The Day I Took the NCLEX: My NCLEX Experience Part 2 🇺🇸🩺

Dear Diary,

As I begin weaving the pages of my Nurse Diaries, I am reminded of the painful chapters of my past. But these memories have also reminded me of the grit and determination of my younger self, who worked so hard to get to where I am today. 

Looking back, I realise that I still carry that same grit and determination with me, and I brought them along as I faced one of the most challenging exams of my nursing journey — the NCLEX.

The 5 AM Jollibee Breakfast & Pre-Exam Jitters

Finally, the big day arrived!

In the early hours of that morning, I couldn’t sleep because I was overthinking everything. So, I started scrolling through posts in one of the NCLEX review groups I had joined.

One particular post caught my attention. Someone had just taken her exam and was surprised that she hadn’t encountered as many case studies as she had expected. Instead, she had received plenty of standalone questions about prioritisation and delegation — a topic I was struggling with during my review.

Then it hit me.

I hadn’t even finished the Prioritisation and Delegation lecture from INAP (International Nurses Academy of the Philippines)!

So, I watched the video and tried answering the questions covered in the lecture. Honestly, it helped me understand the topic so much better. Sir Balicha’s lecture on prioritisation and delegation was a gamechanger!

After that last-minute review session, I managed to get a few hours of sleep before waking up at around 5 AM to shower and get ready. My exam was scheduled for 7 AM that morning.

My hubby woke up early, too, and bought me a Jollibee breakfast because he wanted me to have a proper, filling meal before my exam. 😂❤️

We booked a cab to Trident Tower, and I spent the entire ride praying about the exam that lay ahead.

We arrived very early — around 5:30 AM — only to discover that the building was still closed!

So, we headed to the nearest 7-Eleven and waited while having coffee.

I managed to take just one photo that day: a picture of me and my hubby. I had wanted to take more photos to document my exam day, but my nerves were getting the better of me, and I couldn’t bring myself to take any more.

Little did I know that this would become one of those days I would look back on years later.

High Security & Vanishing Composure

When Trident Tower finally opened, the friendly security guard directed me to the testing area.

Once inside the testing centre, I quickly realised just how seriously everything was taken.

The Double Phone Dilemma: Since I was in the Philippines, I had brought a backup phone for my local SIM card and left my main New Zealand iPhone at the hotel. Naturally, I had a mini-crisis trying to figure out how to turn the backup phone off! 😅

Biometric Verification: The staff verified our identities individually using our passports before proceeding with biometric scans.

The Locker Cleanout: We had to remove all our jewellery, including our watches, and secure our personal belongings in lockers.

Constant Surveillance: The staff explained that cameras monitored the testing area to prevent cheating. Even going to the toilet required a staff escort. Everything was closely monitored. 😅

I had been feeling relatively composed because I had deliberately taken it easy the day before.

But the moment I was asked to enter the testing room, all that composure disappeared.

I started coughing and felt as though I was about to throw up. 😅

So much for being composed!

Before looking at the first question, I closed my eyes, prayed, and surrendered everything to God.

And then, it was time to begin.

Inside the Testing Room: The Mental Rollercoaster

My first question was a Select All That Apply (SATA) item about an endocrine disorder. I breathed a huge sigh of relief because I actually knew the answer.

Then came Question 2, which asked about a specific cranial nerve.

I completely blanked. 😂

I essentially had to guess.

The first ten questions were incredibly tough, covering concepts I hadn’t encountered during my preparation. As I progressed through the exam, the questions continued to challenge me until I reached my first case study, which covered psychiatric nursing.

From there, it was a whirlwind of obstetrics, paediatrics, psychiatry, and medical-surgical nursing.

I encountered three to four case studies, alongside a massive wave of standalone questions on prioritisation and delegation. I was incredibly grateful that I had finished Sir Balicha’s lecture that morning because the strategies I learned helped me work through those questions.

At one point, I started overthinking everything.

The exam didn’t seem quite as brutal as the horror stories I had read. Was I actually passing, or was I failing miserably?

I had prepared myself for the worst, but I kept going.

Then I reached Question 75.

It was a case study about a maternal condition. I convinced myself that I was answering the questions incorrectly and began to panic. Would the computer even shut down at the minimum number of questions?

To make things even more interesting, I encountered questions on nursing informatics — a topic I hadn’t even studied!

After about two hours, the screen asked whether I wanted to take a break.

I clicked “No.”

Why? Because I was actively manifesting that the end was near. 😂

Looking back, that was quite a gamble. Had the exam continued all the way to the maximum of 150 questions, I might have ended up hungry, exhausted, and completely drained.

But at that moment, I was determined to keep going.

Then the screen advanced to Question 85.

I took a deep breath and told myself:

“I’m going to keep fighting, even if I have to answer all 150 questions.”

And then, to my utter shock…

The computer screen went completely black!

Until the Next Chapter…

The system prompted me to complete a feedback form about the testing centre, but I just sat there, staring blankly at the reflection on the screen.

What just happened? 😅

And just like that, my NCLEX was over.

But did I pass?

Well, that’s a story for another day.

The next 48 hours were filled with the kind of mental torture that only comes from waiting for an exam result that could change your life. Every thought, every doubt, and every what-if deserved a chapter of its own!

So, if you’ve been following my NCLEX journey, I hope you’ll join me for the next part of my Nurse Diaries, where I’ll share what happened after I walked out of that testing centre.

Until then, remember that sometimes, all we can do is prepare, pray, and keep fighting — even when we have no idea what the outcome will be.

Love,

Maica 🩺💜

A Little Disclaimer from Maica 💜

This post is based on my personal experience taking the NCLEX-RN in the Philippines. The examination format, testing-centre procedures, and types of questions may vary depending on the candidate, examination date, and applicable testing policies.

The topics and questions mentioned reflect my recollection of the experience and are not intended to represent the actual examination content or predict what other candidates may encounter. This post is for informational and educational purposes only and should not replace official NCLEX resources or current instructions from the relevant regulatory and testing authorities.

Some images in this post are AI-generated illustrations inspired by my personal memories and are not photographs of actual events. 💜

The Road towards My American Dream: My NCLEX Experience Part 1 🩺🇺🇸

Dear Diary,

It has been two months since I started blogging again, and I can’t believe that I have found the writer’s voice which I thought I had lost for the past 10 years.

Anyway, I started this blog 16 years ago as a newbie nurse from the Philippines 🇵🇭—when I was only dreaming of the life that I have right now.

As I look back on my journey, I can say that it was not easy, but it was definitely worth it.

Hence, speaking of looking back, I also want to recall the story that led me to my second international nursing license—my NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) experience.

Deciding to Take the NCLEX

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I received my eligibility to take the NCLEX in December 2023. However, since I felt that I was not ready yet to take the exam, I eventually stopped reviewing and focused on preparing for my wedding.

Months after our wedding, I finally felt that I was ready to take the exam.

I started reviewing again in December 2025.

At that time, I was working as a nurse in one of the busiest hospitals here in Auckland, New Zealand, and it was hard.

Since I was working as a nurse while also wanting to fulfil my duties as a loving wife to my husband, I had to learn how to manage my time wisely.

I reviewed at home before or after my shifts, depending on my schedule. I studied on the bus and train going to work, during my break times at work, and even while doing household chores at home.

I would study for the whole day during my days off to catch up on some of the topics I had not finished while I was working. I would answer questions from my question banks while I was on the train going to work and watch NCLEX topic videos during my break times at work.

It was exhausting.

I was working in a busy general medicine ward while preparing for one of the hardest nursing examinations of my life.

But I kept fighting.

By January 2026, I received my ATT (Authorization to Test), and my application for leave was approved. I continued working and studying and eventually started my leave about a month before my exam.

My NCLEX Journey to the Philippines

Prior to my exam, NEAC (Nursing Education and Assessment Centre) helped me secure a slot for my NCLEX examination.

Since my hubby also wanted to go back home to see his family, we decided to take the opportunity to sit for my NCLEX in the Philippines.

NEAC helped me secure my examination slot at Trident Tower in Makati.

So, we went to the Philippines last March.

I had only three weeks left before my examination, and honestly, I still felt like I wasn’t ready.

So I completely locked in.

I studied everywhere—the airplane going to the Philippines, in between flights, and once we arrived in the Philippines.

We landed in the Philippines, met Walter’s family and some of my friends, and then travelled to Mindoro.

While in Mindoro, I studied diligently and tried to make the most out of every day I had left.

I was also grateful to the NEAC staff who checked in on me before my examination and gave me important instructions and reminders for the big day.

Three Days Before the Exam

Three days before my exam, we travelled back to Manila and headed to Makati.

We booked a hotel near my testing centre at Trident Tower so that I wouldn’t have to worry about travelling too far on exam day.

A day before the examination, I decided to stop reviewing.

I wanted to calm my nerves and give my brain a break.

So instead, I went swimming with my hubby, which helped me relax.

We also went to Greenbelt Chapel to attend Holy Mass and pray.

At that point, I lifted everything to God.

I knew that I had already done everything I could.

Whatever happened next was already in His hands.

Until the Next Chapter…

And that was it.

After years of waiting, preparing, studying, and praying, the day I had been waiting for finally arrived.

NCLEX Day.

But what happened inside that testing centre—and the 48 hours that followed—is a story of its own.

I’ll be sharing it in Part 2 of My NCLEX Experience. 💜

See you in the next chapter.

Love,
Maica