Kaplan Nursing Entrance Exam

IbelieveJC · Feb 21, 2016

I simply wanted to comment as it appears there have not been many comments since 2013! Yikes!

I took my Kaplan exam at Community College of Southern Nevada here in Las Vegas just a few weeks ago,

and I was pleasantly surprised by how simple it was. I did have the Kaplan prep textbook, but I only got

about 1/3 into it by the time I had to stop studying due to other demands.

The math was much simpler than I had anticipated. Most of it was basic algebra, no geometry as

I had originally anticipated - In fact, this was one of the areas I was angry about after the

test, because the textbook covered a great deal of math stuff that they did not include on the

test at all. The conversion questions had the conversions IN THE QUESTION, so it was almost too easy.

(Ex. If 1000 milligrams equals a gram, then how many grams are there in 2000 milligrams, etc)

Also, the calculator they allowed us to use within the test taking program was not

picky on when you could use it... So I had some very simple questions you could do directly on

the calc, and yet there was no filter to stop it from being used on those questions.

As for science, this is where I thought I would fail - Once again, I was pleasantly surprised.

I just started A & P II and had been off a semester between that and A&P I, so I thought I would

bomb, but I didn't. They were relatively simple questions, which was good, because there is so much

material when it comes to the Bio classes, it's impossible to really know what will be included.

English and Reading Were a bit difficult for me, and this says A LOT. I am actually a whiz in languages

but even I struggled and scored my lowest in these areas. I felt that passages that they gave us were

kind of all over the place as far as writing subjects goes. In any normal peice of literature, finding

the main idea is like child's play. The peices they gave us were so random, it practically seemed like

rambling. The example passages in the book were much more direct. I was really surprised at how difficult

they made it.

For those of you scared that you won't be ready, let me say this: I did not study as much as I would've

liked for this exam. I actually went to register for the exam weeks in advance, but they didn't have my

dates available, so I opted to take it the very next day. That's right: I had one day notice to prep for

this test. All other studying I had done for it was literally a month before I took the test, unless you

count my attendance to A&PII the few weeks prior to that as studying. So the night before, I went over

conversions (which were useless in the end) and just rested, I didn't actually study. I passed with an 81%!

IbelieveJC · Feb 21, 2016

Also, another thing I should mention is that I took quite a few practice tests online and with the book

specially selected for this test, and I was not really passing those tests. I was always one question short

or a percentage short. The actual test seemed easier than practice tests.

Jdj595 · Feb 21, 2016

Are you sure you want to go to Kaplan? Honestly after my experience with them I would say, "Run for your life!" I'm still trying to get my money back after they lost accreditation and closed. Consider all your options before you choose them.

justgonnagoforit · Feb 24, 2016

I took the Kaplan last week... I got an 82 in the reading (my best subject) and I truly thought I'd failed it... The Science was, as they all say, RANDOM but not horrible. I had previously taken bio 1&2 so I had a basic idea and I got 65% on that. I had a critical thinking score of 83% but that was not a specific test, per say, but they liked the number?? Then the writing, punctuation and all that, now this girl is an English Major and I scored a 62!!! This was/is a problem for me. I asked how the heck could there be a 20 point spread between the reading and the writing?? She admitted that I was 1 of several with the same issue that day and she was puzzled - but apparently not enough to further investigate. Then there was the math... Yes... it is easy as in lots of fractions, percents, conversions... unfortunately for some stupid reason I blanked out. There is no fraction key on the online calculator provided, it's been replaced with the square root key, no square root problems on the test but what ever. Make sure that you know how to do all those math problems with (+,-,%) only! it's been 30+ years since I was in a math class and I forgot how to do fractions (and there were tons of them) with the % key. I'd have been in great shape if I'd have remembered that. I ended up trying to do all of them on paper and ran out of time and that was it... fail! So on to the next school and probably the TEAS V. I just wanted to pass on my experience for those who have any math issues like me. Good Luck!

Smill204 · Feb 25, 2016

I'm mostly worried about the A&P section. Does anyone know if the questions on the actual test are as simple as they are in the book? For example, one question in the book is:

The rate of breathing is controlled by involuntary centers in the:

A. Cerebrum

B. Cerebellum

C. Medulla oblongata

D. Spinal cord

IbelieveJC · Feb 26, 2016

I was mostly worried about this part too. I actually started A&P II just one month before the day I took the exam, and I had heard there was a lot of A&P II on the exam, so I was very concerned, but even with my limited exposure, it did seem like the test was very, very straightforward with the science questions. They are so straightforward that they seem extremely simple if you know the information, haha. I think that that example out of the book is exactly the types of questions you can expect.

Smill204 · Feb 26, 2016

Thank you for your help! That makes me feel a lot better. I'm studying like a maniac right now and I don't take my test until April 1st. I did the same thing for my medical assistant certification exam and ended up getting in the 98th percentile, so I'm really hoping that's what will happen this time as well!

christy1122 · Apr 19, 2016

Has anyone taken the Kaplan nursing entrance exam recently? I plan on taking it this month and I am worried about reading and writing. Do you guys have any suggestions on how to prepare them? Any books that I can use for practice? Thank you!!!

Loco-Bonita, BSN, RN · Apr 19, 2016

I used a lot of SAT test prep for the reading and writing and thought it helped. Especially on Khan Academy.

christy1122 · Apr 28, 2016

Thank you! I've been using SAT reading comprehension book, but I still feel so nervous. Has anyone taken HESI yet? I just want to know how difficult the Kat reading is if compares to HESI. Thanks

Fr0g.eyes · May 17, 2016

I just took the Kaplan in April '16....there are great videos on YouTube on all the systems. Don't buy the Kaplan book. I did a final web search the night before my exam on scribe.com and on Google for blogs on Kaplan exam and discovered some new material to review on the science section. I saw these questions and immediately knew I was going to be okay. This was going to be my second time taking the Kaplan exam, and on this blog the person posted almost all the questions I had too. So I just reviewed them. I ended up getting 15/20 on the science. I am in the school I wanted to go to.

itsLiv · Jul 14, 2016

What a small world! I'm also a student @ CSN and I'm retaking the Kaplan test for the 2nd time next month! I didnt do so well the first time because i took it the same week I had finals which was a horrible mistake. I cant even remember what was on the Kaplan when I took it. I've been studying everyday and I'm freaking out especially with reading comprehension because that was my lowest.