MY EXPERIENCE TAKING THE NCLEX...

I took my exam at a Pearson Vue testing center in Downtown Jersey City.  Across the street from Newport Station.Very nice building. I went in.  I gave security in the lobby my passport.  They gave me a barcode swipe.  I swiped myself in and went up to the 16th floor.

I walked into the office and a woman greeted me.  She handed me a sheet with the exam rules written on it.   You can't take your cell phone into the exam.  No bracelets.  No calculators.  No wrist watches.  They have lockers with keys.  They will place your cell phone in a sealed bag.  They give it back to you and you put your sealed phone in your locker.  When the exam is done, you hand them your sealed phone.  They will cut the seal open and hand you your cell phone.  

The only thing you will end up walking in the exam with is your ID.  And even that will placed in a plastic ziplock bag.

Before you go in the room they will make you turn your pockets inside out.They will have you place both your hands on a hand scanner numerous times.  They will have you sit down  and take a picture.  They have cameras everywhere recording you.  They have microphones everywhere recording you.  They will provide you with a set of disposable earplugs prior to taking the exam.  

They will give you a 1'x2' laminated board with a marker.  You are not allowed to erase anything from the laminate.  You are not allowed to write on the laminate until after you finish the exam tutorial.  If you fill up the laminate, which you probably won't, but if you do, you will raise your hand and the proctor will walk in and replace it with a clean one.  You can take a bathroom break when you like.  You raise your hand.  The proctor comes and pauses the exam.  They will give you two opportunities to take an official break.  At 2 and I think 3 hours.   

 When you go on your break the clock is still running.  

The exam is max 6 hours long.  And that includes your break time.  Any bathroom breaks you take.  I took none of the prompted breaks.  I ran to bathroom at one point.  When I returned from the bathroom.  I had to scan my hand in again and roll up my sleeves and pull up my pant legs for the proctor.

I can understand why it cost $200 to take the exam.  It is like Fort Knox in the testing center.  But at the same time you can't really cheat anyway.  The content on the exam is only somewhat similar to what you studied in exam books.  So to try and cheat would be a total waste of time...

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