To Kaplan or Not to Kaplan

caliotter3 · Aug 22, 2010

If you have taken it once, that does not mean that you would not get anything out of it a second time. Perhaps a different course, such as Hurst, might be a good choice? But review course or not, the material is the same. You can study from a review book on your own and still learn the material.

llg, PhD, RN · Aug 22, 2010

I've always thought that the best way to make such decisions is to ask yourself how you would feel if you don't take another course and then fail the NCLEX? Would you regret your decision?

If you would have no regrets, then don't take a course. However, if failing the test would cause you to regret your decision, then you should probably take a course -- but maybe try a different course this time.

Alexandra2 · Aug 23, 2010

Thank you both for the advice. I should clarify that I meant that I took the board exam already, not the Kaplan Review course. I haven't taken Kaplan yet. I'm on the fence now with the Kaplan review and the NCSBN review. (I'm also using the Saunders review book which is great!) I can afford to pay for the Kaplan, but for some reason I'm bugged about spending the $500 on the course.

Good point that I would learn the same material with the review books AND good point that if I failed the test I would a regret not having taken the course. I would, indeed, regret that I didn't take the course. I am one of those people that are very hard on themselves. I'm seeking advice on this blog to gain the experience of others. Typically, I'm very good about making decisions on my own. I'm seeking the experience of others at this time. Then I'll weigh my options.

Thank you, again, for your thoughts~

Flames9_RN, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Aug 23, 2010

I took the Kaplan in class course and I thought it was fine What I liked about it:

1) the book you get is super! Covers eevrything!! And you can NOT buy the book in the stores! BUT you can find them on EBAY!! Search Kaplan RN its a purple book shows a pic of a stethoscope around a gals neck. For me it was the 11th edition I think?? (I took kaplan June 2009, and NCLEX changed April 1st 2010, so not sure if kaplan came ut with a new edition??)

2) Question bank was good

3) Online videos!

The going to class thing was only ok! Pretty much just consisted of going over questions and discussing the questions in depth!

I passed on my 1st attempt, so i thought it was worthwhile. They provide you a lot of info, BUT like anything, one still has to put the time into studying. Best of luck

nursenelly1 · Aug 25, 2010

i was pondering the same thing about kaplan which is probably the best course out there. i ended up just buying a ton of nclex study guides and flash cards probably more than i needed. i focused more on studying strategies than learning content. try the kaplan nclex-rn exam guide book for question practice and strategies. also get the mosby study cards for pathophysiology, fluid & electrolytes and pharmacology for content review. those are the best review books i ever got and are very effective. trust me, you don't need to pay $500 for a review course. alot of companies make a huge profit off of our fear of failiing this exam when you could just read the books and save a bunch of money. don't fall for it. learn your strategies and patient priorities and take your time on the test.

one more thing i can say is that this exam is less about content knowledge and more about using your instincts (gut feeling) and insight to pick up on hidden clues to assess or treat the patient that is in "silent" distress or who needs attention first according to abc (airway breathing circulation) or maslow. this test targets your weak areas so try to read up on the stuff you don't know about. for me it targeted psych and eye problems which i new nothing about but it kept giving me questions on these topics which made me feel like i was gonna fail. try to be mindful of time, but never rush through. its nerve racking i know. take comfort in the fact that the majority of nurse grads pass this exam and honestly you only fail it if you either rush though without taking the time to think through each question (no matter how long it takes) or if you just completely did not study effectively and learn the nclex rules of priority questions (abc, maslow, etc...).

trust me no-one was more nervous than i was taking that exam and i don't know everything but i do have some knowledge. more to the point if i can pass, anyone can. good luck!!! nelly, rn

anayo, DNP, APRN, NP · Aug 26, 2010

i took kaplan in june but i didn't pay the school covered it for our class. i thought it was helpful but i bought the kaplan strategies book 2010-11 which i thought was much descriptive and really helpful. i never read the kaplan content book given at the review site. i only touched 85% of kaplan q bank questions and never touch it again. i did questions from hogans, saunders, 3500- a mix up of about a 100 a day with review of content of the subject with ati review book( reasonable price at ebay). when taking the exam, the most important thing is don't rush or panick if you don't stop at 75. it paid off for me august 22, 2010! it just depends, if you visually want to see how the kaplan instructor chooses answers go right ahead-to me its worth your money though. but if you're not ready to spend buy the kaplan strategies book at your local bookstore its good too.