Knowing how to choose an NCLEX-RN book is vital to ensure you understand the state exam and answer questions correctly.
Becoming a licensed registered nurse is a long and arduous journey that requires time and sacrifice.
Therefore, dependable NCLEX books are necessary to pass the NCLEX exam.
After all, the NCLEX-RN examination is one of the most important exams of your professional life,
High-quality NCLEX-RN books provide reliable content and context in an easy-to-understand format.
That way, you easily grasp complex topics and retain the necessary information to perform well on your exam.
The following tips and advice will help you make an informed and practical decision on which NCLEX-RN review book(s) to purchase.
These books help you practice, expand, and retain the knowledge needed to pass the exam with flying colors.
The advice mentioned below helps narrow down your choices depending on your particular learning style.
It also helps you pick a book depending on the areas of education you need to improve most.
What This Article Covers:
- Easy to read/understand book formatting
- High-quality topical coverage
- Practice exam quality and depth
- Up-to-date information
- Additional resources
- And more
These topics are essential for ensuring an optimal learning experience that translates well to your actual NCLEX-RN licensure and certification exams.
Finally, it helps you pick alternative books that cover your educational requirements if your current books lack essential study material.
1. Easy to Read and Understand Format(s)
One of the essential aspects to consider when selecting an NCLEX-RN review book is the quality of the material.
Essentially, a high-quality NCLEX-RN book provides easy-to-read formatting.
Therefore, it directly impacts your ability to understand and retain the textbook’s information quickly.
You’ll promptly and efficiently move important study material by selecting the right review book(s) to study for your exam.
Easy-to-read NCLEX books also significantly reduce the likelihood of confusion on a specific question or topic.
As a result, you spend less time second-guessing yourself and understand the subject material more confidently.
Finally, the writing style varies drastically depending on the author.
Therefore, you must pick an NCLEX-RN book from a highly accredited author that resonates with your learning style for the best results.
A significant part of what makes an NCLEX-RN review book an excellent study resource is the quality of the questions and answers it provides.
Some of the most popular books NCLEX review exam provide plenty of Q & sections throughout the book.
Moreover, they provide excellent follow-up questions and answers at the end of each chapter and topic.
Accordingly, it helps you quickly identify topics or questions you don’t understand.
That way, you can quality improve your learning efficiency and retention.
Each topic should cover essential study material thoroughly to prevent learning gaps in the necessary exam material.
Overall, a comprehensive NCLEX-RN review book lays out information in a clean contextual format. It includes high-quality images, informative boxes, detailed question-and-answer sections, topical tables, and additional helpful formatting.
Lastly, it provides essential medical terminology when necessary.
However, it doesn’t complicate essential topics, terms, and definitions or use unnecessary language to explain challenging subject material.
2. Excellent Topical Coverage
When talking about topical coverage, I’m referring to how well the book covers the various topics it presents.
It includes utilizing high-quality images, offering well-established explanations of topics, and providing multiple formats to cover important study material comprehensively.
Excellent topical coverage also provides adequate information on all topics expected in the NCLEX-RN exam.
Books with thin content or poorly presented coverage of essential licensure and examination topics won’t provide a good knowledge base.
Moreover, they lack a compressive understanding of the material you need to study.
As a result, poorly written NCLEX-RN books leave you under-prepared for the NCLEX exam.
One way to combat picking a bad NCLEX-RN exam practice book is to thoroughly read the book reviews from previous students.
Additionally, consult your teacher(s) and recently graduated nurses to determine which NCLEX review exam book(s) are best for the upcoming exam.
Finally, please read the book’s description to see what it covers.
That way, you’ll understand the material covered in the book and how it’s written/formatted.
It ensures the book provides an excellent and sufficient all-around studying experience.
In most cases, you can perform well on your exam by choosing one well-written NCLEX-RN exam book.
However, some students prefer to study two or three practice exam books to develop a well-rounded understanding of the NCLEX-RN exam.
Reading more books provides different perspectives, unique questions, and answer formats.
It also lets students utilize practice exams to hone their comprehension and retention skills.
3. High-quality Licensure & Certification Practice Exams
Most NCLEX-RN exam review books offer practice exams that mimic what you will likely see on the actual NCLEX-RN exam.
These practice exams aim to develop your knowledge and recall to feel more comfortable and confident during your licensure exam.
Therefore you must pick an NCLEX-RN practice exam book that offers sufficient and up-to-date information.
It must cover the most recent upcoming exam, as the NCLEX-RN exam material can change yearly.
As new medical information and developments become relevant, newly licensed nurses need to know the latest and greatest medical practices.
The medical field is constantly growing and changing, impacting the NCLEX-RN exam and how nursing students learn.
It also creates challenges for those using outdated material.
It’s because outdated material may no longer be valid or effectively cover the medical topic(s) you need to know.
Books that frequently update their editions are a great way to ensure you take advantage of the latest medical information.
Moreover, these books make you confident when your certification exam comes up.
Finally, numerous NCLEX-RN books focus primarily on practice exams to develop their practice exam skills.
There are also various online resources and tools to take practice exams, regardless of location.
That way, you can continually improve your knowledge and establish a confident comprehension of the exam material.
4. Additional Materials and Resources
Publishers provide additional study materials and resources beyond their NCLEX-RN practice review books.
Importantly, these supplementary resources help students develop their knowledge and skills further while preparing for the NCLEX-RN examination.
There are various things nursing students can look forward to regarding additional learning tools.
It includes visual charts, access to online resources, videos, eBooks, and practice tests.
Some publishers also provide downloadable audio summaries, companion books, companion apps, flashcards, and other bonus material.
Added Material & Resources Include:
- Visual charts
- Online resources
- Videos, audio summaries
- Digital downloads
- Companion apps
- Flashcards
- Memory and Mnemonic exercises/games
- And more
These bonuses allow nursing students to learn new ways that best suit their learning style by offering additional value.
It even helps students study in short or lengthy sessions to learn, develop, and grow at their own pace.
Finally, additional resources add variety and reduce boredom to keep students’ minds active.
As a result, they have better retention and understand complex subject material more efficiently.
Extra Ways to Study for the NCLEX-RN Exam
Aside from buying a well-written and concise NCLEX-RN practice exam book, there are other things to help you study for your exam.
It includes hiring a tutor, signing up for online study courses, and taking a classroom prep course to help you study for the exam.
You can also use coloring books, listen to audiobooks, and use visual and kinesthetic sensory tools/resources.
Together, these study techniques provide an excellent overall strategy for understanding complex topics and improving retention.
Strategies to Help you Prepare Include:
- Hire a tutor
- Sign up for online NCLEX-RN study courses
- Sign up for NCLEX-RN classroom prep
- Use audio, visual, and kinesthetic study tools
Each strategy offers unique ways to study for your exam, especially if you’re a visual, audio, or kinesthetic learner.
Moreover, a skilled tutor can provide direct assistance to guide you through what to expect and how to study and prepare for the exam.
Picking a high-quality NCLEX-RN study review book is an excellent way to develop your medical expertise.
However, using additional educational resources ensures you’re prepared to perform well in school and your professional life.
Conclusion
The NCLEX RN exam is one of the most important exams for nursing students to study and pass.
It’s essential for those on their path to becoming certified registered nurses and beginning successful careers in nursing.
These books help you develop your knowledge using various study techniques and materials.
They offer practice questions, educational resources, practice exams, nursing concepts and procedures, and many other invaluable topics.
As a result, you significantly increase your overall understanding of what to expect from the NCLEX RN exam and prepare yourself for success.
I hope the tips and advice help you become a successful and exceptional healthcare professional.