For fellow Texas NAPLEXers: I took the exam on June 11 at 8AM, and my results were available online by June 13. The scores are online this year for Texas-takers at
http://www.nabp.net/programs/examination/naplex/naplex-and-mpje-score-results/, and the turnaround for knowing your exact score is pretty quick. I took the exam on a Monday, and my score was available online today (Wednesday). I didn't bother checking for my score yesterday, so it may have been even faster than a 2 day turnaround.
So, I felt like I failed after taking the exam (like a lot of other people), and in spite of my best efforts, I still passed. For everyone feeling pre- and post-NAPLEX anxiety, I wanted to impart the things that went wrong with my experience:
1.) Time: I didn't finish the exam. I had 3 unanswered questions at the end which means that I received the score penalty for not finishing the exam in addition to missing those questions outright.
2.) Sleep-deprivation: I had an 8AM exam, and I slept for 2 hours the night before the exam.
3.) Studying: I studied seriously for one week before the exam; about 8 hours each day. Before that, I only idly flipped through pages.
4.) Overactive bladder: To compensate for the lack of sleep, I drank a bunch of coffee shortly before and during the break of the exam. You guys know what happens afterwards.
What I wish I did differently:
1.) Don't re-read questions or pour over the patient cases. I should not have double & triple-checked questions so much (I only changed one of them), and I spent a lot of time trying to find a tricky detail in every patient case. I thought I was doing fine on time, but towards the end of the exam, I had a string of some 6 math questions in a row which put me behind schedule, and I would have had a lot more time if I hadn't been so... er, meticulous.
2.) Sleep 8 hours at all costs. It's easy to get tunnel-vision on an exam and become fixated on the wrong details when you're tired. Even if you're not done studying, I would prioritize sufficient sleep before the exam over extra studying.
3.) I think morning caffeine was actually a good idea. The cup of water didn't help though.
Now, I do think it is important to studying for the exam, but like many people have already said, don't give yourself undue grief before and after the exam. It's going to feel pretty tedious regardless, and the angst is unavoidable. But, as long as you can keep a level head, you'll be fine.
--Garfield3d