Please Help!!! - NCLEX Review Courses

dijaqrn · Jan 24, 2007

This site has members that failed post Kaplan but they will let you take it again or refund your money. I had a teacher who was a Kaplan instructor and all of our tests could be passed with their techniques. How prepared do you feel/ There are alot of less expensive self studyn options, Suzanne 4's plan for one.

Good luck!!!!!!!!!

student79 · Jan 24, 2007

Well, I'm still in school finishing up my last semester so I still have more stuff to learn, but overall I do okay on tests, I usually make B's on most nursing classes (and an A here and there), but I am just now all concerned with the NCLEX because we have to sign up by next month if we are interested in a review. I heard about the other options, but I'm hearing a lot of feedback about Kaplan and Sylvia Rayfield that they are both good. Also I'm not sure which Kaplan the students on here take the most... is it the actual instructor-led course or just the online course. The complete one is like $499. Its a heck of a lot of money, but I'm willing to put it on a credit card if I have to, just to pass the NCLEX on the first try. I will also be supplementing any course I take with questions from the Saunders book, Lippincott, and Mosby. Any opinions?

Wen83 · Jan 25, 2007

I've never heard of Sylvia Rayfield, but I took Kaplan NCLEX RN Complete (with the class and the online stuff) and I thought it was really helpful. I took the NCLEX yesterday and felt that Kaplan really prepared me for the type of questions that I got on the exam. Although I don't know if I passed or not yet, I liked Kaplan (unless I fail.. then I might change my mind haha). It was a lot of money, but so far I thought it was worth it. I also have Saunders 3rd edition and it's great for content, however, I felt Kaplan was more useful to me. That's just my opinion

student79 · Jan 25, 2007

Hey Wen,

Thanks for responding. In your opinion, do you think attending the class itself helped? Or are majority of the things you go over in the class in the kaplan text itself so one can read it? I heard its doable if you are disciplined with self-study. The reasonn I'm asking is the course is $500 and I'm so broke from nursing school that I'm thinking of either sharing the cost of the course with my friend (and get online access to the tests, CD's and stuff that way), or just doing the online option ($300), or just buying the text and online questions. Let me know what you think. Also, let me know if you passed. Did you have 75 questions or more? Thanks!

SerenityR.N., BSN, RN · Jan 25, 2007

Kaplan doesnt teach you content. And although NCLEX doesnt solely test you on content you need to know something. Kaplan teaches you how to answer the question. If you take Kaplan and you are weak in content, you may fail. Do what you feel is best for you. Everybody is different. People may have failed after taking either one of the courses but you dont know why. Maybe they were anxious. You cant always base your experience on someone elses. You are the one paying to take the test. Do what you feel most comfortable with.

Anjann, RN · Jan 25, 2007

I will say that knowing how to answer the question was more important than what you knew. At least on my NCLEX.

Wen83 · Jan 25, 2007

Hey student79,

Oh I'm sure it's doable just by reading, etc. I'm just the type who likes interaction and I learn better that way. Many of the things we talked about in class is also on the Kaplan online study center. I know other people have done different things that didn't involve spending a rediculous amount of money and do just fine on the exam. Unfortunately I don't know what other things are great to use, but I'm sure other people on here can answer that :) From reading other people's posts it sounds like Suzanne's plan is great so that might be something to look into. I was interested in another online study source by NCSBN http://www.learningext.com/ I had learned about them a few days before my test date so I figured it would have been pointless for me to try it out. I guess they create questions for the NCLEX so I figure it has to be a really good online review course. Anyways, the comp shut me off at 75 questions and now I have to wait forever until the results ugh

AuntieRN · Jan 25, 2007

I had to take the Sylvia Rayfield review. It was mandated by the NEW HEAD of our nursing department. She would not send in our endorsements until we brought her in a receipt that said we paid for the review class...ok nevermind thats a whole other story...anyways...I felt the class did not help...I did however buy the Kaplan review book from B&N and read it...did lots of practice questions from every review book I could find and all the ones online I could find...I felt the Kaplan book helped me the most. It taught me how to answer the questions...and trust me...there is no way to know all the information that can be thrown at you on the NCLEX...so just knowing how to break it down and how to answer it helped me pass on the first try with 75 quesions....and I am sorry but the 98-99% pass rate is BS....about 15 out of 40 in my graduating class did not pass the first time around...

seeandwhy · Jan 25, 2007

Wen83 is right. I took the NCSBN 3 weeks online review. It wasn't that expensive. I was totally impressed with their program. I was so scared and anxious when I took my nclex but as soon as I have seen my first question, I smiled because I felt right there and then that I knew I can pass it. The format of the NCSBN review is exactly the same as the NCLEX. I felt like I have already seen that exam before and it was just re-worded for me. After 75 questions, my computer was off. I had a great feeling as soon as I left that building. I knew I did good, thanks to NCSBN.