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3 Things You Should Know Taking NCLEX During COVID-19
Are you a nurse planning on taking NCLEX during COVID-19? Changes brought by the pandemic have affected all aspects of peoples’ lives creating a new “normal”. The NCLEX-RN exam is not an exception. All registered nurses must pass the NCLEX-RN exam at an approved test location to work as a nurse in the United States.
Several changes were made recently to provide a safe and efficient solution in order to continue accommodating to the needs of NCLEX-RN exam takers. These changes will be in effect from March 25, 2020 until July 4, 2020 and affect the number of testing centers opened, the number of test items and test duration. New adjustments align with the CDC, WHO and local government guidelines to provide a safe environment for all test candidates and assisting staff.
Here are 3 things you need to know if you are taking NCLEX during COVID-19:
#1 – Make sure you are healthy and have protective gear ready.
To ensure everyone’s safety and health, candidates will not be admitted if they have been tested positive for COVID-19 or have been in close contact with someone who has been diagnosed. If you have been showing any flu-like symptoms in the last fourteen days or have been under fourteen days home quarantine or centralized observation demanded by the government or healthcare authorities, then you are asked to refrain from taking the exam.
Because of the high safety priority, some centers might ask candidates to wear a face mask and disposable gloves. You can check with the local health protection agencies about the specific area guidelines. Candidates might be denied approval to take the exam if they are unable to present a face mask and gloves at check-in.
In addition, some regional test centers may require a temperature check upon arrival.
#2 – Be flexible scheduling your exam.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and excising measures, U.S. based Pearson VUE-owned and operated Pearson Professional Centers are temporarily closed according to their official web page, but candidates can begin scheduling exams starting May 1st and beyond if conditions allow.
However, they will continue to deliver exams to independent third-party testing centers who are still operating within the United States. Due to the variation of health policies and guidelines, international testing centers might be operating differently and you can get the information on each country where the NCLEX exam is offered online. In some cases, in order to schedule the exam, you will need to log in to your Pearson Vue account to view the current updates on specific locations.
Due to the limited capacity and operation of the centers be flexible when scheduling an exam and check the availability beforehand. If you already have your exam scheduled make sure to check your email frequently as Pearson Vue continues to provide updates. Some centers might cancel or reschedule the exam until further notice. Also note that rescheduling within 24 hours may not be available at this time.
#3 – The exam is shorter, but the passing standards are the same.
Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) will continue to be used, but to shorten the time and increase the number of daily candidates taking the test, there will be a minimum number of 60 test items and a maximum number of 130 test items. The passing standards and difficulty level will stay the same, but the Next Generation NCLEX Special Research Section will not be included. Along with the lessening of the maximum testing items, NCSBN shortened the overall test time to a maximum of 4 hours. The new modified exam continues to focus on the candidates’ ability and won’t change the overall testing experience. Test candidates are still able to take scheduled breaks after 2 hours and any unscheduled breaks as well. The new changes to the test are in effect until July 4, 2020.
Preparing for the NCLEX-RN exam is essential as your next step as a nurse working in the United States. The goal of this exam is to ensure that nursing school graduates can make quality nursing judgments and provide safe patient care.
