🧠 How to Handle Test Anxiety: Techniques from Nurses Who Passed on Their First Try
Test anxiety during the NCLEX is more than nerves
You're Not Alone — You're Just Human
Test anxiety during the NCLEX is more than nerves — it can seriously affect how you think, recall, and perform. As a nurse coach who’s worked with dozens of anxious test-takers, I’ve seen firsthand how smart students can blank out, freeze, or fall apart under pressure. But I’ve also seen them succeed — using the exact NCLEX test anxiety tips I’m sharing with you today.
You’re not alone if you’ve ever felt your heart pounding, your stomach churning, or your brain going blank just thinking about the exam.
In fact, studies show that up to 60% of students experience test anxiety, and for NCLEX candidates — where the stakes are high — it can feel downright paralyzing.
But here's the truth: many nurses who passed the NCLEX on their first try started exactly where you are now. Anxious. Doubtful. Overwhelmed.
This blog pulls together science-backed techniques and real success stories from nurses who turned test anxiety into confidence — and passed. You can too.
Here is a link to Confessions of a New Nurse: “Things I Was Afraid to Admit as a New Nurse.”
Let’s dive in!
🩺What NCLEX Test Anxiety Feels Like (and Why It Happens)
🚨 Physical symptoms:
Racing heart
Sweaty palms
Nausea or stomach pain
Trouble sleeping
🤯 Cognitive symptoms:
Blank mind during practice questions
Racing or looping thoughts
Difficulty concentrating
😰 Emotional symptoms:
Fear of failure
Dread
Feeling like “everyone else is more prepared”
The NCLEX often heightens these because it’s:
Adaptive (you don’t know how you’re doing)
High stakes (your license - and some times a job, is on the line)
Long and mentally exhausting
Knowing what anxiety looks like is the first step to beating it!
Confidence in testing comes from consistent, strategic prep.
🗂 Before the Test: Smart Prep that Lowers Anxiety
Confidence doesn’t come from cramming. It comes from consistent, strategic prep.
Here’s what nurses who passed recommend:
✅ Use Spaced Repetition with Daily Mini-Tests
Instead of cramming, take short quizzes over several days to train your brain to recall information when it counts — this is how we build long-term memory in my coaching program.
✅ Test in Layers, Not All at Once
Memory gets stronger when you revisit content across multiple days — not in one giant cram session. That’s why we use 5 short quizzes on Day 1, then space out reviews across the week.
✅ Balance Content with Strategy
You don’t need to memorize everything.
You need to:
Recognize question types
Eliminate distractors
Prioritize like a nurse
✅ Recreate Test Conditions
Set timers
Practice with noise
Simulate 75–145 question marathons
(Yes, even with bathroom breaks.)
✅ Plan Smart, Flexible Study Schedules
Burnout fuels anxiety. Build in off days and rest windows. You’re not a robot — and NCLEX is not a punishment.
✅ Prioritize Sleep Hygiene
Sleep = memory. No sleep = brain fog + panic.
A positive mindset goes a long way when you are preparing for the NCLEX.
🧘Mindset Tools That Help Future Nurses Pass the NCLEX
🖼️ Visualization
Picture yourself walking into the testing center calm, focused, and in control.
Athletes do this. Test-takers should too.
💬 Affirmations That Actually Work
Repeat daily:
“I’ve studied. I am prepared.”
“I don’t need to be perfect — I just need to pass.”
“I’ve done hard things before. I’ll do this too.”
🔄 Reframe Catastrophic Thinking
Instead of: “If I fail, I’ll never be a nurse.”
Say: “If I struggle, I’ll adjust and try again. This test does not define me.”
🧘♀️ Meditation & Mindfulness
Apps like Headspace, Calm, or Insight Timer have short meditations for test anxiety.
💪 How to Physically Calm Down Before and During NCLEX
🌬️ Breathing Techniques
Try box breathing: inhale for 4, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4. Repeat x5.
It literally resets your nervous system.
🧍♀️ Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Tense each muscle group from toes to head for 5 seconds, then release.
Anxiety hides in your body. Let it go.
🏃 Movement Matters
Walk. Dance. Stretch. Just move.
Physical tension feeds mental anxiety.
🧠 Eat + Hydrate
Fuel your brain:
Protein + complex carbs = brainpower
Dehydration = irritability + poor focus
Breathe, you’ve got this!
🕘What to Do the Day Before the NCLEX to Stay Calm
Don’t cram. Don’t panic. (Don’t disappear into TikTok for 6 hours either.)
✅ DO:
Skim light review notes (NO NEW MATERIAL)
Pack your test bag: ID, snacks, water, directions
Set your clothes out
Plan your route
Go to bed early
❌ DON’T:
Scroll NCLEX Reddit horror stories
Stay up reviewing every lab value
Isolate — talk to a friend if needed
🗓️ Test Day NCLEX Tips to Manage Anxiety in Real Time
☀️ Morning Routines That Work
Wake up early — no rushing
10-min walk or stretch
Eat something
Box breath before you enter
💥 In-the-Moment Anxiety Fixes
Feel yourself spiraling? Pause. Breathe. Four slow breaths in and out.
Say internally: “One question at a time.”
😣 When You Blank:
Don’t panic — flag it if needed
Move on, then circle back
🧃 Use Your Breaks
You can pause. Eat, drink, stretch — treat your brain like a muscle.
Listen to what a few previous students had to say.
💬 Real NCLEX Success Stories from Anxious Students
Kendra, RN:
“I threw up the morning of my NCLEX. I almost didn’t go. But I remembered what my tutor said: just start. I passed in 79 questions.”
Luis, BSN:
“I failed every predictor exam I took. But I had a system: affirmations, practice, visualizing success. It worked. First try — passed.”
Dani, RN:
“I used to sob after practice tests. What changed? I stopped trying to be perfect — and I started managing my mindset.”
🆘 When NCLEX Anxiety Requires Professional Support
If your anxiety is:
Interfering with sleep
Causing panic attacks
Leading to avoidance behaviors
👉 You’re not weak. You’re human.
Talk to a counselor, a test coach, or a peer mentor.
Resources:
Campus counseling centers
Peer-led NCLEX support groups
Therapy apps like BetterHelp or Talkspace
You CAN do this!
💡Remember:
Test anxiety is common — and manageable.
You’re not the first nurse to cry over a practice test. You won’t be the last.
But you can change how you show up to the NCLEX — with calm, focus, and the belief that you’ve got this.
✨ Try this:
Try one new anxiety-reducing technique this week.
Then DM me what helped. Let’s normalize support, not silence.
📚 Additional Resources
Apps: Headspace, Insight Timer, Breethe
Books: The Confidence Gap, Crushing the NCLEX
Communities: r/NCLEX, FB groups like “NCLEX Support for Future Nurses”
Comment below!
I invite my readers to join a discussion in the blog comment section to share tips and support each other in developing this essential skill.
💬 Join the Conversation:
Let's collaborate towards creating a safer healthcare environment for all nurses and patients.
We’d love to hear from you! Feel free to leave your comments or questions below—let’s make this a conversation!
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Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments:
What is one new anxiety-reducing technique that you are looking forward to trying out this week?
What helps you calm down, or stay calm?
Any tips or stories you'd like to share with your fellow new nurses?
Don’t forget to follow me on my Instagram account @nclex_one_on_one_tutoring and share it with your colleagues!
