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If you are coming close to finishing up nursing school you might also be thinking about taking the NCLEX exam. If that’s the case you also should consider looking into some NCLEX Prep Courses that include an NCLEX review along with practice tests to get yourself prepared. These courses can help arm you with the critical thinking skills necessary to pass the exam on your first try.
The good news is there’s no shortage of options in today’s online world to find these NCLEX review courses. But be aware there is a wide variation in cost and what is delivered in each course. Some options are going to give in-depth reviews along with practice tests, while others are going to focus solely on practice tests and questions. Some are going to be online courses, while others will be in person.
In this article, we’ll discuss options for both the NCLEX RN and the NCLEX PN exams.
Let’s dig through some of the best options out there and see what NCLEX test courses you should consider.
| Nursing.com | Mometrix | Kaplan | UWorld | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest Price | $39 | $59.99 | $399 | $129 |
| Delivery Method | Online | Online | Online/In-Person | Online |
| On-Demand Videos | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Teaching Options | Self-paced | Self-paced | Self-paced or classroom | Self-paced |
| Practice Testing | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Tutoring Option | No | No | Yes | No |
| Access Length | 1 month | 1 month | 6 months | 12 months |
As with many other test prep solutions, Mometrix offers a great NCLEX RN review course. You will get access to over 1100 practice questions, 354 lessons, more than 70 videos, and 607 flashcards with Mometrix. This includes multiple full-length practice tests.
Their lessons are adapted from their highly reviewed study guide on the NCLEX exam, and the videos cover difficult subject matter in more detail.
Mometrix does a great job of tailoring their studies for all types of learners. Whether you learn visually, through audio, by reading, or by practice, there is a solution for you.
Pros
Mometrix University $59.99/month – It doesn’t get any more simplistic than a straight monthly fee for all the materials. Mometrix is billed monthly at this rate, which makes it ideal for people who don’t need access to study materials for a long period of time.
Nursing.com NCLEX review course is another great online option that gives you both instructional and practice test capabilities. This company was founded by an experienced RN, so it benefits from someone who’s been there before.
Nursing.com has one of the more extensive sets of options for online test prep. From over 6,000 practice test questions and simulated NCLEX exams, to review courses, ebooks, and study plans, Nursing.com offers a lot for the price.
NCLEX Simulator (SIMCLEX) – This is a patent-pending technology that mimics the algorithms used on the actual NCLEX exam. 99.86% of students who pass the SIMCLEX also pass the NCLEX on their first try. In fact, if you pass a SIMCLEX and do not pass the NCLEX, Nursing.com will pay you back 200%. That’s showing some confidence.
Practice Questions – They have over 6,000 high yield questions written by nurses. That’s one of the largest question banks you will find in any NCLEX prep course.
Review eBook – This eBook is included with your membership and bullet point content review along with practice questions.
Study Plans – Get 2, 4, 6, and 12-week study plans developed by their nursing team to give you day-by-day guidance.
Mobile App – Their mobile app gives you access to study material regardless of location.
NCLEX Prep Academy ($39/month) – One of the more affordable solutions on the market, Nursing.com NCLEX test prep course is fairly priced at $39/month for 1 month, or you can get a discount by purchasing 1-year or 2-years of access. For those, you will pay 3 installments or 6 installments of $82 respectively.
It’s a simple all-inclusive pricing scheme, and one of the best options you will find.
Regardless of the plan you choose, the Kaplan NCLEX exam prep services provide both course and practice test work. All courses include live or on-demand courses, thousands of practice questions, full-length computer-adaptive tests (CATs), a content review guide, and a 500+ page ebook.
Kaplan will also teach you the Kaplan Decision Tree method, which is a method with proven results.
Also, Kaplan has a mobile app that allows you to take study material virtually anywhere.
Kaplan’s first NCLEX prep course option is self-paced and gives you access to an amazing amount of material. Here are just a few highlights of the self-paced Kaplan NCLEX review course:
Add on a guarantee that you will pass the NCLEX exam on your first try, and you end up with a good deal.
Next, Kaplan offers a Live Online prep course which, as the name suggests, gives you live online instruction in an online classroom.
The cost isn’t significantly more because the other features of this plan overlap with the self-paced course. So if you learn better in a live atmosphere, consider paying a little extra for the additional service.
Kaplan prep courses might not be the cheapest option, but you definitely get what you pay for in this case. They have one of the best NCLEX test prep services, and their experience in the industry is well worth the price. You won’t find many companies with the breadth of test prep services as are offered by Kaplan.
Self-Paced Prep Course ($399/6 months) – Kaplan’s self-paced course is the most affordable option and gives you considerable flexibility in how you study.
Live Online ($499) – Live online gives you everything in the self-paced course with the addition of live coursework.
If you don’t need a full-service suite of products but are more interested in practice questions, then UWorld is a great option. They have thousands of NCLEX sample questions with detailed explanations. Many of their answers also come with illustrations to better help understand and grasp complicated content.
Pros
UWorld offers different levels of pricing which vary based mainly on the time of access and the number of self-assessments you receive. The good news is regardless of the pricing option, you get access to over 2,000 practice test questions.
QBank 30-Day Access $129– If all you are looking for is practice, then UWorld has you covered with this plan. You’ll get full access to their bank of 2,100 questions with explanations and illustrations included.
QBank 60 Day Access $159 – Similar to their 30-Day product, you get access to the same extensive QBank. In addition, you will get one self-assessment with this upgraded offering.
QBank 90-Day Access $199 – Get access to the QBank and an additional self-assessment with the 90-day option.
QBank 180-Day Access $279 – This level of access comes with the same number of practice questions and self-assessments as the 90 days. But in addition you get a One-time reset option that should buy you some more time if needed.
There are an additional two plans that give you more time if you think you want a full year or more of access. Those are the 360 and 730 day options and are $339 and $399 respectively.
Another long-time player in the NCLEX test space is ATI. They also have a number of options ranging from practice questions only to virtual personalized coaching. This gives you much more flexibility in regard to how you want to learn the material.
ATI offers a virtual option that gives you access to a virtual coach is a nurse educator experienced in creating personalized test plans. This allows students to get assessments and study plans based on their individual needs. You will get post-review mediation resources from your coach, and a “green light” once they believe you are ready to pass the NCLEX exam.
ATI also has live review classes you can take which differentiate from others on the list. These review classes cover every aspect of the test and provide test-taking strategies, critical-thinking exercises, Q&A practice, and access to new assessments. While live sessions may be more expensive, they have proven to have higher pass rates than studying with non-live prep solutions.
BoardVitals is now a part of ATI and provides over 3,000 questions for the NCLEX-RN or 1,000 questions for the NCLEX-PN. As you will see below, you can purchase BoardVitals separately, or as part of the ATI-Virtual solution.
Pros
ATI offers a number of different pricing options depending on their product. This gives you plenty of flexibility if you need personalized assistance, or are just looking for practice questions to supplement your own studies.
ATI-Virtual $525/$475 – With this product, you get virtual coaching and access to the BoardVitals question bank. The higher price is for the NCLEX-RN, whereas you pay slightly less for the NCLEX-PN due to the fewer questions offered there.
BoardVitals $121 – If you only need access to NCLEX exam questions, this is the ATI solution for you.
Live Review – For Live Review pricing you will need to go to the ATI website, and login to see class options.
Last but not least, Hurst is another long time NCLEX prep company with another set of very flexible options. With Hurst you can choose between lightweight plans that focus more on practice questions, flashcards, and quizzes, or you can opt for more robust offerings with lectures, workbooks, and readiness exams.
Hurst NCLEX review plans operate similar to those of UWorld where you have many options based on how long you want access. In addition, their plans differentiate based on readiness exams offered, and things like interactive live streaming review.
Hurst also has a guarantee that you will pass the exam on your first try. That’s what we call standing behind your product.
Pros
Hurst RN-Qbank $109, PN-Qbank $99 – With this plan you get 30 days of online access. You’ll get 1500 questions of the NCLEX-RN version and 1,000 for NCLEX-PN. This includes rich rationales, alternate format questions and both flashcard or quiz modes.
Hurst Now RN-Review $249, PN-Review $239 – In addition to the Qbank plan you get 90 days of access, four readiness exams, a Hurst Workbook, and must-know content.
Hurst Now Plus RN-Review $339 – With this plan, you get 120 days of access and you’ll get Elevate included. This gives you access to lectures, post-lecture quizzes, online support, and more.
Hurst N-Stream RN-Review $399, PN-Review $275 – With the N-Stream Review you will get everything included in the Now Plus plan but also interactive streaming which gives you the experience of a live classroom from your home.
Nurse Plus Academy offers a combination of free practice questions and premium services. That makes it a great starting point for those who aren’t sure they need a paid NCLEX review course before seeing how they perform on sample questions.
Every practice test is based on real exam questions, and you can study all of them at your own pace. You can even take the free practice test questions without registering or logging into an account.
Nurse Plus Academy also has an NCLEX exam simulator allowing you to see if you’re ready for the actual test. It includes the same number of questions and is in the same format as the NCLEX-RN exam.
Their practice questions are based on the same categories included in the official exam and include the following:
With all of the premium plans at Nurse Plus Academy, you will get access to over 1,600 exam-like questions, 65 realistic practice tests, 300+ SATA questions, an unlimited NCLEX exam simulator, and a Pass Guarantee.
Pros
The Monthly – $49 – Another good option for those who may not want or need long-term access. Get all the practice you would need and access to the NCLEX Simulator for a reasonable monthly cost
The Bulletproof $99 (365-day access) – If you think you’ll want more than a month of access, then this $99 option for an entire year of access is perfect. It will also unlock the NCLEX flashcard and cheatsheet features.
The Lifetime – $139 – If you don’t want to mess around with timeframes at all, you can have lifetime access at a great rate.
There are a lot of NCLEX review courses out there. From completely free online tests to in-person classes costing hundreds of dollars. So how do you choose a comprehensive review that’s right for you?
As with any studying-related question, you need to consider how you learn best. Some people want as many practice questions as possible with detailed explanations. Others prefer video content and online courses they can take at their own pace.
Figure out what type of learning makes sense for you, and then find the prep courses above that provide that type of content. If you can find one that provides a free trial, or a money-back guarantee then you have very little risk of trying it.
Those solutions which have monthly plans are also relatively low risk. The prep companies on this list have a large amount of content for a great price. It’s well worth the investment to ensure you pass the test on your first go-around.
In order to be eligible to take the NCLEX exam, you will need to complete an accredited program in whatever area of nursing you are pursuing.
If that’s an LPN, then you’ll need to complete an accredited certificate program. You can find these at many community colleges and standalone trade schools in your local communities.
For registered nurses looking to take the NCLEX RN, you need to complete at the minimum an associate’s degree in nursing. Many of today’s nurses will have completed a bachelor’s of science in nursing which is an even more advanced program.
The test typically covers eight different subject areas regardless of which NCLEX exam you are taking. Those include Health Promotion and Maintenance, Basic Care and Comfort, Psychosocial Comfort, Management of Care, Physiological Adaptation, Safety and Infection Control, Reduction of Risk Potential, and Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies.
For more specific information on the exam, you should visit NCSBN.org.
Because of the large number of nurses preparing for this exam, there’s no shortage of NCLEX test prep companies.
You will find a wide variety including those with a simple question bank to those with robust online courses and training on top of practice tests.
Depending on your comfort level with the material, you can choose whichever is right for you.
Pearson VUE is the organization that administers the NCLEX. You must first register to take the test and receive an Authorization to Test via email.
Once you receive the authorization email you will be able to schedule your test. The testing times are typically very flexible and occur year round. As opposed to other test that have fewer testing times, you should have no problem finding an NCLEX exam any day of the week that fits your schedule.
There is a wide variety in the cost of NCLEX prep courses and practice questions. You can find free prep options, especially those offering simple practice questions without additional course material, or in-person teaching of some kind. As outlined in this article, most prep companies charge anywhere from $100 to $400 for different types of learning.
In our opinion, Nursing.com and Kaplan offer the two best NCLEX prep courses. Nursing.com offers products across different stages of your nursing school journey and is obviously focused only on the nursing profession. That means they spend every day finding better ways to serve students in this area of study.
That said, Kaplan is as good as it gets when it comes to NCLEX test prep across the board. If you’re more comfortable with a company that’s been in the business for a long time, then you can’t go wrong with Kaplan.
This is completely up to the individual and how you study best. At a bare minimum, you should take a practice exam to get a baseline for how you are grasping the necessary information. If you already are excelling, then it’s possible a simple set of detailed practice questions and answers is all you need.
If you are struggling with some content, or test-taking strategies, it’s more than worth the price to purchase one of the test prep solutions we’ve discussed here.
Preparing for the NCLEX, as with any exam, can be stressful. But this one is critical as it ultimately allows you to pursue the career you’ve been preparing for. While these online NCLEX review courses are going to set you back some money, it’s most likely worth the investment to help pass the exam on the first attempt.
Whether you are looking for practice tests and questions alone, or want one-on-one assistance, you will find an option with these companies. The more assistance you need will typically land you with a higher price tag, but the most expensive of the bunch is still only around the $500. When you consider this exam will set you on course for an entire career, the payback is clearly there for taking one of these prep courses.