Anyone Who Use Kaplan & Succeed??!!!!!!!!!

labrador4122, RN · Dec 5, 2007

HI CONGRATULATIONS.thanks!!just read ur post.by the way,just wanna ask some tips on how u make it on the nclex?sure! how long have you been preparing for the test-after graduation, I took 2 weeks off to relax, then I started kaplan, and exactly 3 months to the date after I started kaplan I took the test. and is kaplan really effective? TO ME: Kaplan is the best, I had Helen Feuer- which is good to brush up on content that you hadn't gone over, but the kaplan book does the same thing, Feuer was good to put in the car a listen to it while driving around, I also had it on the computer and listen to that while looking at the kaplan blue course book. but nothing compares to kaplan, not even the ncsbn site. how did you make used of it? Kaplan, you have to do everything that comes with the course... I know it's a lot, but well worth it... I took a week and watched the entire content videos, while having the book open, and I know I have a hard time with meds so I watched that video 2x's. Hope you could gve me some advise coz'im planning to take the exam end of the month.'m currently enrolled in kaplan but i just dont knw if i will make it. do everything that comes with the program! when I say everything, I mean everything... the questions, reading the books, the videos... and for sure watch the decision tree video at the beginning. i've been doing the qtrainer but i only get 50 to 56%.I used to get 44% sometimes 56% ... and I would keep doing the questions I got wrong over and over until I got it right. Also, what helps enforce those kaplan strategies, is the little kaplan book they sell at the stores, strategies 07-08 version, and it explains in details about maslow, ABC's etc. that is a great book, I read that 3 times the week before my test, as well as did the CD and reviewed my answers, and the week before, I also went over topics stated in my kaplan course... like to know insulin... things like that.....and i'm not done yet with the course book.I read that book twice, once with the videos, and once by myself. I had to take my time 3 months because that is when I felt comfortable going to the test. My girlfriend who was in kaplan with me did not do the videos or read the book, she just did questions in kaplan, and she failed.. I told her to do all the things I am telling you now, but she said she didn't have time, it was boring, and didn't want to change her test date....I would change my test date, to make sure I pass.hope u cud help me out.thanks. if you feel that you want to change your date because you haven't done everything possible that comes with kaplan course, then I suggest you change it. I think that If I hadnt done all the things that I did, I would of failed.

I never got 65% on my qbank or the qtrainer, in fact I got 53% on qt7, and I was so upset... but I kept working at it, kept reading, kept doing same questions over and over, I did get eventually 91%... but that was because I had seen the questions so many times!!

personally, I believe tha kaplan is the best out there. the best out of anything. they really teach you how to take the test.

saunder's book, is way too much to do, it was helpful in nursing school but not for the test.

ncsbn's learningext.com is too simple, the answers are nothing like what the test is... Kaplan is most similar to the test.

helen feuer- is more content based, what you get in the kaplan book. I used it so I can listen to it in the car.

the questions on the nclex-rn are not that bad, they are easy to understand... but the answers are so so so tricky, just like kaplan. I had a kaplan question have something to do with "which are you most concerned about with a pt with halo traction" and I was between 2 answers "jaw pain or head pain".... I think it was the head pain, but I wasn't sure... that is just like the nclex...

that is why I felt like I was guessing, because I would end up with 2 answers.. then I would say to myself "ok, it's between these two... which one should I pick...I would read the question again... then I would say 'please God, let me pick the right thing'... and I would pick my answer. sometimes, I had no clue.. that I would just close my eyes... and pray and then pick the one I thought was best out of the two.

and when my test stopped at 75.. I thought I failed majorly...I was depressed, I cried... I told my family that I was sorry because I failed.. but I know in my heart that I couldn't have done more for that test. I did everything in kaplan that I possibly could.... everyday, I studied at least 6 hours. and the week before the exam, I wanted to stay up untill 2am to study.. but I couldn't because I had studied all day.

-I drove myself crazy studying, but hey, I passed. There is someone I know who said ... well I failed because I have a baby, blah blah blah, I have a baby too!, I have a job as a nursing assistant too! I have a husband! I have bills to pay! I have to cook and clean too!!

My advice to anyone, is... you study how ever you want to study, but you need to study a lot, every day put 150%, if you have to give up fun things to study, then give it up...

Now, I am relaxing, watching movies, going to the mall with my baby, staying up on the computer, having a glass of wine, seeing my friends... and I am so glad, that during those 3 months I prepared myself the best that I could for me.

-Good luck to everyone, everyone deserves to pass this test! as long as you study

RN4Nascar · Dec 5, 2007

Hello! I used Kaplan classroom and passed. I really thought going to the class itself and using the online Kaplan also were soo helpful.

I did @ 75 - 100 questions a day. I didnt over do it..or freak out. I made sure I had time for me, I have no kids and not married so that helped a lot.

The online Kaplan study bank the score you want to shoot for is 60%, and the practice tests..were 65%.

A week before the exam I sat down and did 265 questions to get a feel for it just in case I got all 265.

Everyone is different. It took me 3x to pass. Kaplan did not have a class available my first 2 times. It was tough for me to teach myself the Kaplan techniques.

People have all kinds of methods, and ways of studying. There are single parents, fulltime workers..some struggle studying and dont pass..but they dont give up they keep going and pass..those are the people I give a lot of credit to!! Its hard to balance family work..taking care of kids..I see its not easy at all. I dont know if you are married..have kids?

I wish you much luck PM me anytime for any advice!! Id love to know how things are going!!

je_da · Dec 6, 2007

hello there!

i passed with kaplan as my only review material. i did the online course not the classroom cause i am not into studying with a group. i am most effective doing it alone and in my own set of time.

i reviewed the concepts that i am having difficulty in understanding. i reread it a couple of times. watched the videos parallel to the concepts. then i practiced with the qbank with my weak points first, then got result and see if i've improved. i did that till i was sure i understood them all. then comes my moderate concepts, same strategy in studying and testing. then the last i read about were my best-strong points which i know needs polishing still, then i took qbank tests too on the subjects.

basically i followed the course book suggestions but i did my own schedule basing from the diagnostic test result. remember to take test before and after reviewing that way you can gauge where you are and you can remedy the things you still need to read. did 100-150 qs a day from qbank.

the qtrainer was okay. i took the 1,5,6,7 test only since i needed to practice on the application-analysis type of questions ( which is the nclex style questions). i never had the chance to take the 3 sample test they had. hehehe...

i am glad i did kaplan. the strategies they teach you are really very helpful to me, my anxiety level dropped down since i know how to approach each question.

lastly, make use of everything that you purchased from kaplan and focus! you can do it too!

good luck! :)

rafRN · Dec 6, 2007

Thanks so much guys for taking time answering my queries.I really really appreciate every tips and advice u gave.Hope i could make it too...

Thanks!

angelique777 · Dec 6, 2007

I also believe Kaplan is the best. I used the online video questions and found that listening to the rationale of why the question was right or wrong helped me make better choices when answering the actual nclex test questions.

I studied by topic. So I did questions on all maternity , all cardiac, etc. Sticking by topic helped me retain the information. I used nclex books such as nclex RN and a few other books (simply nclex series which I originally purchased to help while in school) to increase my knowledge on the certain topics. Therefore I did use other sources other than Kaplan to study but that was to increase my knowledge of certain topics.

However It was the nclex rationale in the Kaplan video question that helped me in the decision making process of the test questions. It helped in understanding why when I came down to two answer as a choice why the one answer was better than the other answer.

This is the most important feature of the Kaplan testing material and that its so similar to the actual test.

I got 75 questions and the computer shut off and I thought I failed and I thought I had died at that moment. My heart sank to the floor. In my head I was please dont shut off give me another chance I Know more lol. I stared at that computer and tears swelled up. Oh the sheer torture of that moment.

What torture was that waiting to find out. I tormented my family with my grief. Oh but what a joy when I found out I passed. So thankful to God who I prayed to him through out the exam.

I am also glad I invested in the Kaplan online review it had been a finacial burden at the time but well worth it.

Good luck! They recommend you do at least 2000-3000 questions before taking the exam at least that is what I remember.

Sincerely Angela .......see ya

olympus_15 · Aug 21, 2008

ok this my second time here.

here are some helpful tips. i really liked it because help me to select the correct answer. i ''ll take my nclex on aug 26 and i still working hard because you never finish with all the material that kaplan gives to you.