Start preparation early. Try to give yourself at least one year, but no fewer than six months, to focus on preparing for the exam. Register early; dates and locations fill up quickly, and it's best not to travel a long distance to the testing site the day of your exam. Also, be prepared to pay the necessary fees associated with registering for the exam.
Study NCLEX-RN review guides. Spend the majority of your study time using computer-based NCLEX-RN review programs because the actual exam is computer-based. NCSBN, Kaplan and other testing companies offer a large selection of computer-based resources that are helpful. Because these resources are expensive, check libraries for NCLEX-RN study material that you can check out for free. Choose a resource that allows you unlimited access to computerized NCLEX-RN practice questions and tests.
Practice every day. Make it a part of your daily routine to do 50 to 100 practice NCLEX-RN questions. These questions are very similar to many actual NCLEX-RN questions, and it's not uncommon for people to recognize questions on the actual exam that they've done in practice. Keep notes of all the practice questions that you struggled with or answered incorrectly; try to recognize subjects that you are weak in and make a list of them as well. Study the material relating to these topics; know why each answer choice is right or wrong.
Talk it out. Talking through the practice questions and study material with someone will help you to think through the information completely. You can talk to anyone--spouse, child or friend--because your goal for studying is to know the material well enough to explain it to anyone. If you talk out the practice questions with a classmate or someone else who is familiar with the material, you can turn the practice test into a friendly competition. You can debate the possible answers before making a selection, and whoever was right can help the other person understand that piece of information. If you have no one to talk through the material with, talk out loud to yourself and ask, "If I were treating a patient, which of these could I do and be confident that when I leave the room my patient will be OK?"
Investigate drugs. Create a list of new and popular drugs that are advertised on television, in medical facilities or in magazines. Then research them and practice listing all of their adverse reactions.
Relax. If you feel the need to have one last cram session, do it a few days before your exam. Don't study the day before or the day of your exam; allow your brain time to rest. Go to bed at a reasonable time the night before the exam, and have a reasonable breakfast the morning of the exam. Arrive at your test site early. Be mindful that a GPS system may be able to help you find the location of the testing site, but it can't help you find the correct room or building on a campus; so arrive with enough time to be in the right place at the right time. If you feel a high level of test anxiety, go for a five-minute run or do a few jumping jacks to burn off the nervous energy so that you can be as calm as possible when the test begins. Lastly, if your testing computer suddenly ends your testing session, don't panic; simply inform the test administrator. Most likely, the computer gathered enough information to measure your competency level and your test is complete.