Kaplan vs. Saunders

[ArmyKitten]

I am using both the Saunder's book and CD, and the Kaplan self-study program. I do really well on the Saunder's questions, but horribly on the Kaplan questions. NCLEX uses different levels of questions- are Kaplan's questions on a higher difficulty level than Saunder's?

[Rozy]

YES! Many people say that KAPLAN is more like the NCLEX, HAAAARRRDDD!!!

[AmyD_RN]

I first read the strategies book from saunders and have done tons of questions from the cd and while I am waiting on my other saunders book (3rd edition) I got the kaplan from the library (2004-2005 ed) OMG! it "IS" harder!!!! I hope that it is a good sign me reading this!!! anyone have any insight?

[nsgstudentjen]

Hi there -

I took the Kaplan class, have been doing the Question Trainer CD, as well as Saunders and the Mosby CAT online.

I think Kaplan questions are the most difficult so far. Saunders is difficult, but very content-heavy. Kaplan has more critical thinking, I believe.

I take my test next week, so let's hope it's helped!

[AmyD_RN]

Hi there -

I took the Kaplan class, have been doing the Question Trainer CD, as well as Saunders and the Mosby CAT online.

I think Kaplan questions are the most difficult so far. Saunders is difficult, but very content-heavy. Kaplan has more critical thinking, I believe.

I take my test next week, so let's hope it's helped!

Oh I can't wait to see how well you do!!!! are the cat test online costly?

AmyD

[ArmyKitten]

Good, glad to hear that I wasn't just imagining things. :)

Saunders seems to be more straight forward, material questions. No hidden topics like Kaplan.

Kaplan questions are longer on the average too, and nearly every single one is critical thinking.

After comparing the two I can't see how someone could pass using Saunders, unless the Saunders questions are above the level of minimum compentency. If they are- sweet!

Oh well...time to stop picking apart the study plans and get back to learning :) Good luck everyone that is taking it soon!

[chizzy]

i will advice anyone who care to use both saunders and kaplan,becos that was what i used and it really really helped me alot. all that you need to prepare for the exam is all in there.speaking from experience. :nurse:

[eve11]

how is the mosby CAT online? i was checking it out, and it seems helpful.

[eliza_mae017]

I like Saunders because its very specific, clear explanation if u want to learn something such as diseases.. YES, IN NCLEX its very trickt and hard but w/o knowing what is addison's disease? U wont fully understand and get the correct answer...

I am enroll in MOSbys CAt, and its helping.. its very tricky gooshhhh, I applied what i learned in SAunders and am doing good w. it.........

[suzanne4, RN]

I only use Saunder's in my review program and everyone passes with it. The whole idea is not even the qeustions, but that you understand what they are asking for. And why they want a specific answer, the blue book does the best with this.

[kloi65]

Saunders is more on the knowledge level of what you learned in nursing school, while Kaplan is more on the application level of our nursing knowledge. I was doing both simultaneously and it messed me up during practice tests. I failed my NCLEX for the first time. I think it is good to do Saunders first (if you have both reviewers), to review all the things we learned in school. Then use Kaplan to prepare for the actual NCLEX test because the test was pretty much formulated like the sample questions Kaplan is asking.

[Nuieve]

I can't comment on CDs, but I can on books!

Kaplan's books are so unfriendly and cold! They give you a bunch of random separate facts, with no obvious logic so you have to contemplate a lot, trying to guess "why is that so?" or "what does it mean?", they omit most of the facts, and they just don't make a complete picture in your head about the disease and treatment.

Besides two of them are actually one book. Course one gives you the same information as the Basics one but is structured differently.

After studying these books I tried Springhouse 3000 CDROM to check out what I had learnt. And I tell you - 50% of questions there required knowledge that was not given by any of these books. I had to spend hours on internet looking for information on diseases, interventions, descriptions... They just won't teach you anything, they are such a waste of paper and time! I want my 4 months of studying back!

Then I bought Saunders Comp Review 3ed (color, Feb 2006) and oh my god, there is worlds of difference between it and Kaplan! It's so smoothly written, logically laid-out, it gives you step-by-step instructions, explanations, full details on everything, I can't praise this book enough! Going through it is so enlightening, it fills up so many gaps in my knowledge (gained mostly by Kaplan) that it's almost scary!

The only thing I regret about Saunders is that I haven't bought this book earlier! Would had saved me a lot of time!