The UWorld Nursing Blog

Is UWorld Review Course Harder than the NCLEX®?

Is the UWorld QBank Harder than the NCLEX - blog post featured image
90% of users report that UWorld’s questions are the same level of difficulty or more difficult than the questions they encountered on the NCLEX.
Is the UWorld QBank Harder than the NCLEX - blog post featured image

In our UWorld NCLEX Facebook group,  we’re often asked, “Is the UWorld QBank harder than the NCLEX?”

This is a great question — you want to know you’re preparing with the most accurate, challenging, and exam-like resource on the market. To answer this question, we surveyed thousands of UWorld users just like you who recently utilized our NCLEX review course to prepare for their licensing exam. The result?

90% of users report that UWorld’s questions are the same level of difficulty or more difficult than the questions they encountered on the NCLEX.

How Do You Know You’re Ready To Take the NCLEX?
By first passing our Self-Assessment tests!
Test Analysis screen from NGN Self-Assessment 1.

Realistic Practice Makes a Difference on the NCLEX

The purpose of the NCLEX is to examine your clinical judgment and critical-thinking ability using real-world case studies. In short, can you make the right decisions as a nurse? We keep this in mind when preparing our questions because we believe that practicing with anything less is not the best use of your time and energy. Clear-cut, knowledge-level questions may help you remember a specific fact, but they won’t help you build your clinical judgment.

We provide you with thousands of NCLEX-style questions across all subjects and topics that requires you to apply your knowledge and helps prepare you for whatever the NCLEX throws at you on test day.

So often, we read feedback from our users on social media saying that taking the NCLEX was just like practicing UWorld questions. This is not only because of our high-quality NCLEX-style questions, but also because our user interface mimics what you will see on-screen during your exam. By practicing in this environment and having an idea of what to expect, you can walk into your exam feeling more confident.

Understanding the UWorld QBank’s Difficulty

Because our questions cover frequently tested, challenging NCLEX topics, learners typically have a lower UWorld NCLEX score than they are used to receiving on their exams in school.

“As of October 2023, the median score in the NCLEX-RN QBank is 70%. The median score for the NCLEX-PN QBank is 64%.”

Please don’t let this worry you. Historically, an average UWorld score translates to an over 90% pass rate on the NCLEX. This shows that, while our NCLEX questions may be difficult, we cover commonly tested topics and provide detailed explanations to prepare you for any question you may encounter on your exams.

Pass the Next Generation NCLEX® the First Time!
High-yield videos, thousands of practice questions, multiple self-assessment tests, and more.
Laptop with Next Gen Bow-tie practice question.

Making the Most of UWorld NCLEX Questions

The UWorld NCLEX Review course is designed to be a learning tool. While your average score gives you helpful information to track your progress, studying the detailed explanation for every answer choice is the most valuable way to spend your time. UWorld’s concise but comprehensive rationales explain both the content and the clinical decision-making behind the right and wrong answers. This study method helps you synthesize key learning topics and apply them when you are faced with them again on a test or at the bedside, making you a safe and effective nurse.

“The questions are awesome for review and are very similar to the NCLEX. I feel more and more confident as I take more tests and see more questions. The feedback allows me to learn and refresh on concepts I missed. Overall, I am super happy with my experience.”

Caroline R
UWorld NCLEX-RN Student

So, rest assured, your time in the UWorld NCLEX review course, while challenging, is an important step in preparing you for your NCLEX test day and your new career as a nurse. You’ll be ready to take on what lies ahead and excel when it counts the most.

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Pass the Next Generation NCLEX® the First Time!

High-yield videos, thousands of practice questions, multiple self-assessment tests, and more.

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