You made it through nursing school! Before you get to celebrating, it’s important to consider the best NCLEX review courses for your prep to actually become a registered nurse! The NCLEX can be quite intimidating, even for the best nursing students, so it is important to find an NCLEX review course or NCLEX study schedule that you are comfortable with and fits your learning style. So, without further ado, let’s check out the best NCLEX review courses for this year!
Don’t do courses? Check out the best NCLEX review books!
Among the best high-yield question banks that allow for customized practice for the NCLEX.
- High-yield question banks
- Ability to customize practice tests by the subject
- 100% Pass Guarantee
- Students have a 7% higher pass rate than the national average
- Vaccine donation for each purchase
- There is no instructional content, just a Qbank
- When choosing between UWorld and BoardVitals, most opt for UWorld
- Most students agree that the questions are not as difficult as UWorld
- Not all the explanations are as in-depth as we’d like
The 8 Best NCLEX Review Courses for 2023
BoardVitals NCLEX-RN
Check out our in-depth BoardVitals Review Here!
BoardVitals specializes in study resources and question banks for med students, physicians, nurses, and many more in the health-care industry. For the NCLEX-RN exam specifically, BoardVitals makes it to the top of our list of the best NCLEX review courses for their peer-reviewed question bank. This question bank offers 2,800 NCLEX-RN questions and 900 NCLEX-PN questions that have all been written and reviewed by nurses and educators who have recently took the exam.
BoardVitals takes care in updating their questions to be representative of what you will see on the most current NCLEX-RN exam where, in addition to multiple choice questions, you will also run across some “alternate formats” such as SATA, graphic items, hot spots, drag and drop ordered response, fill in the blank, audio, and exhibit questions. These updates to their question bank are all intended to reduce test day anxiety by gaining more relevant practice and experience that you will encounter on exam day.
The BoardVitals question bank is offered in a CAT platform. This technology uses an algorithm to provide you with test questions at your individual level of knowledge, which is calculated after each answer is submitted! This means, if you answer a question of medium difficulty correctly, then the next question will be more difficult. If you answer a question incorrectly, then the CAT technology will present a question that is a bit easier.
You can rest in confidence knowing their two most popular NCLEX-RN prep courses come with a 100% pass guarantee. Regardless of the plan you select, you will receive customized practice tests by subject, a timed option to simulate real test day, the ability to track progress with analytics and progress reports, as well as the ability to compare your scores with the national average.
In addition to the practice questions you can work on with BoardVitals, you can also customize and create practice exams that simulate an actual exam day.
Top Highlights:
- Questions written in alternate format to mimic real NCLEX questions
- 100% pass guarantee
- A vaccine is donated with every new course purchase
- Practice connection section shares additional key info for easy recall
- Detailed explanations for distractor answers
Drawback(s):
The questions can come across as a bit too tough, so you need to remain confident during your studies that you are preparing above and beyond the NCLEX-RN.
Final Verdict:
BoardVitals is the best NCLEX review prep course for their constant adaptation to the current NCLEX and ability to get you confident and prepared for the NCLEX. It’s also a deal with very low pricing!
Among the best high-yield question banks that allow for customized practice for the NCLEX.
- High-yield question banks
- Ability to customize practice tests by the subject
- 100% Pass Guarantee
- Students have a 7% higher pass rate than the national average
- Vaccine donation for each purchase
- There is no instructional content, just a Qbank
- When choosing between UWorld and BoardVitals, most opt for UWorld
- Most students agree that the questions are not as difficult as UWorld
- Not all the explanations are as in-depth as we’d like
Kaplan Content + Practice Pack
Read the Full Kaplan NCLEX Review
Kaplan makes it among our list of the 7 best NCLEX review courses as it remains one of the highest recommended NCLEX-RN prep courses from nursing schools around the US. Their offerings range from an unlimited QBank, QBank + Computer Adaptive Test, a Content + Practice Pack that includes 3 adaptive practice tests and live and on-demand videos, a live online classroom, self-paced course, or a live in-classroom course. Rest assured that whatever you need for your NCLEX study, Kaplan offers a perfect option for you.
We’re going to zero in on their most popular NCLEX-RN study option, the Content + Practice Pack. Included in this prep pack is their QBank of 2,100 questions and detailed explanations as well as 3 full-length NCLEX formatted tests to simulate a real NCLEX test with. Included with this Content + Practice Pack is access to their Live and On Demand NCLEX videos. These videos are youtube style format and include topics such as Pharmacology, Diabetes, and Psychology. This NCLEX prep option offered by Kaplan is the most well-rounded in terms of receiving content as well as loads of practice questions and simulated NCLEX exams. All of these items can be enjoyed from the comfort of your own home, saving you time as well as money on the more expensive In Class or Live Online course options.
Be sure to use one of their codes when you are going through checkout, as Kaplan often offers up to $75 off with their current code campaign.
Top Highlights:
- 3 simulated NCLEX Exams using CAT technology
- Questions in all formats, including alternative
- Over 2,100 NCLEX questions in their QBank
- Visual explanations for answers
- 24/7 access to Live and On Demand videos as well as faculty
- Full refund if you do not pass the NCLEX exam the first time
- Practice with Kaplan’s exclusive Decision Tree
Drawback(s):
It’s a bit harder to find Kaplan’s NCLEX-RN pass rate, but at around 95%, Kaplan’s students score lower than the other advertised pass rates of competitors.
Final Verdict:
Kaplan’s variety of courses and methodology put them on par with Hurst Review, but with 1 less simulated NCLEX exam, you’re going to get a bit less NCLEX-simulated practice.
High-quality NCLEX-RN review and simulated practice tests that includes the options of live online, in-person, and on-demand course offerings.
- Offers live courses in-person and online
- Extensive practice tests in the style of the NCLEX
- You can access video content 24/7 on demand or through their NCLEX channel
- Unique Decision Tree method
- Expensive compared to other NCLEX prep programs
- Practice tests are known to be tougher than the NCLEX
- Many students are discouraged by low scores on Kaplan tests
NURSING.com
Read our full NURSING.com review
NURSING.com is known for their high-quality video lessons (over 300 videos) and an extremely high pass rate of 99.86%. NURSING.com does offer a subscription-based prep for nursing students, but the bulk of their NCLEX-related study materials are offered in either their 1 or 2-year NCLEX prep plan.
Their courses are very affordable and can be purchased for $246 for 1 year (includes 3 SIMCLEX) or $492 for 2 years (includes 5 SIMCLEX).
For those who are concerned about the quality of practice questions on the NCLEX, you can trust that the 6,000 practice questions by NURSING.com are designed to match the real NCLEX, including alternate format questions.
In addition, you will also have access to their NCLEX eBook that packs roughly 400 pages of content review into bullet-point format for a quick study guide. This is among our favorite NCLEX review courses for its price and video library.
Nursing.com has expanded its content, with its brand new NCLEX study app (which made our #1 spot among the best NCLEX prep apps) as well as its NCLEX Review Book that is available on Amazon.
Learn more on how Nursing.com stacks up against UWorld in our in-depth review: Nursing.com vs UWorld
Top Highlights:
- 200% NCLEX Pass Money-Back Guarantee
- 3-5 SIMCLEX attempts
- Free 3-day trial on any package
- Bullet-point style eBook for quick review
- Free mobile app
Drawback(s):
The main drawback with NURSING.com is that there are no live-online or in person options.
Final Verdict:
This is a great budget-friendly on-demand course for visual learners.
A comprehensive and budget-friendly NCLEX-RN course that's great for visual learners.
- Well-developed mobile application
- High-quality, exclusive NCLEX simulator (SIMCLEX) that uses test-like algorithm
- Lots of practice questions (6,000+)
- Gold standard 200% pass guarantee (double-money back guarantee)
- No live instruction option
Nurse Plus Academy
Read our in-depth Nurse Plus Academy Reviews
Ranking among the best NCLEX review courses in 2023 is Nurse Plus Academy. Pretty novel in the test prep world, you can actually jump in and start prepping with their free NCLEX practice tests without any registration or login required. Within this free mode, you can get a taste of their realistic computer adaptive NCLEX simulator that saves your progress (again, this is all in the free mode with no login or registration).
Should you test this free NCLEX course out and decide you’d like to purchase the course, you can invest in their Premium course, which is fully covered with a pass guarantee. $49 per month will get you 1600 NCLEX practice questions, 65 realistic practice tests, and over 300 SATA questions.
If you intend on studying more than 30 days, however, you’ll likely opt for either The Bulletproof ($99) for 1-year access or The Lifetime ($139) which allows you lifetime access to the course.
Top Highlights:
- Free mode saves progress
- Pass Guarantee
- Practice offline with NCLEX Test Genie App
- Flashcard deck for active recall
Drawback(s):
Similar to NURSING.com, you will not find a live online or in-person option for this course.
Final Verdict:
This is a good choice for nursing students if budget is the #1 priority.
An affordable subscription-based NCLEX review course that's specifically designed for anxious test takers.
- Free mode available to test-drive the platform & materials with no login, registration, or credit card required
- Practice offline with the NCLEX Test Genie App
- More affordable than the average NCLEX prep course
- Pass guarantee
- No in-person/live online component option
- No physical books
The Princeton Review NCLEX-RN
The Princeton Review is new to the NCLEX game, but they just showed up with nearly 2,000 practice questions purchased directly from the NCSBN. The remainder of the NCLEX practice questions come from their content developing team, all of whom hold either a doctorate or masters.
As you can see, the Princeton Review’s Qbank provides a longer access duration than competitors as well as the largest amount of practice questions at a lower price. For one-year access to this Qbank, it will set you back just $149 (at the time of writing) which equates to about half the cost of other NCLEX prep providers for double the time.
The Princeton Review is very clear that they have purchased their practice questions directly from the NCSBN, which means these are going to offer the most realistic practice among all NCLEX prep companies listed. For each of the questions, you’ll receive detailed explanations for correct and incorrect options as well as a full score report that details areas to be improved upon.
Top Highlights:
- 1,920 NCLEX practice questions purchased directly from the NCSBN
- Pass guarantee or your money back
- 7-day trial allows for 100% refund of course
- Affordable year-long access
- More practice questions than any other provider in this list
Drawback(s):
At the time of writing, The Princeton Review has only invested in their Qbank and does not offer a live-online or in-person course option as they do with most other test prep categories.
Final Verdict:
This is the best option for realistic NCLEX practice and makes a great supplement to any comprehensive study you may be using.
2,500 NCLEX practice questions (1,920 NCLEX Practice questions from NCSBN).
- One of the most well-known and longstanding test prep companies in the world
- Highly reviewed live online classes
- Realest NCLEX practice questions in the game, sourced directly from the NCSBN
- Live instructors are unrivaled in expertise and experience
- No books or video lessons
- More expensive than other options
UWorld
Read our in-depth UWorld NCLEX Review
We couldn’t put together the list of the best NCLEX review courses without giving a shout out to UWorld. They offer over 2,000 questions in their QBank with the intention of challenging you as well as developing your critical thinking and analysis. Their Qbank comes with in-depth explanations and visuals to help you understand the rationale behind each question and its answers.
The UWorld QBank is pretty cool, as you can customize the exams based on your current study needs and also includes flashcards and performance graphs that you can check along the way. For visual learners, their vivid illustrations for concepts can be extremely helpful and really help you to digest the clinical reasoning behind the right and wrong answers. Similar to Hurst Review, their QBank is comprised of 30% alternate format questions so that you can feel confident with the actual questions on NCLEX test day. The interface for their questions is mobile-friendly so that you can study on-the-go with UWorld.
UWorld only provides 2 simulated NCLEX exams, which is half of what you will receive from Hurst Review. That said, their content is superb and the method of learning is extremely effective and able to hit all types of learners. Many schools have partnered with UWorld, so there may be a chance you are able to receive reduced pricing for this course.
Top Highlights:
- 2 simulated NCLEX exams
- Visual and content-rich explanations for each question
- Effective study with multiple rationales per question
- 30% of QBank is alternate format questions
- Over 2,000 challenging questions
Drawback(s):
UWorld doesn’t provide any content review such as video lessons or key concept review, so this is less of a comprehensive option than the other NCLEX review courses on our list.
Final Verdict:
If you are just looking for some solid NCLEX practice to accompany your NCLEX prep book or course, then UWorld is the place to look.
A robust Qbank that is best for supplementing your existing NCLEX-RN comprehensive prep course.
- Extensive, well-researched bank of questions
- User interface is easy to use
- Tracks your improvement in a detailed manner
- Accessible with mobile app; convenient when away from home
- Doesn’t offer video content or lectures
- Relatively expensive, especially when you consider that it’s primarily a question bank
- Might need to use resources outside of UWorld to study effectively
- Questions are difficult
Trying to decide between UWorld or Kaplan? Find out our thoughts in Uworld vs Kaplan – Which is Better for the NCLEX?
Hurst Review
Read our in-depth Hurst NCLEX Review Here
The prices for the next 3 NCLEX review courses go up, but, for some, this may be deemed a worthwhile investment. Hurst Review makes our list of the best NCLEX review courses. One of the few prep programs in our list that specializes in NCLEX, they offer a few more features that you will not find in the other NCLEX prep programs.
Unlike the first 3 NCLEX review programs on our list, Hurst Review offers live streaming as well as live classroom courses. Hurst-N-Stream is a live streaming 4-day event taught by Hurst faculty that takes place between 10AM and 4PM. For some who may not make it to the streamed class, they will have 7 days of online access to core lectures that they may have missed. In addition to their Hurst-N-Stream, they also offer a live classroom course, but you must live in an area where this course is being held (or be willing to make the commute). Lastly, their Hurst Now Online course offers on-demand NCLEX review prep for those who may not be interested in a 4-day live streaming or live in-class option.
Basically, whatever kind of NCLEX prep you are interested in, Hurst Review provides it. All of their courses come with a 100% money back guarantee as well as NurseCoach online guidance and tech support. They offer more than a thousand questions in their Q bank as well as four simulated NCLEX exams with at least 30% alternate format questions.
Top Highlights:
- 4 simulated NCLEX tests with at least 30% alternate format questions
- High quality support from nursing coaches
- Question review options allow for flashcards or quiz mode
- Access to specialty topic lectures
Drawback(s):
No major complaints about Hurst Review courses.
Final Verdict:
Hurst Review provides the most options for how you want to take your NCLEX review course and each of these options are quality and comprehensive. It’s pricier than the first 3 course options but can standalone as a sole NCLEX prep tool without the supplement of additional books or practice tests.
A fully comprehensive NCLEX-RN course that features responsive customer support and Nurse Coaches to guide your studies through core content.
NCLEX Mastery
Check out our in-depth NCLEX Mastery Review Here
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NCLEX Mastery makes it among our list of the best NCLEX review courses because it is an extremely affordable (one version is free) way to prep for the NCLEX-RN. NCLEX Mastery offers the best app out there for NCLEX prep.
The NCLEX Mastery app is a free app that allows you to access 163 practice questions, 26 quiz questions, as well as view basic progress metrics. This free version cannot stand alone as a sole NCLEX prep method, but can be helpful if you choose to purchase one of the other NCLEX review courses in our list. If you find that you enjoy the NCLEX Mastery app, then you can choose between their Standard, Premium, or NCLEX Mastery Exam Program. These paid-for courses range from as low as $19.99 to $69.99, pricing it well below its competitors.
Their most popular NCLEX Prep option, the NCLEX Premium, gives you access to over 2,000 practice questions with detailed explanations, 250 quizzes, free online access, and audio tracks that allow you to study on the go. It will also take students through must-know terminology as well as mnemonics to help remember concepts. You can also choose to purchase two of their NCLEX simulations to test out your progress.
Top Highlights:
- Lowest priced NCLEX review options
- Mobile app as well as audio allows for truly mobile NCLEX prep
- 1,900 high-yield questions in NCLEX RN Mastery
- 540 difficult SATA questions
- 75-question pre-test
- 75-question post-test + passing probability
Drawback(s):
NCLEX simulations are sold separately, which means you may need to make an additional purchase depending on what upgrade you choose.
Final Verdict:
NCLEX Mastery is a great app for practicing NCLEX on-the-go but should be supplemented with NCLEX simulation tests or another NCLEX prep book.
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Related: Throw an Awesome Nurse Graduation Party
Best NCLEX Review Course FAQ
What is the best NCLEX reviewer?
Kaplan and Boardvitals are the highest-rated NCLEX-RN review courses among nursing students who pass the first time. The best NCLEX review book is the Saunders Comprehensive NCLEX-RN Review.
Is Kaplan or UWorld better for the NCLEX?
Kaplan is a better comprehensive review for the NCLEX, while UWorld will provide you with practice. The better NCLEX course will depend on whether you need more content review or practice.
How many weeks should I study for the NCLEX?
We recommend that students dedicate at least 1-2 months studying for the NCLEX-RN.
Is your favorite NCLEX prep on our list of the best NCLEX Review Courses? Let us know by commenting below!
