How I Passed NCLEX in 75 Questions

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When my screen went black after question 75, I felt like I was going to throw up.

I sat there staring at the end screen, trying to remember what the Pearson VUE instructions said about how many questions I’d answered. Seventy-five. That was either very good or very bad. I spent the next two days in a fog of anxiety, second-guessing every answer I could remember.

Two days later, I paid the $7.95 for quick results. The page loaded: PASS.

Here’s exactly what I did to prepare, what test day felt like, and what I think actually made the difference.

My Background

I graduated from a BSN program in May 2025. My nursing school GPA was solid but not exceptional—3.4. I was an average student who had to work hard for my grades. Nothing about me screamed “she’ll definitely pass on the first try.”

What I did have: a plan. And I stuck to it.

My 6-Week Study Schedule

I graduated mid-May and tested in late June. Here’s how I spent those six weeks.

Weeks 1-2: Content Review

Focus	Time	Method
Morning	2 hours	Watched review videos (Archer, Mark Klimek)
Afternoon	2 hours	Read through weak content areas
Evening	1 hour	50 practice questions

I identified my weak areas from nursing school: pharmacology and pediatrics. I spent extra time on these during content review instead of reviewing things I already knew well.

Weeks 3-4: Heavy Question Practice

This is where my prep really started.

Daily Schedule	Details
Morning	75 questions (simulated test block)
Afternoon	Review every rationale in depth
Evening	50 more questions + weak area content

Total: About 125-150 questions per day

The key wasn’t just doing questions—it was reviewing the rationales for EVERY question, even the ones I got right. I learned so much from understanding why wrong answers were wrong.

Weeks 5-6: Assessment + Refinement

Focus	Details
Readiness assessments	Took one every 3-4 days
Weak areas	Doubled down on consistently missed content
Test simulation	Full 75-question timed sessions
Rest	Scaled back to 75-100 questions/day

By week 5, I was consistently hitting “high” on Archer’s readiness assessments. That gave me confidence I was ready.

The Resources I Used

Primary: Archer Review

I chose Archer based on recommendations from nurses who had recently passed. Here’s what I found:

What worked:

• The questions felt similar to the actual NCLEX in difficulty
• Readiness assessments gave me data on whether I was actually ready
• NGN questions prepared me for the case study format
• The price ($139-239) left budget for other resources if needed

What I wished was different:

• Some rationales could be more detailed
• The interface isn’t as polished as UWorld

Would I recommend it? Yes, especially at the price point. The readiness assessments were invaluable—I didn’t test until I was consistently hitting “high.”

Supplementary Resources

Resource	How I Used It
Mark Klimek lectures	Free on YouTube, listened while driving
Simple Nursing videos	Pharmacology specifically
Picmonic	Memory tricks for things I kept forgetting
My nursing school notes	For topics I needed deeper review

I didn’t use UWorld. Many people swear by it, but I’ve heard the questions may be harder than the actual NCLEX. I wanted questions that matched the real exam difficulty.

My Test Day Experience

The Night Before

I stopped studying at 5 PM. Spent the evening watching TV, eating dinner with my roommate, and going to bed early. I slept terribly—maybe 4-5 hours—but I expected that.

Morning Of

• Woke up at 6 AM for a 9 AM appointment
• Ate eggs and toast (protein + carbs)
• One cup of coffee (my normal amount)
• Reviewed my “high yield” flashcards for 30 minutes—topics I wanted fresh
• Left early, arrived 35 minutes before my appointment

At the Testing Center

Check-in took about 20 minutes: photo, palm scan, empty pockets, metal detector. They gave me a whiteboard and marker, noise-canceling headphones, and walked me to my computer.

I took a deep breath and started the tutorial.

The First 25 Questions

Terrifying. The questions seemed impossibly hard. Multiple case studies in the first 10 questions. I remember thinking: “I definitely failed already.”

But I stuck to my strategy:

1. Read the question stem first (before looking at exhibits)
2. Identify what they’re really asking
3. Eliminate obviously wrong answers
4. Pick the best remaining option
5. Don’t change my answer unless I have a concrete reason

Questions 25-50

I settled into a rhythm. Some questions I knew immediately. Others required working through the options. I used my whiteboard constantly for priority questions (ABCs, Maslow, nursing process).

I noticed the questions stayed difficult. In my prep, I’d read that consistently hard questions could be a good sign—the computer was testing whether I was solidly above the passing standard.

Questions 50-75

I was ready for this to end. Each question felt like it could be the last. I started watching the question counter closely—something I’d told myself not to do.

At question 73, I got what felt like an “easy” question. Then 74, another one that seemed straightforward. Then 75.

The screen went black. Tutorial for the survey appeared.

I sat there frozen. Seventy-five questions. Did that mean I passed or failed?

The Wait

I stumbled out of the testing center in a daze. Called my mom in the parking lot and immediately started crying. She said, “75 questions is usually good!” but I couldn’t let myself believe it.

That afternoon, I tried the Pearson VUE trick (attempting to re-register for the exam). I got the “good pop”—it wouldn’t let me register again. Still didn’t trust it.

Two days later, I paid for quick results. Refreshed the page at exactly 48 hours. PASS.

What I Think Made the Difference

Looking back, here’s what I believe actually mattered:

1. Question Practice Over Content Review

I spent maybe 30% of my time on content review and 70% on questions. Content review feels productive, but questions train you to think like the NCLEX thinks.

2. Reading Every Rationale

Even when I got questions right, I read the rationale. Sometimes I’d gotten the right answer for the wrong reason. Understanding the “why” prevented similar mistakes on the real exam.

3. Waiting Until I Was Actually Ready

I didn’t pick an arbitrary test date. I waited until I was consistently hitting “high” on readiness assessments. That data-driven approach took the guessing out of “am I ready?“

4. Simulating Test Conditions

I practiced in timed, distraction-free blocks. By test day, 75 questions under pressure felt normal, not overwhelming.

5. Not Changing My Answers

I read somewhere that changed answers are wrong more often than they’re right. Unless I had a concrete reason (misread the question, remembered a specific fact), I stuck with my first choice.

What I’d Do Differently

Start earlier on NGN format. I didn’t practice case studies until week 4, and I should have started sooner. The NGN format was newer than expected on my exam.

Take more full-length practice tests. I did timed 75-question blocks, but only two full simulated exams. More would have helped my stamina.

Stress less about the question count. I wasted mental energy during the exam watching the counter. The number doesn’t determine your fate—your answers do.

Advice for Future Test-Takers

If You’re Just Starting to Prepare

1. Pick a question bank and commit to it
2. Create a study schedule and stick to it
3. Focus on questions more than passive review
4. Track your weak areas and address them

If You’re Testing Soon

1. Trust your preparation—you’ve done the work
2. Get sleep, eat well, minimize stress
3. Stick to your strategies during the test
4. Don’t panic if questions feel hard—that can be a good sign

If You’re Waiting for Results

The wait is awful. The Pearson VUE trick isn’t official, but it helped my anxiety. Quick results are worth $7.95 for peace of mind.

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Final Thoughts

Passing the NCLEX in 75 questions wasn’t luck. It was preparation, strategy, and trusting myself on test day.

If I can do it—average GPA, working through nursing school, plenty of self-doubt—you can too. Make a plan. Do the work. Trust the process.

You’ve got this.

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Resources mentioned in this post:

• Archer Review Sure Pass — The question bank I used
• Archer vs UWorld — Compare the top question banks
• NCLEX Test Day Checklist — Everything you need for test day
• 30-Day NCLEX Study Plan — Structured preparation schedule
• NCLEX Study Strategies — Proven approaches that work