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by
Julia Liou, RN (Editorial Team / Admin)
The National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) is the official licensing examination for nurses in the United States of America, Canada, and Australia, used to determine if nurses are safe to practice.
There are many study guides available to help students prepare for the exam. Among them is UWorld, one of the most popular test prep tools on the market.
UWorld NCLEX-RN Overview
UWorld's test prep for NCLEX-RN includes over 2,700 practice questions authored by nurse educators and practicing nurses, with detailed rationales for correct and incorrect answers.
They've recently introduced "next-gen questions" in line with the latest Spring 2023 NCLEX format, updating its content to match the most up-to-date nursing practice standards and guidelines.
UWorld offers several great features, including performance tracking that helps students monitor their progress over time and identify areas that require more practice. Each subscription includes at least one self-assessment test that simulates the exam experience and allows students to predict their likelihood of passing. To further enhance learning, customizable digital flashcards and notebooks are available, making it easier to find specific information. UWorld also offers a mobile app that includes practice questions, flashcards, and the ability to take notes on the go.
In terms of comparisons, UWorld differentiates itself from other nursing study platforms for its challenging and comprehensive question banks, detailed explanations, and up-to-date materials. While other study platforms may offer similar features, they may not be as extensive or up-to-date as UWorld's materials.
Pros of UWorld NCLEX-RN
Some of the pros of UWorld's NCLEX-RN study prep are:
- The questions are similar to the actual NCLEX.
- There are many select-all-that-apply questions, which help students become more comfortable tackling the questions in the NCLEX.
- Multiple next-gen questions include fill-in-the-blank and hot spot questions, which have been a recent addition to the NCLEX exam format as of Spring 2023.
- There are lots of delegation questions, which allow students to understand the roles of other healthcare teams.
- There are many different methods a student can use UWorld to study. For example, they can focus on specific subjects they may struggle with to become more comfortable. Or they can have the system ask them random questions from all subject areas if they want to practice in a more exam-style setting.
- The self-assessment tests help predict the likelihood of passing the NCLEX exam. According to UWorld, "99% of learners who earned an average QBank Score of 57% AND a "High" or "Very High" result on a Self-Assessment Exam passed the NCLEX-RN in 2022."
- The mobile app feature is convenient if you want to study casually on the go.
Cons of UWorld NCLEX-RN
Some of the cons of UWorld's NCLEX-RN study prep are:
- There may be some questions that are asked about obscure or rare diseases. However, the NCLEX is designed to test common and basic nursing content.
- The answers may be too medical-sounding and more relevant to how a doctor responds versus a nurse.
- The rationales may be too detailed and irrelevant to the nurse's scope of practice. This may result in too much time spent on reading rationales.
- The cons listed above can make students feel overwhelmed and unsure of their knowledge level.
- The price of UWorld may be considered relatively expensive compared to other study resources.
- There are no live instructors or tutoring offered.
It's worth noting that these pros and cons are subjective and may not apply to every student's experience. Ultimately, whether UWorld is the perfect study resource for a particular student will depend on their learning style, budget, and goals.
UWorld NCLEX-RN Pricing Options
Depending on a student's study preference, there are a few different pricing options.
NCLEX-RN QBanks
- $139 for 30-Day Access — with 2300+ practice questions, 500+ NGN Questions, Digital Flashcards, and 1 self-assessment.
- $169 for 60-Day Access — with 2300+ practice questions, 500+ NGN Questions, Digital Flashcards, and 2 self-assessments (1-2).
- $249 for 90-Day Access — with 2300+ practice questions, 500+ NGN Questions, Digital Flashcards, 3 self-assessments (1-3).
- $329 for 180-Day Access — with 2300+ practice questions, 500+ NGN Questions, Digital Flashcards, 4 self-assessments (1-4), and 1 Time Reset Option.
- $389 for 360–Day Access — with 2300+ practice questions, 500+ NGN Questions, Digital Flashcards, 6 self-assessments (1-6), 1 Time Reset Option.
- $449 for 730–Day Access — with 2300+ practice questions, 500+ NGN Questions, Digital Flashcards, 6 self-assessments (1-6), 1 Time Reset Option.
Each self-assessment has a duration of 2 weeks for its dates of activation to complete.
Related: 10 Best Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Programs in 2023
Self-Assessment Exams
- $20 per exam — 100 questions per assessment, includes NextGen Items, Detailed performance report, the likelihood of passing, time accommodations, valid for 2 weeks from activation.
- $100 for all assessment exams — has all the same options listed for $20, but you get access to 6 exams versus 1 exam.
The self-assessment option may be suitable if students would like to know how likely they are to pass the exam without purchasing the QBanks, or if they would like more self-assessments after completing the self-assessments included in the QBanks.
QBank Renewals
Ranges from $45 to $209 depending on the length of renewal (has options of 7-Day Renewals to 360-Day Renewals).
The QBank Renewal option would be helpful if a student's QBank is about to expire and they need more time to study without losing all their progress.
UWorld NCLEX-RN Curriculum
UWorld is a learning tool that will guide students in determining the subjects, systems, and topic areas they can focus on. The practice questions and study materials include:
- Nursing fundamentals
- Pharmacology
- Medical-surgical nursing
- Maternal and child health nursing
Rationales help students understand all the nursing concepts, as well as how to go about answering certain types of NCLEX-style questions. Additional information to what's listed above is also available within the test prep.
UWorld NCLEX-RN Platform and Usability
According to a recent student survey, "90% of [UWorld learners] report that UWorld's questions are the same difficulty or more difficult than the NCLEX."
This allows students to feel readily prepared for the NCLEX, as they have been studying off a platform that has been considered a similar difficulty to the NCLEX. Additionally, the format of the practice questions is designed to look like the actual exam, including the feature of the "timer" and "calculator" on the practice question page, allowing users to have an exam-like experience. This may help reduce any anxiety that students may have during the exam, as the user interface of the NCLEX may feel familiar to them if they have used UWorld.
Overall, UWorld is easy to use, and the interface is intuitive and user-friendly. The platform is convenient as it is compatible with desktops and mobile devices, allowing users to access their study materials anytime, anywhere.
