NCLEX Testing Day
Curious about what to expect on your actual test date? Well, let me lay it out for you and give you some tips and tricks about the actual date. What to expect on your NCLEX testing day may be scary, but it is a simple process. Provided below is an outline of the NCLEX testing day.
Day Before the NCLEX
When you schedule your actual NCLEX test you may be surprised by the lack of close testing centers and you may have to travel. If you are traveling for your exam I suggest you schedule a hotel, motel, or Airbnb for the night. The day before your test, scope out where the testing center actually is in case it is confusing to find ore there is construction blocking the main entrance that you didn't know about. I did this and it really eased my anxiety about where to go because I found the building, and all the signs pointing towards what door to even enter.
1) Stay somewhere close to the testing center the night before
2) Scope out the building and where to go the night before
Morning or Afternoon Day of NCLEX
You choose either a morning test at 8am or an afternoon test. If you schedule a morning one, prepare yourself to wake up early. You have to be at your scheduled testing time 30 minutes earlier than the actual time. So if it's an 8am testing time, you have to be there by 7:30am. Wake up early enough to get a coffee and get yourself a breakfast so your brain can have caffeine and food for the exam. I woke up at 5:30am for my 8am testing time due to anxiety. But, I got ready for the morning, left the house by 6:30am to get a coffee, then arrived at 7:00am at the testing center. I sat in my car for 30 minutes but was actually calmed and relieved because I was there.
1) Wake up early
2) Get coffee and food
3) Arrive earlier than the 30 minutes prior to the time to calm down
The students who scheduled afternoon ones didn’t seem to have a full calm day to drink a cup of coffee and just get the test over with. Most people have crushing anxiety and psych themselves out of the test. the best feeling in the whole world is to just take the test, and get it over with. Scheduling the NCLEX later in the day might bring you more anxiety than necessary unless you sleep in really late and wake up as if it were first thing in the morning.
What can you bring for the NCLEX?
They will send you an email about what you can and cannot bring to the testing center. Essentially nothing other than your ID can actually be brought into the room with the testing computers. Their email says no phone and no food or drinks in the room. If you brought your phone into the building they will have you either: Put it in their secure sealed bag in a locker, or to be stashed in your car. If you are bringing a huge water bottle and snacks, they have to be put in the locker and can only be accessed during the testing breaks. So no, you cannot bring in water into the testing room. The breaks are either designated for you at certain times, or you may raise your hand to pause the test and get water and go to the bathroom. Undesignated breaks will subtract from your total NCLEX time to be warned. You may be more likely to actually finish the NCLEX before the first exam is ever designated to you.
1) Phones go in the car or sealed bag into a locker, smart watches too
2) Food and drinks go into the locker
3) They will provide a whiteboard and a marker for math, a calculator is in the exam
4) You have to bring your ID or you cannot test
Walking into the NCLEX building
When you find the door and the building, you will see the Pearson lady sitting behind a desk most likely. She will hand you the rules for the NCLEX about breaks, and what you can't and can do. She will give you a number and wait to call you up. Once you are called up, provide your ID. they will perform biometric palm scans on you and take your picture. You can then be given a locker key to put your purse, keys, water, and sealed phone into. She will then give you the chance to go to the bathroom before going to take your exam. You will hold your ID with you the whole time, it is your key into the room and out.
1) Go into the building
2) Get the rules and grab a number
3) Get called up and provide ID, palm scans, and get a photo taken
4) Put items into the locker, keep your ID out and hold onto the key
5) Go to the bathroom and walk to the hallway to be searched
Going into the NCLEX testing room
At this point, you will now be searched for any marking, items in the pockets, and anything else. They will then check your ID again and scan your palms to let you into the room. They will bring your ID, locker key and whiteboard into the room. You can then walk into the room with them and stand in the middle of the room while they log you into a computer. Then, sit down and start your exam.
1) Verify you are who you are with ID and palm scans
2) Search you for markings or items
3) Hand you a whiteboard and marker
4) Take your ID, locker key and whiteboard with you into the room
5) Stand in the middle of the room where they will log you into the computer
6) Walk over to the computer and start your test
Breaks during the NCLEX
There will be either designated breaks that do not subtract from your total test-taking time, or, a break you can designate by raising your hand but time is taken from your testing time. During breaks you can go drink water, go to the bathroom, and eat a snack. You cannot access your phone at any point or they can fail your exam. If you need any special accommodations such as additional exam time or medications, you should contact Pearson ahead fo time and tell them you need accommodations when signing up. I am not familiar with that process other than it is an option to request.
1) Designated breaks that do not take from exam
2) Non designated breaks if you raise your hand and does take time away
3) During break you can access locker for food, drink and go to the bathroom
Day of NCLEX
The NCLEX testing day seems terrifying but once you are there, simply follow all instructions and you will be fine. get a good amount of sleep, eat some food and get you caffeine intake for this exam. Do not worry, you will be able to go to the bathroom and get drinks on the breaks if you did not finish your NCLEX by then. Take a breather, you got this! Good luck and I hope you enjoyed my outline of what to expect on the NCLEX testing day.
To learn how I studied for the NCLEX and prepared myself to take the worst exam of myself. Check out the other articles I wrote about studying for the NCLEX:
If you don't know how to even sign up for the NCLEX, it is super complicated. Look at my article below to find out how to sign up for the NCLEX.
