Kaplan vs. ATI

Nurses New Nurse

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Do any of you have feelings about which prep course is better?

I did both, my school gave us ATI for free.

I preferred Kaplan for test taking strategies (yes these strategies really work when all the answers look correct) and Saunders for review of content.

Kaplan was a huge investment, but honestly, the best I ever made. The format from the test is EXACTLY like the NCLEX down to where the little timer is at the bottom right corner. Highly recommend.

Oh and some hospitals will reimburse you for Kaplan. Doesn't hurt to ask. Hope that helps.

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I am currently preparing for NCLEX, I will be testing on June 2. I have done the ATI tests for all of my courses and got a 95% pass rate on the comp predictor. I am now studying with the 3.0 codes and they are REALLY hard tests. I am also going through Mosby flaschcards, have read the Kaplan book, and am doing other questions from various books. I think that it sucks that you get a 95% pass rate on the comp predictor and then have ridiculously hard questions on the 3.0 exams, really shot my confidence down.:(

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We were given the ATI books for our exit exam.

ATI is a pretty content driven and the questions were hard, but I felt like Kaplan style questions best prepared me for my NCLEX.

I also did the HURST review.

I would really recommend the HURST review for the content part of it. I didn't even open my ATI books and passed the predictor exam with a grade in the 80s just with the HURST review two days before the predictor exam.

Kaplan question banks are awesome because I got about 6 questions that were almost word for word on my NCLEX from the question bank.

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We had to do the ATI in our school....part of it is ok, but I'm not crazy about it. I LOVE Saunders and will be doing the Kaplan review in about 3 weeks, so as of yet I cannot comment on Kaplan, but have heard good things.

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One more thing......personally I found that the ATI assessments questions were more difficult than what was on the NCLEX.

Oh good, I was hoping that was the case. Some of those ATI questions were really tough!

Thanks! I take the NCLEX two weeks from today!

Vicky ;)

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Specializes in MS, TCU, LTAC.

My school supplied us with ATI, it was good when we were in school.

I agree ATI questions were harder that NCLEX..

I used Kaplan, it teaches you test taking strategies and how to answer the questions even if you do not know the answer.

I brought the Kaplan book from the book store for like $35. I did not buy the online course.

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Specializes in LTC (LPN-RN).
From what I understand ATI is for content, Kaplan for test strategy. I have the ATI series and actually prefer Saunders for content. The ATI tests are ridiculously hard and make you feel super dumb. I've been told that Kaplan more accurately reflects the level of the test questions. Our school also made us get Medspub. I will probably buy a Kaplan book too. Most of my friends who have graduated and tested recently swear by Kaplan.

D

God i am shocked at what you are saying. After doing ATI tests all year and getting used to their question style, Kaplan seems super hard...the rationales seem absolutely stupid. I have started doing Kaplan and wanna give up and go back to ATI (which is quite hard as well but i am used to it).

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Specializes in LTC (LPN-RN).
I am currently preparing for NCLEX, I will be testing on June 2. I have done the ATI tests for all of my courses and got a 95% pass rate on the comp predictor. I am now studying with the 3.0 codes and they are REALLY hard tests. I am also going through Mosby flaschcards, have read the Kaplan book, and am doing other questions from various books. I think that it sucks that you get a 95% pass rate on the comp predictor and then have ridiculously hard questions on the 3.0 exams, really shot my confidence down.:(

So it been a few months...how did you do on the NCLEX? Did ATI help? Or would you agree with the rest that Kaplan would haev been better to study with. Kaplan has the dumbest explanations for some questions.

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Specializes in L & D, Med-Surge, Dialysis.

Both are the best coupled with Exam Cram, lippincot and saunders:up:

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Specializes in geriatrics.

I hope you are right. We used ATI all through school and I got a 97% on my predictor. but we used the sylvia Rayfield review for NCLEX I wish we would have continued with ATI I liked the questions and have did the test so much I have just about memorized my answers well I am testing on Tuesday so I hope I have studied enough I am still reviewing and doing questions. So wish me luck.

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Specializes in Correctional Nursing, Orthopediacs.

We have been taking ATI since the beginning of nursing school. They give them as a proctered tests and I am a crap shoot I either pass them or do horrible. Either way I am not confident of the results. I will need to get a book to take the NCLEX after graduation. So I will check them out.

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Specializes in geriatrics.

Several of the students in my class have already passed Nclex that took it a few days after we finished school. They reveiwed the ATI videos, all of them. look over the book from our review and passed. I am doing the same but I am also using saunders as well. I have the Kaplan strategies book also but they said that they were not able to use those strategies on the test. I am begining to wonder if the people who write the NCLEX questions have figured out a way to get around us being able to use the strategies to answer the questions. Well I take mine in 3 days so I am just taking a break from studying so I guess I need to get back to the books. Good Luck to all who are facing boards soon.

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