Nurses Review Archer Review NCLEX Prep

Passing the NCLEX is a must for anyone who wants to practice as a nurse in the U.S., and sifting through all the NCLEX review options to prepare for the exam can be time-consuming. That’s why we’ve started doing some of the work for you by pulling together an overview of the top NCLEX review courses.

But we know an overview isn’t enough to make an important decision like this. So, we’ve also prepared detailed reviews on some of the top NCLEX review courses to help save you even more time.

Here, we provide you with what you need to know about the Archer Review NCLEX course.

Overview of Archer Review NCLEX Prep Course

Archer Review is an organization established in 2008 that provides USMLE and NCLEX test prep to both medical and nursing students. 

The company consists of board-certified physicians and nurse educators who help students prepare for the USMLE and NCLEX exams through their review programs. 

Initially, the company provided clinical case simulation workshops for USMLE students and then later expanded to offer reviews for both USMLE and NCLEX exams. 

According to the website, Archer’s “mission is to provide exceptional education and interactive tools for (students) to ace (their) exam at a fraction of the price that other companies charge.” They also aim to prepare students to feel confident practicing in the clinical setting as novice nurses. 

For NCLEX preparation, Archer offers both NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN review courses. As part of the NCLEX review courses, students are able to choose either on-demand/self-paced video lectures or live/interactive video lectures.

Reviews of Archer Review NCLEX 

Reviews of Archer on social media are quite positive overall, as this Facebook post demonstrates:

However, some students on Facebook say they did very well working through the Archer review material but still didn’t pass the NCLEX:

And some students who’ve used the Archer NCLEX review app found it omitted some of the practice questions they submitted resulting in an inaccurate score. Apparently, this glitch was due to high traffic on the app before the server was upgraded, which the app developer reassures has been fixed now in this post response below:

Ultimately, student success (or failure) on the NCLEX is due to many different factors unique to each person.

If you choose to use an Archer NCLEX review course (or any NCLEX review course), be sure to complete all the course components. If you’re still not confident you're ready to pass the NCLEX, reach out to the company to ask if they think you’re ready to take and pass the NCLEX exam based on your results in the course.

Is an NCLEX Review Course Worth It? 

If you want to pass the NCLEX as soon as possible so you can start working as a nurse, then taking an NCLEX review course can definitely be a smart thing to do to get your career off on the right foot. It costs $200 to take the NCLEX exam each time—plus you will need to wait 45 days before you can retake the exam if you fail. 

So, not being well prepared for this exam can be costly in terms of time and money. There’s a really good reason why many of the top nursing schools provide an NCLEX review course for their nursing students—and that’s because it works to ensure high NCLEX pass rates.

If your nursing school doesn’t provide NCLEX preparation at the end of your program, or if you’ve been out of nursing school for 3 months or more, it’s highly recommended that you complete a reputable NCLEX review course before scheduling to sit for the NCLEX.

Pros and Cons of Archer

Pros of Archer

The affordability of Archers’ NCLEX review courses for most students compared to other large NCLEX review providers is definitely one of the benefits of their courses. Having a high NCLEX pass rate of 98% also shows they’ve developed a very effective program for preparing nursing students specifically for the NCLEX.

Having the ability to choose between on-demand/self-paced video lectures or live/interactive video lectures is also a real plus for students with different learning styles and learning needs.

Cons of Archer

Although the Archer review courses have a lot going for them with high NCLEX pass rates and amazing affordability, one-on-one tutoring is not included with any of the packages. 

This can be a drawback for students who need extra help with certain content to pass the exam. Archer obviously recognized this, because they provide private one-to-one and small group tutoring as separate services for students who need this help as well.

Archer Test Prep Products, Pricing, and Access

To prepare for the NCLEX exams, students have four different ways to review.

1. Question Bank (Qbank) + CAT

This option includes:

• Over 2500 NCLEX-RN questions and more than 700 NCLEX-PN questions (with detailed rationales for correct & incorrect answers) prepared by nursing faculty with extensive clinical and teaching experience

• Multiple readiness assessments and performance tracking to help students “identify (their) weaknesses and improve test-taking skills”

• Several computer-adaptive tests (CAT) like the real NCLEX

• Many alternate format questions including 40% of select all that apply (SATA) questions

• Peer statistics so students can self-assess their exam readiness based on how they’re doing compared to the peer average and predict how likely they are to pass the NCLEX

• The ability to create customized tests based on the student’s needs

NCLEX-RN students have access to this review option as follows:

• 3 months for $78.99

• QBank Video combo for $119.99

The cost for NCLEX-PN students is:

• NCLEX PN - 3 months for $69.99

• NCLEX PN QBank Video Combo for $119.99

• NCLEX RN All Topics Videos for $99.99

• NCLEX PN all topics Video for $99.99

These courses are also available by downloading the Archer NCLEX review app available for iOS and Android devices.

2.  Full-Length Rapid Review Webinars

For students wanting a complete review of all nursing content, Archer offers full-length “rapid review webinars”.

These webinars are available either as live 20-hour events over 2 days, or as on-demand webinars consisting of 40 hours of material from previously recorded live events and various “topic-wise” specific webinars with 2 months of access. Students who enroll receive over 1000 slides/handouts for the webinar after they register.

Both types of rapid review webinars cost $79 for both NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN preparation.

3.  Subject-Wise Webinars

NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN students can also purchase the following content reviews on individual subjects that they may need more help with, in either an on-demand or live webinar format:

• Fundamentals - Basic Care, and Comfort, Legal and Ethical Concepts

• Cardiology and EKGs 

• Endocrinology plus Diabetes and Insulin

• Fluids and electrolytes

• Pharmacology

• Diet and Nutrition 

• Safety and Infection Control

These courses can be purchased for $10 each with access for 30 days, with the exception of Cardiology and EKGs which costs $12 and Diet and Nutrition which costs $7 for 30 days.

4.  Discounted Combos

Not sure what you need to study? Archer has you covered that way too. They currently offer 7 different combination packages that include a mix of products such as Qbank + NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN Rapid Review OnDemand and/or Live webinars with 60-365 days access, depending on the option chosen.

The “discounted combo” options range in price from $89 to $399, depending on length of access and product options provided in the package.

Prep Materials

Archer’s NCLEX pass rates are excellent but vary slightly, depending on the review product used. 

For example, the company website says U.S. educated students have a 98% NCLEX pass rate for students who complete a discounted combo course. Based on this high NCLEX pass rate, the Archer review courses clearly works for the majority of students with a variety of learning styles and needs. 

And while Archer states that “thousands of international nurses were also able to pass NCLEX on the first attempt” using the Qbank to review, they also qualify this by saying that the “right education and extensive practice with NCLEX-Format questions” is required.

Practice Exams

As noted above, both the Qbank + CAT and the discounted combo options provide you with multiple exams using the same computer-adaptive technology (CAT) as the real NCLEX exams. Exam questions use multiple format questions including several SATA questions, just like the real NCLEX.

This is super helpful so you get a “feel” for what the real NCLEX will be like in the sense that each subsequent question you get will depend on how you answered the previous question. The exams are also customized based on your needs. This helps ensure you’ll be working on and getting tested on content that you need to improve in.

You can also create and practice exams in “Tutor” or “Test” mode. In Tutor mode, the correct answer is shown after you submit your answer. In Test mode, the correct answers aren’t shown until you complete the test. Both of these test modes have no time limit. However, to simulate the real NCLEX exam, you can select “Timed-Test” mode.

Refund Policy

Archer offers a full refund for both the Qbank and content review programs if you contact them within 24 hours of purchasing these products.

In terms of an NCLEX pass guarantee, the following information is included with information about the Archer Review NCLEX app: “If you completed Archer Qbank fully and did not pass, send us an email of proof of failure and we will refund you fully. In addition, we will let you access the content and Q-bank FREE until you pass.” A similar NCLEX pass guarantee is included for the Android app on Google Play.

Is Archer the Right Test Prep Course for You?

Given Archer’s high NCLEX pass rate of 98% for U.S.-educated nurses, these NCLEX review products appear well-suited to help most nursing students pass the NCLEX. The NCLEX pass guarantee that comes with the app purchase makes it a very smart choice financially, in addition to Archer’s already super low course prices.

However, students who struggled in nursing school and internationally educated nurses needing more personalized one-to-one help may want to look for an NCLEX review program that offers individualized coaching or tutoring as part of a complete content review course.

Still not sure which NCLEX prep course is right for you? Check out our other NCLEX reviews:

• Saunders NCLEX Review
• Hurst NCLEX Review
• NURSING.com NCLEX Review