What's $500 dollar NCLEX RN question?

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  1. How much did you or will you spend to pass the NCLEX-RN?

    • 9
      I'm a baller..I spent or will spend $500 or more and do whatever finances it takes for the RN review
    • 2
      I got a budget...$500 is my cut off point for any review
    • 17
      I'm conservative...I plan on or already spent $300-$500 on a RN review
    • 15
      I poor but willing to sacrifice or have sacrificed $100-$300 dollars on the RN review
    • 27
      I'm cheap and will use or used my existing resources from nursing school and 1 or 2 review textbooks from the used bookstore.

70 members have participated

Specializes in Med Surg, PCU, Travel.

Hey there,

Well after being bombarded by who is better and who is worse or horrible I decided on a plan for my studies toward the NCLEX so I hope this will be to my benefit. So what's the $500 dollar question? Well it's really simple...Who did you choose for the review of NCLEX RN and how much did that cost you?

We all know the big guns Kaplan charge 500 big bucks..ok well $499 for the detail review with the q bank. I'm opting for NCSBN RN review with an 8 week review at $100. I am also using the NSNA Delmar review at a cheap $62 bucks and the purpose of this is they have CAT logic implementation as well as a lot of knowledge based questions, because I know content is my weak point. Will being cheap lead to my ultimate demise? I guess we will find out in the months to come but I've seen people pass and fail with all sorts of reviews, and spending way more than $500 to learn stuff they already learned from nursing school. I even found this youtube video that claims they found the "secret to passing the NCLEX RN" and of course you click on the link to find out the secrets then they ask for you credit card number.

That's all the NCLEX reviews really come down to...taking your credit card number and seeing how much money they could get by banking on the fears of nervous students...fears that failing is not an option and if you don't pay up, you will fail.

Well I beg to defer. there is no secret. When it comes down to it people who use reviews seldom take full advantage of all its resourses, almost never complete all of the modules and test questions and they are surprised they fail. Then how do you explain the people who use 1 single textbook like, only the Saunders, did no reviews and they passed with 75 questions?

I say people should stop being fearful, stop being wishy washy with your studies and get down to the business of studying. Do that and you will pass you NCLEX no doubth.

I will keep a detail record of my study habits and repost my progress. Good luck to everyone about to take the NCLEX RN.

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LOL!!!! I'm a baller!! A stressed out, anxiety ridden, tachycardic, poor baller. Go me!! :banghead:

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Specializes in None yet..

man-nurse2b, I love your evidence-based practice approach to studying! I'm still two years away from the NCLEX but I have passed two state bar exams and what you say is absolutely true. I like to have some form of review just to give me the skeleton outline, but filling in the details is the result of sticking to a steady, consistent study program. Also, getting good nutrition, sleep and exercise doesn't hurt.

Looking forward to following your adventure as you conquer the dreaded NCLEX.

:flwrhrts:

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I did not use any review program. I did use my Saunders book, which was a required text so no additional cost to me! I passed in 75 questions and felt that it was a pretty easy exam! And I had about 50 SATA! Good luck to you! I'm very glad I didn't pay for a review course!

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

NCLEX-PN, December 2005: I studied for about 2 months by answering questions from the Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-PN. I passed with the minimum of 85 questions.

NCLEX-RN, May 2010: Since I attended a substandard nursing program with a history of low pass rates, I opted to pay to attend a four-day live Hurst Review. Only 47 percent of grads from my former school passed NCLEX on the first attempt, and the next year 56 percent passed. I passed with 75 questions, whereas a third of my graduating classmates failed NCLEX in 2010.

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I'm poor. My resources were mainly ones that I already had and one review course to help keep me organized. It really was worth it to help keep me together. My resources and costs were...

NCSBN 3 week course (completed 90% of the material) $50

Mosby's memory cards for Pharmacology (a resource I had from NS $15 used) $0

Mosby's memory cards Pathophysiology (a resource I had from NS $15 used) $0

PrepU Nclex 10,000 (resource from NS) $20 for 6 month extension

So all together I spent about $70 on additional material for the NCLEX ($100 if you count the previous resources) and I passed with 75qts. Everybody studies for the NCLEX differently and everybody has different experiences and perceptions of the exam. You just have to do your research on the materials available and select the one that is right for you (whether it is resources you already have or additional one). Then make yourself goals, get focused, and complete your set goals. Finally do not get suckered in by gimmicky adds for expensive resources. I watched few and almost got scared into purchasing the different more expensive courses. If you want to use more expensive resources do it because you believe that the material will meet your personal needs not because you were scared into it. Good luck to future test takers! :)

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Our school required ATI and used it throughout the program. I did ATI practice questions and glanced at a few sections in Saunders. Passed on first try with 85 questions (LPN) and found the NCLEX easier than expected.

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Firstly, congratulations on graduating! I'm not sure where you live, but there is an NCLEX review course popular in the south called Hurst. I used this and passed the NCLEX a couple of weeks ago. It is core content based, which I found super helpful! It costs around $350 for the online course, I believe. I really liked the set up of their review and just thought I would pass that on to you. Good luck in your studying and on the NCLEX!

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I truly believe that a review course should be unnecessary. If you have the time and money and it would make you feel more secure then, by all means, go for it.

Personally, I felt that I already paid for school and was insulted that some would insinuate a review was needed to pass boards. What the heck??

I graduated my ADN program and left for Maui the next day for a week. Returned from Maui and took NCLEX one week later. Walked out of the testing center 40 minutes and 75 questions later.

It really isn't as difficult as some would have you believe. If you attended a decent program, studied hard and did well you should be fine.

Good luck!!

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Specializes in Trauma, Orthopedics.

I used Lippincott 10,000 book (given to me for free), NCLEX 3500 (also free and great for practice with alternative format questions), and my ATI live review that was included in my tuition. Passed at 83. I'll take it. My friend let me do a Kaplan practice test with her and I did not find the questions to be any better than what I had already been doing. Save your money. I find it troubling that people cannot answer NCLEX style questions post graduation (and need a course to teach them how), having been tested that way all through school.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
It really isn't as difficult as some would have you believe. If you attended a decent program, studied hard and did well you should be fine.

I find it troubling that people cannot answer NCLEX style questions post graduation (and need a course to teach them how), having been tested that way all through school.

I completed a nursing program that had a first-time NCLEX pass rate of 47 percent in '07, 56 percent in '08 and 59 percent in 2009. I graduated in 2010. Based on the school's historical trend, roughly half of its graduates tend to fail NCLEX on the first attempt, so I was not going to take any chances.

Not all of us attended decent programs that offered adequate preparation for the NCLEX. In fact, several of my former classmates still have not passed NCLEX four years after graduation, even after having taken the exam multiple times. My former nursing program was placed on probation for consistently low NCLEX pass rates a few months before my class graduated.

As always, different people need different solutions. I should mention that I did not use a review course when I studied for the NCLEX-PN in 2005 since my former school prepared students sufficiently. But when I took NCLEX-RN in 2010, I needed a different solution and opted to pay for a review course to play it safe.

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I spent $0 after I was done with school. Our school gave us Kaplan and also provided an ATI content review. I only did Kaplan's question trainer and I loved the content review with ATI (Kaplan's was soooo boring) and didnt think ATI's questions were helpful at all (too easy - mostly content based not application and critical thinking like NCLEX). The reason why I think I passed with 75Qs- i didnt over think! I used to read answer choices and think well it could be A if so and so and so. But b also if this and that. This will cause you to pick wrong answers. Read what is in the question and not into it!

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