How Athena Prepares You to Pass the NCLEX and Succeed

Posted On July 3,2025

Getting through a nursing program is only the first step to becoming a nurse. To earn your license, you will need to take and pass the National Council Licensure Examination, known in the nursing world as the NCLEX. This test demonstrates that you are prepared to transition from your training program to working with patients. Because the stakes are high, the NCLEX is not an easy test and is one of the most intimidating steps on your path to becoming a licensed nurse. However, many prospective nurses will struggle to pass the exam on their first try. While you can retake the test, if necessary, you can improve your chances of passing by how well you prepare, and Athena Career Academy is ready to help students go into the exam as prepared as they can be.

Female nurse wearing scrubs standing in front of a hospital smiling

Start with a Quality Nursing Program

The first step to passing the NCLEX and having a successful nursing career is enrolling in a quality nursing program. You will have many options when choosing a nursing program, from prominent universities to career academies. If you are studying to become an RN after working as an LPN, participating in a bridge program at a career academy like Athena is one of the best program options. Athena offers experienced instructors, individualized attention, and practical preparation for both the NCLEX and your career as an RN. Don’t get fooled by thinking you need a big-name university. A quality nursing program that gives you the focused attention you need to be successful as an RN is available at Athena.

Athena Offers Focused Test Preparation

Doing well in your nursing program is important, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that you are prepared for the NCLEX. To do well on the NCLEX, you need focused test preparation. Athena takes the time to ensure that all nursing students are ready for the challenge. This includes:

  • Practice exams in the format of the actual exam. 

Test-taking skills are essential when preparing for any test with a specific format. In the case of the NCLEX, this means understanding the computerized format, where new questions are generated and presented based on the performance of previous questions. You can have as few as 75 and as many as 265 questions. To pass the exam, you will need to stay above the pass line with a 95% confidence interval. Practice exams that follow this format will let you know what you can expect from the actual test.

  • Guidance in creating a study plan.

Athena offers review courses designed to prepare students for the NCLEX, which help many students effectively prepare. It’s well worth the investment to take these optional review classes, as well as purchase some focused exam preparation books. Athena can help you select the best resources. With the right resources, you can develop a study plan. Having a structured plan for when and how long you will study every day can set you up for success, and Athena can help you develop this plan.

Hands-On Clinical Experience is Vital for Success

Nursing involves a great deal of classroom learning, studying, and memorization. Courses like anatomy and pharmacology prove that nurses must grasp complex concepts at a theoretical level. But to truly succeed in the field—and on the NCLEX—hands-on clinical experience is essential. It helps with key aspects of the exam, like prioritizing patient needs, and builds the confidence needed to respond effectively to real-world scenarios.The more knowledge you have, the more confident you will feel when faced with the situations presented in the NCLEX.

Athena Has the Personalized Guidance Needed to Support Nursing Students

Giant lecture halls and overcrowded clinicals where your instructors see you as one face in a sea of prospective nurses, no matter how esteemed the school may be, means that you won’t get much in the way of personalized guidance. For nursing students to succeed in their careers, they require individualized support throughout their education. Athena understands this and makes sure that every student receives the advice they need. This makes sure that if a student needs help with clinicals, understanding their coursework, or test preparation, help is readily available from instructors who know their students and have a vested interest in their success. After graduation, studying for the NCLEX should be viewed as a full-time job for a few months, and Athena can provide the guidance necessary to help new graduates structure their study.

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Athena Nursing Students Feel Confident

To pass the NCLEX, you not only need to know the material, but you need to feel confident that you are ready and prepared to move from the classroom to the field. The best way to build that confidence is to enroll in a program that you know gives you the foundation you need for success. When you enroll in Athena, you get comprehensive support throughout your program to confirm that you are confident in your knowledge and skills. The comprehensive support during the program helps students feel ready for the exam when the time comes. If a program is built on a scaffold of support, the exam is just another step that students are prepared for and can feel confident about taking.

Passing the NCLEX is Step One – Athena Also Sets Up Their Nursing Students for Long-Term Success

There’s a balance between teaching only to the test and not addressing the test at all. If you want to pass the NCLEX and have a successful career as a nurse, you need a program that has that balance and understands that both test preparation and practical preparation are important. Athena focuses on preparing students for the NCLEX through test preparation classes and support, but also equips them for a long nursing career with hands-on clinical experience, job assistance, and practical guidance. Athena understands that its reputation relies on successful graduates, and it has designed a program to help launch the next generation of nurses.

Don’t let the NCLEX intimidate you. When you are enrolled in Athena, trust that we will give you the support you need to feel confident that you can prepare, understand what to expect, study with purpose, and pass on the first try. By giving you the best possible foundation, you can trust your education and intuition, believe in yourself, and move toward a successful career as a nurse. Contact us today to learn more.