Pan: Kaplan NCLEX-RN Review

     Despite having taken a three-day Hurst Review course at the college, I was looking to get more practice in with NCLEX-style questions. I decided to attack the exam from both angles: combine content-based Hurst and strategy-based Kaplan.

     The Kaplan Review book is about 300 pages and contains 335 questions, a part of which being a full-length exam. Inside the book is a CD with an additional 265-question practice exam. The first section of the book breaks down different aspects of the NCLEX exam itself, including approximate percentages of each type of question, such as Management and Delegation, Safety, and Disease Pathophysiology. The second section covers different Kaplan strategies that promise success on test day if utilized correctly. These strategies, such as breaking down the stem of the question, looking at "select alls" as true and false, and going with safety first really do help to narrow down answer choices. The end of each chapter features 30 practice questions that cover the previous content. Each question includes rationales for both the right and wrong answers, which I believe to be very helpful. I bought this package at a local Barnes & Noble for $30.

     In all honesty, I did not complete this workbook. I did not finish each chapter's review questions and only made it through the first 90 of the practice exam. I probably answered maybe 200/600 questions total. It isn't that the book wasn't helpful, I simply believe that I became so burnt out with studying I could not look at any more review material. I wanted more questions because I was worried, but in hindsight I know the Hurst book was all I really needed. I am thankful that this was no more than $30.

I became a Registered Nurse on June 28th, 2012!