Failed RPN exam twice — what finally worked for my third attempt?

by Tom W. 30 views3 replies
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Tom W.OP
May 27, 2026

I've been a nursing student for what feels like forever at this point, and after failing the RPN exam twice I was seriously questioning whether this was the right career for me. My first attempt I scored a 67% and figured I just needed more time. Second attempt, same ballpark. I was devastated.

What changed for my third attempt was actually being strategic instead of just reading textbooks over and over. I started using an RPN practice test that mirrored the actual question format — the scenario-based questions especially. I also found a study guide that broke down the nursing competency categories (safe and competent care, health promotion, etc.) instead of treating everything as one giant lump of content.

I passed with a much more comfortable margin this time. Happy to share my full study schedule if anyone wants it. Curious what exam tips others found most useful — particularly around medication calculations and prioritization questions, which tripped me up constantly in earlier attempts.

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emily_w
May 28, 2026
I'm in a similar spot right now — sitting for my second attempt in about three weeks and panicking a bit. Can I ask what study guide you used specifically? I've been bouncing between three different resources and I think that's actually hurting me more than helping. Also, how many hours per day were you studying in that final stretch before the exam?
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Alex G.
May 28, 2026
Medication calculations — Khan Academy's nursing math videos saved me. Spent two full weekends on nothing but dosage problems. Muscle memory before test day makes a huge difference when anxiety spikes in the actual exam room.
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Tyler B.
May 28, 2026
Congrats on passing! Prioritization questions were my weakness too. What helped me was learning the ABCs framework cold and then drilling SATA questions until they stopped feeling random. I'd estimate I did maybe 1,200 practice questions over 6 weeks. The ones that explained the rationale after each answer were worth more than any textbook chapter, honestly.

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