Hey guys! It’s been a while since I first started my blog, but I’ve finally had the chance to sit back and take some time to reflect on things that have been happening in my life. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been in orientation for my first job as a new graduate nurse and I’ve been studying for the NCLEX (and passed!). Needless to say, I’ve been extremely busy. In this post, I’ll focus on how I studied for the NCLEX, what to expect when taking it, as well as other tools, tips, and tricks that could be beneficial for you! Now buckle up, because this is going to be a long read (but SO worth it)!

To begin with, the main tools I used to study with were the Hurst Now Online Review and UWorld. I am going to break down each program and explain the pros and cons of both, along with how I used each of them to study.

With Hurst, I opted for the the online only program (Hurst Now). They do offer 3 day in-class sessions as well if that is what you prefer, but with the online format you have the ability to go at your own pace. With both versions of the review, you are sent a fill in the blank workbook that goes along with the lectures. Because it is fill in the blank, it saves you an ample amount of time typing out notes.

The Hurst website is extremely user friendly, making studying that much easier. Under the “Videos” section of the website, you’ll find core content (ex. respiratory, cardiac) and specialty topics (ex. maternity, pediatrics) broken down into short videos typically running around 2o minutes each. The videos are listed exactly in order of how you should study them. They are not like your typical lecture, and are particularly enjoyable to listen to. They simplify everything for you, making it easy to follow and easy to understand, yet they don’t spare any important details. They include a lot of helpful phrases and tips that they will quite literally drill in your brain – many of those of which I used on the NCLEX.

The site also includes practice questions and 4 practice exams. I’d also like to add something that was extremely beneficial for me – if you’re confused about something during a video or just can’t seem to get the concept, there is an option on the video to ask a question and they will then email you with a response.

When it comes to Hurst, they have what’s called the “Hurst guarantee”. If you don’t pass the NCLEX, you get a full refund. To me, that says a lot about how they value and believe in their product.

With UWorld, it is solely a question bank based application. You can choose to answer these questions on your phone or on a computer. I personally used my phone and would answer questions during car rides, in between commercial breaks, or even in between sets at the gym. To begin with, you start off with 2000+ questions. You create your own test based on how many questions you want to answer at the time, and what topics you want to review. You can answer anywhere from 1 to 75 questions at a time. When you are answering questions, you can highlight information in the rationales, add information to flashcards, and flag questions to review later.

UWorld has a section on the app that analyzes your results and where you stand in regards to other UWorld users. It also gives you insight on what areas you need in improvement on and what areas you are excelling in. And like Hurst, you also have a certain amount (determined on which plan you select) of self-assessments.

Also, I have to give credit to UWorld on their rationales. When I tell you that there is no other application or studying tool that compares to their rationales, I’m not kidding. It’s simplified, but yet detailed. I learned SO much from UWorld that I just didn’t understand or grasp in nursing school.

How did I use Hurst and UWorld together? Well, the BEST method that I found and that I highly recommend is to watch a specific content lecture (ex. cardiac) on Hurst and then proceeded to answer the same content questions (in this example, cardiac) on UWorld. This method really reinforced what I had learned, and clarified things that I may not have understood.

So now you’re wondering… which one do I choose? Should I do both? Well, I used both because my employer provided Hurst for free, and I had already purchased UWorld. I’m not going to lie, they both are pretty expensive, although they do have different options. The Hurst Now (online) was $325, currently on sale for $250. The UWorld application started at $119. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BUY BOTH TO BE SUCCESSFUL! (Heck, you don’t have to buy either, and I’ll discuss that later on in the article). Here’s my piece of advice in choosing – if you feel like you have a pretty good basis on core content, CHOOSE UWORLD. If you feel like you don’t even know where to begin when it comes to studying, and you need to review everything, CHOOSE HURST. If you can get both, that’s great. But if not, that’s fine too! To be completely honest, I would have done fine using just one or the other!

What if I can’t afford either? That’s not a problem ! What I suggest first is to see if your employer/future employer offers a discount for any NCLEX prep program, many do! Also, watch out for sales – for example, Hurst Now is currently $75 off!

If you still can’t see yourself paying that much money (and I don’t blame you), another great tool that I swear by is Khan Academy. And the best part is, it’s FREE! Similar to Hurst, it breaks down content into easy to understand videos. I recommend it to all my friends! (And many of them have used it and PASSED!) The reason I didn’t use it as frequently as Hurst and UWorld is because I felt that 3 different resources may have been too overwhelming to try and juggle. In the beginning of my studies, I did however watch several videos and found that they were very helpful! If money is an issue, or you simply just don’t want to pay several hundred dollars for studying, please use this resource!

Other tips I’d like to add… Don’t start studying 2 weeks before the exam! Although it’s still possible to pass, it’s not going to prepare you for success. Don’t put yourself in that situation. I personally started to study about 6 to 8 weeks before the exam. I’m not gonna pretend that I studied every day, because I didn’t. There was one point in time I didn’t study for about 10 days. Don’t be hard on yourself if you skip a few days, IT’S OKAY. Don’t beat yourself up over it, but don’t give up! Hey, it’s even okay if you don’t manage to study every topic before the exam – just get as much in as YOU possibly can! You will do great, you will be successful! And if you don’t pass on the first try, you can always take it again! It’s nothing to be ashamed of, and everyone who’s taken the NCLEX knows that test is difficult and leaves you feeling uncertain! Nursing is HARD, we know that! And this test is nothing short of that! It’s okay to be nervous, it’s okay to be anxious, just prepare the best you can and don’t sell yourself short!

GOOD LUCK STUDYING! And PLEASE, if you have ANY questions, leave them below in the comments!

Happy reading,

K