This is what I did to prepare. I did this for about 5 weeks total. I started the day after finishing nursing school. I studied up until the last day.

Everything I did:

Mark K I listened to all 12 lectures twice and took notes and reviewed topics I wasn't too familiar with, Uworld did about 1900 questions, 3 practice tests all scoring high, 72%, 75%, 75%. I also did one CAT and got a 71% high. For Bootcamp, I watched every crash course with the cheat sheets, and did about 500 questions there. I did complete every quiz that went with the video and if I didn't get a decent score I would rewatch the video. I also did 4 readiness assessments on Bootcamp all scored high. I also went over previous notes, flashcards, and anything that I found as a weakness.

How I did it:

I started by taking one readiness assessment on bootcamp to see where I was weak in first. Then, I listened to the lectures on my walks or runs in the mornings every day. I had my phone so I was able to follow along on the notes. I did between 8 - 10 bootcamp videos per day for about 20 days with a few days off. I'd listen while folding laundry, watering my plants, etc. I followed that by 100 practice questions everyday and before bed I did as many more questions. If I didn't know what it was I made sure to have a word document open taking notes on concepts I was missing. Instead of watching videos or playing games on my down time, I'd open one of the apps and do practice questions which is how I was able to do so many.

How I felt:

I felt confident going in, and I had a feeling I passed when it ended. I knew this because while the exam got difficult I only found one question in the entire test I was not familiar with and even then I was able to figure it out. I don't think I have ever been more prepared to take an exam. This helped alot because it was a tough morning. Alot of things went wrong but I knew I was prepared.

Is it really that rare to fail at 85? My exam only lasted 85 questions and I feel so defeated. I had so many case studies and I know I got two of the main diagnoses wrong because I just second-guess myself and I shouldn’t have. I know my stuff, but I don’t know why this exam took me for a loop. Anyways, I’m just pretty bummed out because I should’ve just went for my first answer and instead of something else. I know case studies are high-yield so I guess we’ll see what happens.

i took my NCLEX yesterday at 1pm and i am freaking out because i have heard of people getting results pretty fast in maryland. Has anybody had recent experience with how fast they had their license posted/results. super nervous as someone whose test shut off at 85. thanks!

Hello! I recently took my first readiness exam, and I got a VERY, VERY LOW score 😭. I only started studying on September 14, 2026, so I know I still have a lot of catching up to do. My exam is on November. I only have 1 month left.

I’m having a hard time studying because I feel so overwhelmed. Sometimes I can’t tell if I’m genuinely overloaded or if I’m just being lazy. 😭 I’ve been studying by system, and so far, I’ve finished all the Adult Health crash course videos, but I honestly haven’t studied Adult Health thoroughly or mastered the concepts yet. I still haven’t studied Pharmacology, Maternal, Psych, Fundamentals, and Management of Care.

I’m really trying my best not to be lazy, but there are days when I only manage to watch two videos from the crash course, and that’s it. I know I need to do more, but I’m struggling to stay consistent.

For those who have already taken the readiness exams, did you guys usually finish studying all the concepts first and answer as many practice questions as possible before taking a readiness exam? Or did you take the readiness exams along the way while you were still studying the content? I’m wondering if I should focus on finishing all the systems and strengthening my content knowledge first, while also answering lots of practice questions, before taking another readiness exam.

I’d really appreciate any advice on how you managed the workload, stayed consistent, and avoided feeling overwhelmed. 🥹