Waiting on my scores. So painful.
Either way, it will be fine.
If you’re taking your PANRE, I think it makes sense to do what I did. To jump in on short notice and give it a shot in your 5th year. I guess that would be 9th now, and maybe that will be harder because you’re further away, but there is tiny downside.
You can think of it as a practice run. That helps get your brain in the right place. If you think of your first attempt as a walkthrough, it is much easier. I get it. It isn’t. Especially if you’re taking the PANCE and a failure means 90 days without pay I get it.
But remember it’s all a mind game. Keeping yourself calm. Keeping yourself in control. Reading the questions. If you walk in there thinking “Crap if I fail, I have to 90 days without a paycheck. I have to call my employer and tell them I’m not coming.” That sucks!
That’s hard.
The morning of and the night before I thought of it like seeing out of the corner of your eye. I didn’t let the test come all the way into view. I didn’t ignore it, but it wasn’t my main focus. In fact, I did everything I could to keep out of the main focus. I played music. I watched a movie I’d seen so it didn’t take any energy to watch it, but it was a fabulous distraction. (Deadpool, so funny)
I came at it from the side. I snuck up on it. Keeps the brain calm. Keeps the heart rate down. If you can treat your first run literally as a practice run that’s great. But if you can’t trick yourself into believing you can.
Literally, say to yourself. This one is going to be fun. I’m gonna do my best, but I’ve never done this before and If I fail no worries. I’ll have learned a lot and come back much better prepared next time. You learn a lot about the test taking process that day. I sure did, and I’m already putting things in motion for ways to teach you even more about all of that. It’s so powerful.
In the meantime, you should pick up a copy of The Final Step. The question book I wrote that is pure key fact practice. Even I was shocked at the prevalence of key terms throughout the exam. It’s the quickest easiest way to do well.
Brian
