My NLE Story 📚

Dear Diary,

Last week, the clocks moved forward by one hour in this part of the world, marking the start of daylight saving time in New Zealand. That means we are officially five hours ahead again of my home country, the Philippines.

As I look across at the certificates of my four nursing registrations here in my Auckland Central apartment, I am reminded of a time 17 years ago when I thought I would never be able to get to where I am today.

“I’m sorry, but your name is not on the list.”

I FAILED.

The one word I had been dreading to hear since childhood had finally come.

And the worst part? How could someone who came from the top science class in her high school and was a  Dean’s Lister accept failure?

At that time, I didn’t know how to react. It felt like my whole world had suddenly turned black and white, and my entire body had gone numb.

It took me a few days to process what had happened. But through the encouragement of my family, I decided to try again and fight for that license.

So my twin and I went to Manila. Before we left, we went to see the nuns and asked for their prayers. We decided to get away from the unnecessary noise surrounding my failure and enrolled in one of the top nursing review centers in Manila.

For the next five months, we studied day in and day out for that license.

It was really hard to accept failure, especially in the Philippines, where people scrutinize board exam results. But through the support of our family and our review center—and especially one of our tutors, who constantly reminded us, “Retakers, laban!”—we were able to bounce back, one step at a time.

The review season was tough. We were in Manila during the height of the nursing boom, and the pressure was real.

But we were lucky. We enrolled in a very supportive review center that pushed us to study harder and work harder.

Since we had more time to study, there were days when we didn’t have review classes. But instead of treating those days as breaks, we studied hard at home.

Our reviewers would always remind us:

“Ang boards, hindi ’yan patalinuhan kundi pasipagan.”

The nursing boards were highly competitive at the time. The June 2009 NLE (Nurse Licensure Exam) had a passing rate of only 41.87% so we knew we had to give everything we had.

I remember that it was one of the most challenging seasons of my life—and my twin’s, too.

Some days, we would cry because of the people judging us because of our results. But we never stopped believing that we would eventually pass.

We weren’t only studying. We were also going to church and praying hard.

On Thursdays, we would go to St. Jude Church to study. We would see the banners celebrating topnotchers from universities around the area, and we would imagine our own names being displayed on something like that someday.

After five months of intense preparation, the time finally came.

My twin even had a mishap on exam day. She couldn’t find her name on the list of examinees, but through the help of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), she was eventually able to take the exam at the PRC office.

During the exam, I prayed during and after every subtest. I lifted everything to God.

I prayed that if I was meant to be a nurse, then I would pass that NLE season.

The first day of the boards was so tough.

I went home feeling defeated because I thought I might fail again.

So I went home, watched movies, tried to clear my head, and came back for Day 2.

Day 2 of the NLE felt easier for me.

After the exam, we went back to St. Jude.

We gave all our pencils and pens to a little boy who was with his mother selling food near the church.

The kid was so happy.

And then came the waiting game.

We took the exam in November 2009, and then we celebrated Christmas and New Year with our family back in Mindoro.

Celebrated Christmas in Mindoro while waiting for the NLE results

By January, my twin and I went back to Manila to study for another exam called IELTS (Internatipnal English Language Testing System) exam.

And then, sometime during that month, the NLE results were released.

Since we didn’t have access to the internet at our dorm, we had no way of checking the results ourselves.

Then my aunt sent us a text.

She was congratulating my twin, my cousin, and me for passing the boards.

I still remember how it felt.

We cried so hard.

We just passed one of the most brutal Nurse Licensure Exams ever with a passing rate of 39.73%. It was so hard to believe that we were among the 37,527 out of 94,462 examinees who passed.

Not just because we passed, but because we remembered everything we had gone through to get there.

And then the board ratings were released.

It turned out that we had both aced the exam—and surprisingly, my results were even higher on the first day, the day I walked out convinced I had found the exam impossibly hard, than on the second day.

We had dreamed of becoming topnotchers, but passing—and acing the exam after failing once—was more than enough.

I received a board rating of 80.40, while my twin sister received 83.20.

It was unbelievable.

But more than anything, it was a testament to the hard work we had put in during those five months.

A month later, our school hosted a testimonial dinner for our batch because we had helped bring the school back to the number one spot in Batangas in terms of passing percentage.

And my father was invited to give a speech.

Photo from the archives courtesy of
Celine Bernadette Francisco

Looking back, that moment feels almost surreal.

The girl who had once heard, “Your name is not on the list,” was now sitting at a testimonial dinner celebrating her success.

Seventeen years later, I’m sitting here in Auckland, looking at the certificates of my four nursing registrations.

And sometimes, I still have to remind myself that they all belong to the same girl who once thought she had failed at becoming a nurse.

Maybe that is the lesson I needed all along.

Failure doesn’t always mean the end of the story.

Sometimes, it is simply the chapter that makes the rest of the story possible.

We realized that no matter how many times we fail or experience setbacks in life and in our careers, we can always come back stronger.

And sometimes, the girl who cried because her name wasn’t on the list…

just needs a little more time before

she sees where that failure was going to take her.

Love,

Maica 🩺💜

Maica Simplifies: How to Ace the Nurse Licensure Exam 📚

To My Dearest Besties,

Whether you’re a first-time test taker or someone preparing to take the Nurse Licensure Examination again after failing it, this is your Bestie’s guide to preparing for and acing the Nurse Licensure Examination (NLE).

As mentioned in my former blog post, I was not successful on my first attempt at the NLE. But I was able to bounce back and get a good NLE rating of 80.40.

Since the topnotcher at that time got a board rating of 87.80% and the top 10 placers had ratings ranging from 85.40% to 87.80%, I guess mine was already good enough. 😅

Yes, my Besties, it is possible to bounce back and come back stronger. 😅

So grab your pen and paper, and let me present to you Maica’s simplified way of preparing for and acing the NLE.

1. Make a plan.

Ask yourself: How do you plan to take the NLE?

Are you going to enrol in a review center, or are you more comfortable reviewing on your own?

Set a goal. If your goal is to become a topnotcher, write it down on a piece of paper and remind yourself of your goal throughout your review.

Having a clear goal can help give your review direction.

2. Make a timeline.

After setting your goal and deciding how you are going to prepare for the NLE, create a timeline for your review.

For example, if you have three months to prepare, divide your time among the different subjects.

You could decide to focus on Fundamentals of Nursing for two weeks, Maternal and Child Nursing for another two weeks, and so on.

Create a realistic timeline and make sure that you cover all the subjects before your NLE date.

Your timeline doesn’t have to be perfect. What matters is having a plan that keeps you moving forward.

3. Pray.

Whatever your faith may be, prayer can be a source of comfort and strength during a stressful season.

In my case, my twinnie and I prayed a lot. We went to St. Jude Church every Thursday and prayed before the exam.

For me, preparing for the NLE was not only about studying. It was also about trusting God with the outcome.

4. Find out what kind of learner you are.

This is one of the things I learned the hard way.

As mentioned in my previous post, I used to try to read long textbooks because I thought that was how I was supposed to study.

I eventually realised that I learn better when concepts are presented visually and explained in a simpler way.

And that changed the way I studied.

Everybody is different. What works for your friend, classmate, or even your twin may not necessarily work for you.

Find the study method that works best for YOU.

And if you are a repeat exam taker, I really want you to think about this.

If you prepared for the exam one way and it didn’t work the first time, don’t be afraid to change your strategy.

You don’t necessarily need to study harder.

You may need to study differently.

Sometimes, the problem isn’t the amount of effort you are putting in. You may simply not have found the study method that allows you to learn most effectively yet.

5. Study hard.

The Nurse Licensure Examination can be very competitive, and the passing rate can vary from one examination period to another.

During my season, we had a passing rate of only around 39.73% so it was definitely an intense experience.

That is why you need to take your preparation seriously.

Study hard. Work hard. Practice answering questions. Review your weak areas.

And most importantly, be consistent.

6. Practice answering questions and attend your pre-board sessions.

NLE review center days reimagined with Ai 🤖 

Practicing questions is really important.

Don’t just read your reviewers and textbooks. Practice answering questions so you can get used to applying what you’ve learned.

If you enrolled in a review center, make sure to attend the pre-board examinations and review sessions.

In my case, the pre-boards conducted by my review center helped me a lot before the actual NLE.

One thing I learned from answering practice tests is that you can learn from getting questions wrong.

Don’t just check your score and move on.

Go back to the questions you answered incorrectly. Find out why your answer was wrong, review the topic, and understand why the correct answer is correct.

Sometimes, the questions you got wrong can teach you more than the questions you got right.

Practice. Review your mistakes. Learn from them. Then try again.

7. Take study breaks.

Studying for the NLE can be draining and exhausting.

It is important to give yourself study breaks and allow your brain to rest. Even if you are determined to pass, you don’t have to study every waking minute of the day.

Take at least one proper break day every week if that works for you.

Remember, rest is also part of preparation.

8. Take a social media detox and protect your study space.

Taking the NLE can already be stressful, especially when you are constantly exposed to the pressures and opinions of the outside world.

Sometimes, you need to step away from social media for a while.

Find a comfortable place where you can study without unnecessary distractions. Limit the things that make you anxious, compare yourself to others, or make you question your own progress.

This is your season.

Protect your peace.

9. Believe in yourself.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to believe in yourself, especially if you are a repeat exam taker.

I know because I’ve been there.

Failing an exam can make you question your abilities. You might start thinking, “What if I fail again?”

But you have to learn to trust yourself and trust the work that you have put in.

Your previous result does not automatically determine your next result.

You can try again. You can improve. You can come back stronger.

10. Manifest that license and manifest that you will have a good board exam rating.

As The Alchemist says, whatever dream you have in your heart, the universe will conspire to help you achieve it.

Manifest that license.

Picture yourself signing your name with those two letters after it.

Imagine the moment you finally see your name on the list.

Let that dream motivate you during the days when studying becomes difficult.

But remember: manifestation should go hand in hand with preparation.

Dream about it. Work for it. Pray for it.

11. Enter the exam knowing that you gave it your all, and let God do the rest.

After months of preparation, there will eventually come a point when you have to stop studying and simply take the exam.

When that moment comes, walk into the testing room knowing that you prepared as much as you could.

Before the exam, lift everything to God and ask for guidance.

Do your best.

Answer each question carefully.

And when you have done everything you can, leave the rest to God.

Whatever the result may be, remember that your worth is not defined by one examination.

Always remember, my Besties, whatever worked for me may not necessarily work for you.

Everybody has their own story, their own challenges, their own learning style, and their own timeline.

And if you are a repeat exam taker, don’t be afraid to look back at your previous preparation and ask yourself:

“What can I do differently this time?”

You may not need to become a completely different student. You may simply need to discover a study strategy that works better for you.

The local boards can be intense, so prepare well, believe in yourself, and keep going.

And hopefully, one day, you will finally be able to put those two letters after your name.

RN. ❤️

All the best in your future exams, my Besties.

Love,
Maica ❤️