Experiences with KAPLAN????

nursing 101 · Sep 1, 2005

When I look back Kaplan was of no help to me. But some of my friends swear by it. I had 265 questions and I must've had at least 10 word for word from Saunders. Oh and those questions were really easy. Nclex to me was nothing like the exam books. The questions that were hard such as prioritizing, delegating and assessing can not in my opinion be compared to anything that I have seen not even in nursing school. In my opinion borrowing the Kaplan cd from someone who has it is the best advice that I can give. The course wasn't worth it and Q-bank questions weren't that hard. Good luck and keep on studying. To me Saunders study portion was the best help.

Bijou-Spice · Sep 2, 2005

If you do a search on NCLEX studying advice over and over and over again Suzanne4 will recommend just using Saunders. (Seems she knows what she is talking about!)

I am in a similar situation to you I am taking mine on the 22nd this month (unless I change the date :uhoh3: ) I have access to the Kaplan but have really been using the Saunders.

So I would say on days when you don't have time to study a lot just do Saunders, but on day when you can say do time in the morning and again in the evening mix it up with Kaplan for variety.

good luck!

suzanne4, RN · Sep 2, 2005

Saunders only in my view. Their rationales are 100% correect. Can not say that about all of the others.

st4wb3rr33sh0rtc4k3 · Sep 2, 2005

I came upon the same problem, I didn't understand Kaplan's technique. Last Friday, I didn't pass my exam.

The CD that I have, came with five different tests. The questions stay in the same order. After a while I just remember the answers of the questions and get them right. It wasn't helping me study.

Saunders puts the questions in a different order. Suzanne suggested that I do 100 questions a day and read each rationale. So far I went from getting a 65 on the exams to a 78. I am understanding what I am doing, I hope. :)

nurselisaann · Sep 2, 2005

If you do a search on NCLEX studying advice over and over and over again Suzanne4 will recommend just using Saunders. (Seems she knows what she is talking about!)
I am in a similar situation to you I am taking mine on the 22nd this month (unless I change the date ) I have access to the Kaplan but have really been using the Saunders.
So I would say on days when you don't have time to study a lot just do Saunders, but on day when you can say do time in the morning and again in the evening mix it up with Kaplan for variety.
good luck!

I used the Saunders and Kaplan review book. I passed with 75q's. I think the review courses are good if you're the kind of student that needs the classroom environment to absorb. I am a "solo studier" and prefer to do things on my own , so I wouldnt have benefitted from that type of study method. Try to determine what format will best mesh with your learning style. Everyone is different and what is good for some may not be good for others.

nurse rnfa · Sep 2, 2005

I know I've previously asked for some advice on preparing for the NCLEX-RN, but I am really going back and forth with the decision on whether to purchase the Kaplan online review. I have a Kaplan book that offers strategies and I've read a few chapters and then when I try to answer the question they give you to practice a particular strategy on, I just don't seem to get it. I'm not quite sure what the problem is. The price of the Kaplan review isn't necessarily the issue for me, because as far as I'm concerned anything that will help better my odds of passing the first time is well worth it to me! I'm currently doing Saunder's questions, and I'm worried that if I go ahead and get the Kaplan online review I'll only focus on that, since I only have 3 weeks, and I'd really like to spend the limited time I have on what is most likely to benefit me. I know that everyone has different opinions when it comes to studying for the NCLEX and that different things work for different people, but if possible I'd like to be practicing questions that are most similar to how the questions will appear on the NCLEX, if they even exist! I am also considering purchasing just the Kaplan question bank of 1000 questions. For anyone who used Kaplan, would you recommend it? Did it really help you when you took the NCLEX? I'm starting to freak out about this, so any thoughts on this that will help me make up my mind so I can stop dwelling on it would be great. Also, I've heard that prioritizing patients (which pt do you see first?) is very popular on the NCLEX. I need serious help with that. Any tips? Thanks so much!

Hi,

I took the NCLEX last year and passed with the Saunders books-the question & review book. Right, now it's too late to panic or switch around and about. Focus on what you feel your weaknesses are. I had 95% of the exam based on which pt. I wound assess or treat first...keep in mind that airway is always, always, #1. Remember, you would NEVER, NEVER, assign a clinically difficult pt. to an LPN/aide, etc. due to the complexity of the pt. Not to offend any LPNs, aides, CNAs, etc. Delegation of duties is also big on the NCLEX. I was expecting a whole lot of calculations, but got maybe one or two. Every exam is different. I took the whole 265? questions and still passed. So, don't worry nor get discouraged about the number of questions, just press on and focus on what the question is asking of you...don't read between the lines...remember, if you don't know the answer or are unsure, use the method of deduction. You know that 2 of the choices will be wrong and the other 2 close...so, between the 2 choices that are left, rationalize why. Good Luck.

ManyRN2B · Sep 2, 2005

Ok, Perfect question for me! I reviewed many review materials to decide which would work for me. "Me" is the key. Remember go with what works for you. What is your learning strategy? I have to know why and understand and my friend relies heavily on test taking strategy so Kaplan worked for her

Kaplan to me is a strategy/technique you need to practice. Your not going to learn their strategy in 3 wks. I would ditch Kaplan. I personally do not believe in the Kaplan stuff and I researched Kaplan before I decided which review course to take. I read the Kaplan book from the store and thought it was great, when it came to using their strategy with another book, it didn't work. I did however use the Kaplan trainer borrowed from a friend. I had heard a certain score from that exam showed how you would do on the exam. So I used it to gage how I was doing with studying. I did this CD the week before my exam. I like that CD I thought it helped with preparing me on higher level questions and boosting my confidence.

Saunders is very good at giving you a sound base knowledge! When you reach into the higher question level the questions get harder, so I would suggest using the whole CD. I didn't do this but my friend told me. I really like Saunders because their rationales are good but sometimes a bit wordy for me.

My #1 favorite is the Lippincott Q&A book. The CD that comes with the book I didn't like because the quesitons were really easy. Use the book. I photocopied the exams, took them and review the rationales. If I got them wrong, I would write little notes write on the side of the answer. The rationals are excellent!!!!! Rationales for the NCLEX to me are important. After taking the NCLEX, I would say Lippincott prepared me the best because their exams were hard, they tested everything and it was grouped in categories and then broken down into diseases for that body system. Lippincott would almost always have 2 really good choices I could narrow it down too (just like the nclex) and when I got the rationale, it made since. That book drove me nut sometimes because I didn't score high and I thought the NCLEX would never ask this stuff. Wrong!!!!! They did.

I also used NCLEX3000 which to me is similar to Saunders. The only thing different is when you take the exams, it breaks down how you did in each area. Which I thought was helpful in understanding where to focus.

Good luck and let me know if you need tips. Oh, I passed with 75 questions'

Tiffany RN

VJRN · Sep 3, 2005

The hospital I work for paid to have a Kaplan program in house as an incentive to get graduate nurses to start in June or July instead of after they pass the NCLEX in August or September. The course was just ok. We had a great instructor, but she always seemed to be in a rush and never followed through. The best thing about the course was the Kaplan Course Book and Question Trainer CD-Rom that came with it. I took the NCLEX 2 days ago and approximately 50-60% of the content covered in the practice test showed up on my test!!! Even some of the questions we almost identical. Another good reason to study Kaplan -- their questions were alot harder than the NCLEX. I passed, but thought I had failed because the questions seemed way too easy. I feel if you can get through practice tests 5-7 on the CD-Rom with a 60% or above there is no way you can fail the NCLEX. I used the online site several times -- access is free with the purchase of the course -- and found it to be useful as well. It has a feature that allows you to choose what type of questions to put on practice tests and even has a 30 question test on just priority questions. Give it a shot!! GOOD LUCK

scorpiolisa · Sep 3, 2005

The hospital I work for paid to have a Kaplan program in house as an incentive to get graduate nurses to start in June or July instead of after they pass the NCLEX in August or September. The course was just ok. We had a great instructor, but she always seemed to be in a rush and never followed through. The best thing about the course was the Kaplan Course Book and Question Trainer CD-Rom that came with it. I took the NCLEX 2 days ago and approximately 50-60% of the content covered in the practice test showed up on my test!!! Even some of the questions we almost identical. Another good reason to study Kaplan -- their questions were alot harder than the NCLEX. I passed, but thought I had failed because the questions seemed way too easy. I feel if you can get through practice tests 5-7 on the CD-Rom with a 60% or above there is no way you can fail the NCLEX. I used the online site several times -- access is free with the purchase of the course -- and found it to be useful as well. It has a feature that allows you to choose what type of questions to put on practice tests and even has a 30 question test on just priority questions. Give it a shot!! GOOD LUCK

Hey!!

I am studying with Kaplan for my boards aswell. I do those practice tests online where you can choose what type of questions you want to be tested on, but I was wondering how do you choose to just do priority questions? What option is that?? I really need practise on those, and I would appreciate your response.

Thanks.

ManyRN2B · Sep 4, 2005

The best thing about the course was the Kaplan Course Book and Question Trainer CD-Rom that came with it. I took the NCLEX 2 days ago and approximately 50-60% of the content covered in the practice test showed up on my test!!! Even some of the questions we almost identical. Another good reason to study Kaplan -- their questions were alot harder than the NCLEX. I passed, but thought I had failed because the questions seemed way too easy. I feel if you can get through practice tests 5-7 on the CD-Rom with a 60% or above there is no way you can fail the NCLEX. I used the online site several times -- access is free with the purchase of the course -- and found it to be useful as well. It has a feature that allows you to choose what type of questions to put on practice tests and even has a 30 question test on just priority questions. Give it a shot!! GOOD LUCK

I agree, I only used the trainer CD and scored 65-74% on the exams 5-7 and passed with 75 questins. Only one questions on my exam was exactly like Kaplan. The questions on Kaplan to me was hard and so where Lippincott.

Good luck!

NTPinky · Sep 22, 2005

Hi Suzanne,

I've seen many of your posts and would love to get more information about your program for studying. I'm taking the exam in late-January so hopefully I have enough time to do some good studying!

I tried sending you a PM last night with my email address, but I got an error message so I don't know if you got it or not.