Nurse's Rank the Hurst Review NCLEX Prep Course
Written by Lori Cannon & Leona Werezak
If you’re looking for a National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) review course, you’ve probably noticed there are many options. And while it’s great to have so many choices, it may be challenging to decide on the best program.
This article aims to help you avoid NCLEX review confusion and find the right course for you. We will provide you with an overview of Hurst’s NCLEX review courses, the pros vs. cons, preparation materials, practice exams, refund policy, and more!
Be sure to see our high-level comparative overview of the top NCLEX review courses.
Overview of Hurst Review
Marlene Hurst founded Hurst Review Services in 1988, the same year she graduated with her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the Mississippi University for Women.
According to the website, Hurst is an Adult and Family Nurse Practitioner-RC, a certified Critical Care Nurse, and an Advanced Cardiac Life Support instructor.
Hurst was also a nursing educator who taught in many different nursing programs over the years. She realized there were courses and workshops available for graduate nurses but not nursing students. The lack of undergraduate study material prompted her to develop NCLEX review courses for students just finishing nursing school.
The Hurst NCLEX review program uses a “clinical judgment approach” corresponding to the latest National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) test plan.
The company offers both NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN review courses. According to the Hurst website, their “sole mission” is to “prepare nursing students to pass the NCLEX-RN® or NCLEX-PN® exam on the first attempt."
Hurst Reviews
Reviews on the Hurst Facebook page are favorable for both the NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN courses.
There are also positive reviews on Amazon. Any critical reviews are pretty dated and don’t provide much feedback other than saying they didn’t pass the NCLEX or they didn’t find the material helpful.
Is an NCLEX Review Course Worth It?
It may be tempting to save money. But consider how much money you will be losing if you can’t start working as a nurse as soon as possible because you failed the NCLEX. Not to mention the stress of worrying about how to prepare for the exam and the time you’ll waste trying to figure it out.
Who Should Consider Signing Up for an NCLEX Review Course?
Nurses spend a lot of time and money completing their nursing programs. If your nursing school doesn’t provide NCLEX preparation, we recommend completing a reputable NCLEX review course before you take the NCLEX.
After all, you are not legally licensed to work as a nurse until you pass this licensing exam. Even students who got excellent grades in their nursing program find the NCLEX difficult—and some even fail.
If you did complete NCLEX preparation with your nursing school and it’s been more than three months since you completed your program, it’s probably a good idea to brush up on what you’ve forgotten with a review course.
The Pros and Cons of Hurst NCLEX Review
Pros of Hurst
Pros of Hurst NCLEX review courses include:
- Five different review options to fit any budget
- Students can tier up to a higher tier and add more time to access the review
- Ability to access live instruction either online or in-person (depending on location)
- Having access to online support from expert nurses
- A money-back guarantee if you fail the NCLEX after completing one of the Hurst courses.
- Access to a minimum of 1,500 NCLEX questions, four different readiness exams, a workbook, question banks (called Qbanks), reviews, and content-rich rationales.
Hurst also boasts a 98% pass rate on the NCLEX the first time! The high pass rate may offer peace of mind for nurses that they won’t be wasting their money.
Cons of Hurst
The Hurst practice exams aren’t computer adaptive. In other words, you won’t know what it’s like to take the real NCLEX that offers questions based on how you answered previous questions - and shuts off when you’ve passed or failed the exam.
Also, while the money-back guarantee is reassuring, only very recent graduates of an accredited United States or Canadian nursing program are eligible for the refund or remediation course if they fail the NCLEX after finishing a Hurst review course. So, that may leave out internationally educated nurses and other nursing students who graduated more than three months prior to their exam date.
Hurst Test Prep Products, Pricing, and Access
Hurst offers five different NCLEX review options:
1. Hurst Qbank
This option provides 30 days of online access to a bank of more than1500 NCLEX-RN questions and more than 1000 NCLEX-PN questions. The questions come in both flashcard and quiz mode styles. This package also includes test-taking strategies.
About 30% of questions are in an alternate-format style. Also, rationals are “content-rich” and included for both correct and incorrect answers.
Qbank access for NCLEX-PN prep is $99 and $109 for NCLEX-RN students.
2. Hurst Now
Hurst Now is a self-paced option that includes 90 days of online access to Hurst Qbank content in addition to the components listed below:
- Hurst’s “must-know” content
- Readiness exams
- Resource library
- Expert nurse support
- Elevate
Elevate is a flexible guided study plan consisting of six modules, 15 seminars, high-level post-tests, learning activities, and study tips for the NCLEX-RN exam.
Each module takes about five hours to complete. The goal of Elevate is to help students increase their clinical judgment skills and confidence in answering alternate-format questions.
Students can access Elevate for 60 days in addition to the other Hurst review materials they purchase.
The cost for this course for NCLEX-PN prep is $239; the NCLEX-RN prep is $249.
3. Hurst Now Plus
This option includes 102 days of all the content in the Hurst Now package. The cost for the NCLEX-RN option is $339.
Unfortunately, Hurst Plus Now is not available for PN preparation.
4. Hurst N-Stream
This package provides students with nine months of access to everything in the Hurst Now Plus package. Students also receive three days of live-streamed online lectures and 14 days of online access to classroom lectures.
The cost for the NCLEX-PN prep option is $275, and the cost of the NCLEX-RN prep option is $399.
5. Hurst Live
With the Hurst Live option, students receive the same content for nine months as the Hurst N-Stream package. However, this option also includes engaging in-person lectures. You will need to ensure there are lectures near where you live or consider traveling to classes in another city.
The cost for Hurst Live is the same as the Hurst N-Stream option: NCLEX-PN is $275, and NCLEX-RN is $399.
Hurst also offers a 7-day free trial of their courses without having to provide payment information or a credit card.
Hurst Prep Materials
Hurst claims to have a 98% first-attempt pass rate for students who complete any of their NCLEX review options except Hurst Qbank.
All NCLEX review packages (except Hurst Qbank) include a study guide/workbook, an automated checklist, post-lecture quizzes, and the package contents listed above.
The Hurst NCLEX review programs are suitable for many learning styles because they use different formats for content presentation, quizzes, and lectures.
In addition, those who like asking questions and learn best as part of a class can choose the Hurst N-Stream or Hurst Live options.
Practice Exams
All Hurst NCLEX review options (except Hurst Qbank) provide students with four readiness “simulator” practice exams:
- Each exam includes 125 questions.
- Students have 90 seconds to answer each question.
- Students have one hour to complete each exam.
- Students cannot retest a previous exam.
- Exams can also be paused and finished later.
Similar to the real NCLEX, each exam is unique because questions are randomly selected according to the 8 Client Needs categories of the NCLEX test plan. However, the exams are not computer adaptive like the actual NCLEX exam.
Refund Policy
Hurst guarantees “a student's first NCLEX® attempt will be successful if the student has completed the Hurst Review in its entirety and attempts the NCLEX® within three months of graduation from a U.S. or Canadian accredited school of nursing.”
If a student is not successful with passing the NCLEX after completing one of the Hurst review programs (excluding Hurst Qbank), the student has the option of choosing either:
- A one-time 45-day remediation course within one year after the student graduates, or
- A full refund of the NCLEX review course purchase price if the student.
Students are responsible for the following:
- Notify Hurst within two weeks of receiving their NCLEX failure notice,
- Send Hurst a postmarked envelope containing their NCLEX failure notice and a copy of the original Candidate Performance Report, and
- Return all course materials to Hurst.
Is Hurst the Right Test Prep Course for You?
Only you can determine if Hurst NCLEX review is the right prep course for you.
But with a 98% NCLEX pass rate and a full money-back guarantee, Hurst offers great low-risk options to help you prepare for the NCLEX exam. They have great options for students who prefer to study alone, in a classroom setting, or a combination of both.
The most important thing is to pass your NCLEX the first time so you don’t waste precious time studying when you should be starting your nursing career.
If you still want to compare and contrast different NCLEX prep courses before choosing yours, feel free to browse our other reviews:
