least twice
   • I recommend skimming through the chapter the first time without highlighting or jotting down notes.  
   • Then on your second read through, focus on the information that is typically bolded, placed in boxes, is visually drawn and/or has a triangle next to (the triangle indicates that it’s an important NCLEX information to remember). 
5. After finishing each chapter, answer the practice questions!  
   • When you go through these, remember to simulate it as if it was a question on the actual NCLEX.  
   • Read through each question thoroughly and use test taking skills to narrow down your options to the correct answer.  
   • Review the rationale for the answers and highlight or write a note on key details on why that is the correct answer.  
6. Use the online Evolve resource to practice answering more NCLEX style questions!  
   • Evolve can be easily customizable depending on what you want to review, allowing you to choose the category (ex: client needs, health promotions, etc.) and even the subcategories! 
   • “Study” mode prompts you practice questions with instant feedback. Allowing you to read the rationale shortly after choosing your answer. 
   • “Exam” mode lets you choose the exam length (10, 25, 50, or 100 q’s) and will show your results after finishing the test. 
7. Once you’ve reviewed the whole book (which you don’t necessarily need to do!) or finished the chapters that you found were the ones that needed to be reviewed, take the comprehensive test at the very back of the review book and/or complete the Post-test on Evolve. Either one of these will evaluate your learning and comprehension of all the combined topics and will give you a better understanding of how prepared you are for the NCLEX.  
8. Review the U.S. Top 100 Prescription Medications list on the very last page of the book!  
   • If you aren’t sure of which medications to focus for the NCLEX, this list is a good place to start. The list contains many commonly used drugs that have also been seen on the NCLEX exam, so understand how they work, what it’s for, side effects, and patient teachings for them will help you prepare for the pharmacology section of the test. 
9. Read through the Test-taking Strategies chapter in Unit I.  
   • If you suffer from test anxiety or know that you have weak test taking skills, this chapter may be your life saver. Carefully read through the test taking skills this chapter provides.  
   • The Saunders line has a whole book dedicated to test strategies called Saunders Strategies for Test Success, which I highly recommend.   
10. Listen to your mind and body and take breaks when needed! As important as it is to review for the NCLEX as thorough as you can, remember to practice self-care too. Make sure that you schedule for “rest days” in your study plan that gives you the time that you need to rest and regroup.  

As anxious and giddy as you are to start preparing for the NCLEX, remember to take a moment and celebrate finishing nursing school! You’ve made it this far for a reason, so be confident in yourself and your skills. You’ve got this! Good luck!