How I knew I was failing the NCLEX but still passed

I walked into the NCLEX feeling prepared, but the moment I saw the first question, I knew I was in trouble. It barely made sense, and as I moved through the test, the questions only got harder. I found myself blindly guessing, especially on SATA and pharmacology questions. By question 85, I was praying for the exam to shut off, but it kept going—86, 100, 130—until it finally ended at 150. I left the testing center completely convinced I had failed.

The post-exam panic set in fast. I started Googling how to reschedule, convinced that my long exam meant the NCLEX was just giving me extra chances before failing me. But then, I did the Pearson Vue Trick (because, of course, I had to check), and I got the “good pop-up.” I didn’t believe it at first, but when my official results came in, I had somehow passed. I was in complete shock.

Looking back, I realized that feeling like you’re failing the NCLEX doesn’t mean you actually are. The test is designed to push you to your limit, and if your questions feel impossibly difficult, it’s probably a sign that you’re doing well. So, if you walked out of your exam feeling defeated, don’t panic just yet you might have just passed without even realizing it.