If you’ve been looking at online NCLEX prep courses but are still on the fence as to whether or not you should sign up – read on.
This isn’t a top 10 list of the best NCLEX prep courses – what this is for is to help you make that decision on whether or not you’re going to put that money down for a course you’ve set your eye on.
We’re going to look at the reasons you should use an online NCLEX prep course, what they offer, and give you some tips to find the best one for you and your budget.
What Are Online NCLEX Prep Courses? Why Should You Use One?
All online NCLEX prep courses are just different flavors of the same basic thing: a bank of questions that are written to mirror what you will see on the NCLEX exam.
Now, of course, it’s not just an extensive bank of test questions that you get access to. You can get tons of questions from any one of the best NCLEX study guides if you just want questions.
What you get is the experience of taking an online, timed test that’s as close to taking the real NCLEX as you can get. That’s the real value of using an online NCLEX prep course.
It’s one thing to study practice questions on your own; it’s another level up when you can practice answering NCLEX questions on a computer in that same format you’ll take the final exam. And it’s not just the practice tests – most online NCLEX prep courses offer quite a few more features.
What’s The Best Online NCLEX Prep Course?
All of them will give you the questions, quizzes, and tests you need to help you pass the NCLEX. All of them will give you great practice taking the NCLEX in real-time. So which is the best?
One that has these three qualities:
- It fits your budget
- It has lots of questions and practice tests
- It works with your timeline to take the NCLEX
That’s it. Everything else is just bells and whistles. As a side note (a little OT) if you’ve ever wondered why study groups are crucial for NCLEX studying, you can find out here.
Choosing to sign up for an online NCLEX prep course is all about cost vs. benefits. Yeah, they cost money – but what’s the return on that small investment?
How Much Does It Cost?
That’s a big consideration. You’ll also see differences in cost and how long the course is. Prices can range from $19.99 for one month to $499 for three months and every price point in between.
If cost is your big decision point, just average out the prices, say around $200 and decide if that’s worth it to help you pass the NCLEX exam.
What would you spend $200 on? A pair of shoes or boots? A nice night out? Two months of mocha frappuccinos?
When you think of it that way, it’s not really that much when you consider you’re investing in your future nursing career that’s going to pay you a good salary for the rest of your working life.
What Do Online NCLEX Prep Courses Offer?
With some differences, online NCLEX prep course will have these features:
- An extensive question bank with 1,000s of questions
- Practice quizzes and tests
- Reviews and study guides
- Supplemental material: audio/video tutorials and lectures, charts, graphs, reference guides
- Progress tracking
- Smartphone apps
- Support
All online NCLEX test prep courses will have an extensive bank of questions, quizzes, and of course, practice tests. But you will see differences in what they offer as extras, little things like apps, support, and audio/video material.
Will I Actually Use It?
Aha – right? If you’re going to spend that money on an online NCLEX prep course – are you actually going to use it? The only person who can answer that question is you.
You know how busy you are, what your work schedule is like – and how committed you are to studying.
But on the other hand, sometimes putting that money down is a big motivator to use what you’ve bought – and that means another reason to keep you studying regularly.
Why You Should Use An Online NCLEX Prep Course
What are the best ways to study for the NCLEX? You can check that link to find out more, but at the top of everyone’s list is still online prep courses.
Need another reason why you should be using an online NCLEX prep course? How about three:
- Practice – you can get just as many test questions with a good NCLEX study guide, but what you won’t get is a practice taking an exam in the same format as the NCLEX
- Progress Tracking – being able to track your progress through the reviews, quizzes, and practice tests will help you identify your weaknesses and help you focus your studying
- Bonus Resources – if you’re the kind of person who likes to throw the kitchen sink at a problem, an online prep course is going to give you more resources, extras, guides, and reference material than you would ever need.
Passing the NCLEX the first time. Getting your nursing license. And finally starting your nursing career. You don’t want to sit down for the NCLEX with a nagging worry in the back of your mind asking, “Did I do everything I could to prepare?”.
Nobody needs that kind of test anxiety. Be prepared. Throw the kitchen sink at the NCLEX. Use every weapon to prepare yourself. And pass the NCLEX the first time.