Mental Preparation^*

---

1. Visualize

You have probably learned how to do this with clients; now it’s your turn. Sit back and let your shoulders and arms relax. Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a relaxing situation—it can be fictional, but a real-life memory is best. Make it as detailed as possible. Think about the sights, the sounds, the smells, even the tastes that you associate with the relaxing situation. Keep your eyes shut; keep sinking back into your chair. Now that you’re in that situation, start bringing your test in—think about the experience of taking the test while in that relaxing situation. Imagine how much easier it would be if you could take your test in that situation. Notice how much easier your test seems in that situation.

Here’s another variation. Close your eyes and think about a situation in which you did well on a test. If you can’t come up with one, pick a situation in which you did some good academic work that you were really proud of, or some other kind of genuine accomplishment. Not a fiction, mind you: it has to be from real life. Make it as detailed as possible. Think about the sights, the sounds, the smells, even the tastes that you associate with this experience of academic success. Now think about your test in line with that experience. Don’t make comparisons between them. Just imagine taking your test with that same feeling of relaxed control.

2. Exercise

Whether it be jogging, walking, yoga, push-ups, or a pickup basketball game, physical exercise is a great way to stimulate the mind and body and improve one’s ability to think and concentrate. A surprising number of those who prepare for standardized tests don’t exercise regularly because they spend so much time preparing. Sedentary people—this is a medical fact—get less oxygen in the blood, and therefore to the brain, than active people.

3. Do the Following on Exam Day:

• Keep moving forward. By test day, do enough preparation with practice questions that it becomes an instinct to keep moving forward instead of getting bogged down in a difficult question. You don’t need to get everything right to pass, so don’t linger on a question that is going nowhere. The best test takers don’t get bothered by difficult questions because they accept that everyone encounters them on the NCLEX-PN^® exam.
• Don’t listen to negative words or behavior. Don’t be distracted by the ignorant babble or the behavior of other, less-prepared, less-skilled candidates around you. Negative thoughts lead to negative feelings and may interfere with performing your best on test day.
• Don’t be anxious if other test takers seem to be working harder or answering questions more quickly. Continue to spend your time patiently but persistently thinking through your answers; it’s going to lead to higher-quality test taking and better results. Set your own pace and stick to it.
• Keep breathing! Weak standardized test takers tend to share one major trait: forgetting to breathe steadily as the test proceeds. They do not know the value of proper breathing. They start holding their breath without realizing it, or begin breathing erratically or arrhythmically. This can hurt confidence and accuracy. Do what you can to instill an awareness of proper breathing before and during each study or testing section.
• Do some quick isometrics during the test. This is helpful especially if your concentration is wandering or energy is waning. For example, put your palms together and press intensely for a few seconds.

To effectively prepare for the NCLEX-PN^® exam, first identify your strengths and weaknesses, and then choose an effective method of study that works for you. Then use mental preparation techniques to alleviate stress and manage your test day experience.

^* Some of these methods were originally conceptualized by Dr. Emile Coué, who in the 1920s told everyone that the key to a happy life was to constantly repeat the phrase, “Every day in every way I am getting better and better.” As advice to test takers, that isn’t bad at all!