NCLEX Conference Updates 2019

Here are the updates from the NCLEX Conference of 2019!

As you can see the most important NCLEX conference updates for 2019 is that I met Dr. Linda Silvestri, the NCLEX Rock Star! She is the author of the most popular NCLEX Prep book, Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX Exam. Dr. Silvestri is so nice!

Here are the basic NCLEX conference updates for 2019, Phoenix, AZ

NCLEX Next Generation

The NCLEX lady has been working diligently the last 10 years on bringing more complicated and involved questions to the NCLEX exam. I welcome this change and think it’s long overdue. They’ve been testing those new questions for the past couple years after a student finishes their NCLEX. They also bring nursing students into the NCLEX offices in Chicago to talk about the questions. There is no doubt that these new questions will be introduced at some point. We just don’t know when. The earliest is 2023, but NCSBN said, it might be 2024 or 2025.

There’s no need to panic if you are starting nursing school now and will be taking the “new nclex”. It’s not really going to be new, because they said they’ll just start adding some of the new questions in. You’ll still see regular multiple choice 4 answer questions and select all that apply questions.

You’ll be happy to know that the content on the test isn’t changing and neither is basic critical thinking skills! And there will still be the same NCLEX test plan that there always has been. I’m working hard to make sure students are prepared!

Back to the regular NCLEX stuff because there is still several years before the new test questions get implemented.

Pass / Fail Stats for 2019

• 82% of students stop before the maximum number of questions
  • of those: 22% fail, 78% pass
• 15% of students get the maximum test
  • of those: 43% fail and 57% pass
• 3% of students run out of time
  • of those: 73% fail and 27% pass

So what do those stats mean?! You are more likely to pass than not. If you do get the maximum number of questions, you still have a good chance of passing. If you run out of time, you don’t have a good chance of passing. So try not to go too slow so you don’t run out of time.

The Different Types of Questions

There are the “dreaded select all that apply questions” (SATA). I would encourage you to welcome these questions when you see them on the NCLEX. Most of them are passing level questions. So if you’re getting them, you’re doing well.

• the average number of SATA on the test is 35%
• 1 or 2 students got 70% SATA! (that’s very unusual)
• 60% of the questions are 4 answer multiple choice questions
• < 5% is alternate format questions (put in order, hot spot, math, diagrams)

Other Interesting Facts about NCLEX

1 test question takes 18-24 months before it becomes a real test question on the nclex!

This is good to know because the questions are tested a lot before they become a real question on the NCLEX. This means that all those practice questions out there are probably NOT tested at all like the real NCLEX questions. So, if you are coming across a very confusing or biased question, it probably wouldn’t make it as a real NCLEX question.

The content on the NCLEX exam is based on 12 months of nursing experience or less

This fact really bugs me. A nursing student doesn’t have 12 months of experience, so how can you test someone if they don’t have the experience? Everybody knows you don’t get to do a lot as a student. But as a brand new nurse you are totally thrown to the wolves and do everything! That doesn’t seem fair to me, but it’s not going to change. Instead, I make sure MY STUDENTS know what a nurse of one year of experience is supposed to know!

What concerns do you have about the new NCLEX? Post your questions or comments below.