NCLEX Without Kaplan Qbank

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I was just wondering if anyone has recently taken the new NCLEX without the Kaplan program? I am getting ready to take my NCLEX RN in 4 days and am really nervous. I opted not to purchase the Kaplan program, but have been using: Kaplan strategy book, Kaplan online Qtrainers, Saunders book, Lachrity PDA, and the NCSBN program. Has anyone here used a combination of these resources and been successful?

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im taking mine 4 days from now too.. june 11

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I hope so, because that is my game plan too. No way can I afford Kaplan right now. I also found a good app for my iphone, NCLEX Mastery.

So, anyone out there pass without these expensive review courses?

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I am taking mine in a cpl wks. I do have a friend who passed using Kaplan nclex rn, Saunders and lippincotts. Machine shut off at 75 questions. I'm an LPN going for my RN. I took a review course for my LPN...complete waste of time and $$. I plan to use the books I mentioned above. Amazon.com rents nclex review books

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I took my test on Wednesday and got the good pop up, so I'm pretty sure I passed. I won't know for sure until later tonight, when 48 hours have passed.

I did not do any reviews. I did not open a textbook or a question book after graduation. I did questions out of Saunder's during school to help me prepare for exams, but that is it. So, you don't have to do Kaplan's or Hurst to pass the NCLEX, although if you could afford it, it would not hurt. If they are out of your budget, as they were out of mine, you can still do fine.

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Kaplan must be really good at their job. Of course you can pass without spending $500 on their course, as long as you utilize some type of study regimen (although some people say they don't even study).

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I took the NCLEX two weeks ago and passed. My program used ATI so we had to do what felt like a zillion NCLEX-style questions over the course of the program. I was afraid that I might have missed out on something being totally ATI, so I did buy the Kaplan NCLEX-RN 2013-2014 book and looked through the testing strategies and did the little exams at the end of the chapters. My scores were very similar to what they had been on ATI. I habitually scored lowest on Infection and Control and did nothing but lived and breathed that for the 5 days between getting my ATT and taking NCLEX (I took the earliest date I could sit). I might have had 2 out of my 75 questions on Infection and Control lol. I'm being generous with saying 2.

The only thing I think the Kaplan book might have done for me was reinforce the Nursing Process by being certain assessment had taken place in the stem before choosing an answer that implements. Basic I know, but I'd say over HALF my test was priority. I'm not even kidding....it was like never ending.

Uhm, I'm trying to think what else I could add. Basically, I don't know if the Kaplan book (which was only like $20, but you don't have time to get it and study before the 11th anyway, unless there is a major store near you) really made a difference. I guess it was nice to have to make me feel better about how to answer the questions. Kaplan seemed more generic, per se, than ATI and I found NCLEX to be very exact. They asked about specific procedures, meds etc.

Prayer is what got me through all this. I prayed for God to keep me calm, to help me remember and decipher everything I had learned and keep my spirits up during the exam. It's completely nerve wracking and I would have crumbled to a heaping mess if I had not taken God into that room with me:notworthy:

Believe a solid foundation is what is going to bring you through this NCLEX, because it is. Go back to your basics of answering NCLEX-style questions, pray earnestly, review any topic you barely remember and you will do fine!!!!

Best Wishes and keep us posted!

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how do i check my answers?

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Thanks for everyone's input! It makes me feel better about not purchasing Kaplan. I have been really stressing out about taking the NCLEX, and have answered close to 5000 questions now, which is making me crazy! I have heard from others that Kaplan question trainers 6 & 7 are similar to the NCLEX style questions, and that getting above a 60% is good. I just finished QT 7 tonight with a 70%, and did QT 6 yesterday with a 75%. These scores are based off the online QTrainers though, so I am not sure if they are the exact QTrainers that Kaplan offers. I also did Kaplan's 180 question test from the CD at the back of the book and got a 70%. I just don't feel prepared!

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Thanks!

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Specializes in OR.

I passed my NCLEX...cut me off at 110 questions. I only used Saunders. I opted out of Kaplan too...too expensive for my blood ;)

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michele742

How long did you study/review?

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