Page 88 - Saunders Comprehensive Review For NCLEX-RN

program. An application also has to be filled out and turned in, along with an
application fee. Doing these two steps as early as possible is important, as getting the
paperwork processed can take a few weeks to a few months. Then, once I graduated
and received my degree, I sent in my official transcripts to the state board, as this
must be done to receive your authorization to test (ATT) from a third-party testing
administrator called Pearson Vue. Once you turn in your information to your state
board, it will be sent to Pearson Vue, who will then contact you with your ATT once
everything is verified. This requirement may vary from state to state. I remember
waiting to get my ATT to be the most frustrating part of the application process. I
would check my e-mail obsessively multiple times a day, refreshing it and hoping
that magical e-mail with ATT in the subject line would pop up. At this point, it was
early August, and the day I finally got my ATT I rushed home to look for the earliest
available test date. The Las Vegas testing center was booked until the end of
September. I had already been studying for several weeks doing at least 300 practice
questions a day and I was frustrated. I did not want to wait more than a month to
take the exam.
I then began the search for testing centers in neighboring states, including
Arizona, Utah, and California. I even went so far as to look at testing centers in
Washington state. No luck in Arizona, Utah, or Washington. I found a date in a
testing center in California about 4.5 hours away. The testing appointment was for
the next day. I called my sister to ask for her advice on signing up for it, and she told
me to just go for it. I had been preparing for the exam for at least the past several
weeks and I felt I was ready. I booked the appointment, hoping I had not just made a
terrible mistake. My sister and cousin said they would ride with me and help me
review on the way. The appointment was for 2:00 PM, so we made a plan to leave
Las Vegas at 5:00 AM to make sure we had plenty of time. I packed a travel bag with
a change of clothes and toiletries, as we planned to go to a workout class before the
exam. We arrived near the testing center at about 9:30 AM and worked out for an
hour and showered. I was dropped off at the testing center about an hour ahead of
the scheduled exam time to give me ample time to check in. I remember three other
people in the office when I had checked in. It was clear to me that not everyone was
there for the NCLEX, and so I made it a point to not become anxious if I saw one or
all of them get up and leave before me. The anxiety level in the room was tangible as
we all sat and waited for our names to be called. I brought my driver’s license and
had to verify my ATT. My picture was taken, and I was told to put my belongings in
a locker. A palm vein scan was done and then I was being brought into the testing
room. I sat down at the computer with my heart racing. There was a camera beside
the computer that was watching my every move. All the hard work I had put in the
past 16 months had led me to this moment. I had to remind myself to take a deep
breath and just relax. I clicked the button to begin the exam.
The hardest part for me during the exam was to not read each question too quickly
because of my anxiety. Remember to slow down, take a deep breath, and recenter
yourself, and say something positive in your head, then reapproach the question if
you find yourself lost in what the question is asking or getting overwhelmed. I relied
on the test-taking strategies I had learned while studying to help me analyze what
the question was really asking. I felt the questions were getting harder and harder,
and the one thought in my head was, “How am I getting this many select-all-that-
apply questions?!” The computer shut down when I submitted question 75, and I

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