NCLEX Mastery vs UWorld NCLEX Review 2023: Which Is the Better Exam Prep?

Runner Up

NCLEX Mastery
  • Over 2,200 practice questions
  • In-depth explanations
  • Test-taking strategies
VS

Winner

Uworld
  • Over 2,100 practice questions
  • Two 100-item self-assessment tests
  • Detailed rationales with images

NCLEX Mastery and UWorld are two of the most affordable test preps for NCLEX. Perhaps, you’re wondering which of these two you should choose. UWorld is a great consideration because of its quality and affordability, but NCLEX Mastery is the best fit if you need a quick review. 

Getting confused now? Don’t worry, we compared UWorld vs. NCLEX Mastery based on different features to help you decide better. We have used several benchmarks to compare their overall quality as an NCLEX test prep course.

NCLEX Mastery Vs. UWorld for NCLEX: Course Content

UWorld is a test prep company that provides a massive pool of study materials for students who wish to study with quality and affordability. It was founded back in 2003 by Dr. Chandra Pemmansani when he created his first set of medical practice questions. Several years after, it is now one of the most in-demand test prep providers, especially their NCLEX services. 

The company also has content experts from the fields of education, medicine, nursing, and business. Their main goal is to continuously provide a kind of test prep that won’t hurt your pockets in the long run while providing excellent materials. 

Here’s a breakdown of its prep course’s NCLEX features:

  • Over 2,100 practice questions
  • Two 100-item self-assessment tests
  • Detailed rationales with images
  • Flashcards for a quick review
  • Customizable exams
  • Performance tracker
  • Accessible across all devices

When it comes to the course options, they are pretty straightforward. The question bank is offered in various access lengths with corresponding package inclusions and prices. There are also additional features such as self-assessment tests and a one-time reset option. The prices also vary on these packages.

  • Qbank for 30 days
  • Qbank for 60 days
  • Qbank for 90 days
  • Qbank for 180 days
  • Qbank for 360 days
  • Qbank for 730 days

Unfortunately, UWorld doesn’t have any pass guarantee like a money-back guarantee or free remedial class. Then again, it’s probably which it’s more affordable. 

Nevertheless, I like that it includes a performance tracker to offset the fact that the courses don’t come with nursing instructors to assist you when you’re stuck on certain concepts.

This time, let’s take a look at NCLEX Mastery.

While it is an NCLEX test prep service like UWorld, I should make it clear that it’s simply a mobile app that specializes in NCLEX exam prep. Behind this app is the popular Higher Learning Technologies LLC,  a software provider that specializes in study-on-the-go materials.

Here are its features:

  • Over 2,200 practice questions
  • In-depth explanations
  • Test-taking strategies
  • Mnemonics
  • Progress tracker
  • Terminology bank

Furthermore, this mobile app offers two solutions – one for NCLEX-RN and another one for NCLEX-PN. Both of these offer the same features mentioned above. 

Even better, they give you an option to gauge your weakness and choose which category you need to focus on.

NCLEX Mastery also has random quizzes that you can take if you feel the need to sharpen your knowledge on certain nursing topics.

Winner

I would say that UWorld is a little superior to NCLEX Mastery in terms of course content due to the major difference with self-assessment tests, which the latter doesn’t have. The variety of courses offered in UWorld is also much wider than that of NCLEX Mastery.

NCLEX Mastery Vs. UWorld for NCLEX: Practice Questions

When it comes to practice questions, UWorld has a slight difference from NCLEX Mastery, with around 2,100 practice questions against 2,200 practice questions.

As to the quality of UWorld’s practice questions, it is considered as its edge because of the level of difficulty of each question. Even better, over 30% of its practice questions are also comprised of alternate format questions which you can mostly find in the real NCLEX.

What makes the practice questions highly effective is the set of detailed rationales with matching illustrations. UWorld incorporates ample images to its detailed rationales to make self-study more efficient for the student. 

Lastly, I would say it’s the difficulty of the practice questions that have appealed to several test-takers to use their services. Using UWorld’s question bank certainly takes you to a whole different level of test prep because the practice questions mimic the NCLEX style.

On the other hand, NCLEX Mastery has a few additional questions more than UWorld’s question bank. When using the practice questions, you will have access to descriptive reviews of various subjects. The explanation of concepts is also presented in an engaging manner to avoid boredom. Mnemonics are also integrated for better retention of information.

Winner

Clearly, UWorld is the winner when it comes to this benchmark because of the level of difficulty of its practice questions, not to mention that it uses alternate format questions to make you test-ready for the NCLEX.

NCLEX Mastery, on the other hand, may have mnemonics to aid you in understanding concepts better but I would say that the difficulty of questions that mimic the NCLEX, which UWorld offers, is much more significant.

NCLEX Mastery Vs. UWorld NCLEX: Test-taking strategies

UWorld, unfortunately, does not pay so much attention to test-taking strategies because their focus is more on the practice questions that will make you familiar with various nursing concepts found in the NCLEX. 

As with NCLEX Mastery, I should say that they don’t really share concrete strategies for you to answer questions a lot better like how Kaplan NCLEX does it. However, they provide a specific section for test-taking tips to make you confident when taking the NCLEX. 

Winner

I wouldn’t vouch on the quality of strategies of NCLEX Mastery, but the mere fact that it has given attention to this benchmark means it has consideration for a student’s ability to interpret questions more easily. Therefore, NCLEX Mastery won in this criterion. 

NCLEX Mastery Vs. UWorld Mastery: Pricing Options

UWorld has course options that widely vary according to access length with some differences in the inclusion of features. Its prices range from around $100 to $400, which is honestly a combination of affordable and expensive.

 

The expensive tiers, however, cover up to almost a year or so of access to the question bank – which is reasonable enough. 

As with UWorld Mastery, it has only three package options good for one month, three months, and twelve months. Its prices range from around $30 to a little over $100.

Source: NCLEX Mastery

Winner

I would go for NCLEX Mastery when it comes to pricing although its course options are not that wide as UWorld’s. I also find their 3-month-package and 12-month-package as more affordable than what UWorld has with those access lengths.

NCLEX Mastery Vs. UWorld NCLEX: Ease of Use

I find UWorld’s platform as very sophisticated because it has a great mix of texts and images. When you also use its platform, you will enjoy the features that help you track your progress and the time you have consumed in answering the questions. The time-tracker is amazing, as it helps you practice your pacing crucial for the NCLEX exam.

Also, I must say that UWorld gives you the convenience you need because you can access their study materials across all devices, whether it’s a computer, tablet, or mobile phone.

As for NCLEX Mastery’s platform, I would say that it’s the main asset. The texts and images are organized very well that information is concise and easily understandable.

Source: NCLEX Mastery

Almost close to what UWorld has, the NCLEX Mastery also has a feedback system that tells you about your mastery of a certain concept. It also has an option for you to know the percentage of questions that you have answered correctly. 

Moreover, as previously mentioned, NCLEX Mastery allows you to customize your practice tests with subjects or concepts that you need to focus on for you to gain mastery. It also has a timed-bound test so you can get used to how the actual NCLEX works.

Winner

It’s a tie. It’s safe to say that both NCLEX Mastery and UWorld are highly satisfactory. The ease of use plus other features like progress tracker helps you evaluate yourself as you go.

NCLEX RN Mastery Vs. UWorld: Student Support

Student support is another significant benchmark we need to look at because of its importance as you use the courses offered by any of these test prep providers.

Source: UWorld

You can only contact UWorld via email. However, it provides a highly beneficial frequently-asked-questions (FAQ) section that is categorized according to different aspects of its services. It also has social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, which is a great thing because it expands its visibility to student-users.

NCLEX Mastery, on the other hand, has a phone number and email that you can use. It lacks social media networks, however.

Source: NCLEX Mastery

Winner

Although UWorld NCLEX doesn’t have a phone number, it remains visible and accessible through its social media platforms. The FAQs also provide a certain level of support. Therefore, UWorld takes the lead when it comes to this benchmark.

NCLEX RN Mastery Vs. UWorld: Additional Features

I would always love to see test prep companies giving their users the additional value they ultimately need for what they paid for. This is the reason why we’re also using the additional features as a benchmark when reviewing their services.

Source: Nursing UWorld

When it comes to UWorld, its self-assessment tests are amazing takeaways. Plus, it provides flashcards that you can utilize for a quick review. Whereas, NCLEX Mastery, provides you with mnemonics and a terminology bank that are useful to your quick study prep.

Source: NCLEX Mastery

Winner

This time, I can firmly say that both of these products come with the necessary features that make both worth the investment. The self-assessments of UWorld that are patterned after NCLEX are definitely great tools for you to build the right stamina to last the NCLEX examination. Its flashcards, like NCLEX Mastery’s mnemonics, work well for when you need brief reviews of concepts.

Finally, NCLEX Mastery’s terminology bank is an amazing guide in case you need to review concepts you’re not highly knowledgeable about.

So, Which is Better?

The winner of this UWorld vs. NCLEX Mastery comparison review for 2020 is none other than UWorld. When you take a look at the benchmarks that we used, it’s clear that UWorld takes the lead although there are two benchmarks that both of these products display satisfactory service options.

These benchmarks were they ended up as tie involved the ease of use of their respective platforms and the additional features they offer.

UWorld NCLEX is better than NCLEX Mastery when it comes to course content, practice questions, and student support while NCLEX Mastery is better than UWorld NCLEX when it comes to test-taking strategies and pricing. 

Nonetheless, I see UWorld NCLEX and NCLEX Mastery as a close match here. There are only minor differences, especially when it comes to quality. Therefore, take my following recommendations below.

Use UWorld NCLEX if:

  • You need to improve your knowledge about nursing concepts through complex practice questions and practice tests.
  • You want to prep closer to how the real NCLEX works NCLEX-style test-assessment exams.

Use NCLEX Mastery if:

  • You need to hone your ability to answer test questions in the NCLEX through tips and strategies on how to ace the NCLEX.
  • You need a more effective easy-to-grab study material for NCLEX quick reviews.

In other words, each of them has their own strengths and weaknesses, and you just have to evaluate your needs as a student for you to choose better. I may say that UWorld is better on this review, but if NCLEX Mastery’s offers work for you better, then go for it. 

Meanwhile, if you’re interested in NCLEX Mastery (1) and UWorld NCLEX (2), you may visit their respective websites for more product details.

References

  1. https://nclexmastery.com/
  2. https://nursing.uworld.com/nclex-rn/