Archer vs Kaplan for NCLEX
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Archer is cheaper for both a question bank and live review. Archer’s Q-Bank + CAT costs $79 for 30 days with 3,100+ questions, against Kaplan’s CAT + Qbank from $99 with 2,200+. For live review, Archer’s Sure PASS costs $159 to $209, against Kaplan’s PassTrack Live Online from $399. Kaplan’s edge is a structured course and its Decision Tree method.
Prices and counts below are from each company’s own site, checked November 6, 2026. Several Archer prices are sale prices, so confirm at checkout. Kaplan lists only “from” prices and does not show the access length behind them. We earn a commission on Archer purchases through our links, and not on Kaplan.
Archer vs Kaplan at a glance
Question bank only:
| Feature | Archer Q-Bank + CAT | Kaplan CAT + Qbank |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $79 / $99 / $129 / $149 (30 / 60 / 90 / 180 days) | From $99 (access length not shown) |
| Questions | 3,100+ | 2,200+ |
| NGN items | 1,100+ | No count published |
| Readiness tests | Readiness assessments and CATs, available while you have unused questions | 3 full-length CATs |
| Live review | Not included | Not included |
With live review:
| Feature | Archer Sure PASS | Kaplan PassTrack Live Online |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $159 / $169 / $189 / $209 (30 / 60 / 90 / 180 days) | From $399 (access length not shown) |
| Questions | 3,100+ | 3,800+ |
| NGN items | 1,100+ | No count published |
| Live review | 3-day live review, plus live case studies (Mon/Wed/Fri) and system lectures (Tue/Thu) | 3-day live review course (18 hours), plus Practice Pack live events |
| Test-taking method | Taught in live review | Decision Tree |
| Pass-rate claim | 98.98% (conditions below) | Over 99% of 49 highly engaged students; 95% of 324 respondents (conditions below) |
Kaplan also sells Practice Pack (from $119, CAT + Qbank plus live events), PassTrack Self Paced (from $349, on-demand review course) and Tutoring + PassTrack Live Online (from $900). Archer’s Intense PREP ($399 for 90 days, $599 for 180) adds tutor guidance and group sessions to Sure PASS.
Where Archer is stronger
Price for what you get. At the question-bank level, Archer’s Q-Bank + CAT has more questions (3,100+ against Kaplan’s 2,200+) and starts lower than Kaplan’s CAT + Qbank (Archer $79 for 30 days, Kaplan from $99). Archer publishes an NGN count (1,100+ items); Kaplan does not. For live instruction, Archer’s Sure PASS costs less than Kaplan’s PassTrack Live Online at every Archer plan length.
Archer describes its readiness assessments as “unlimited”, with a footnote: they are available only while you have unused questions left to build them from. Archer’s plan cards list “30+ readiness assessments + CAT exams”. Kaplan’s CAT + Qbank lists 3 full-length CATs.
Where Kaplan is stronger
Structure and a named method. Kaplan’s PassTrack plans add an 18-hour review course, a larger bank (3,800+ questions) and a pass guarantee, with conditions. The Decision Tree gives anxious test-takers a fixed procedure for every question. Archer’s 200+ hour video library covers content too, but it is organized as review, not as a course.
Kaplan also offers a 7-day free trial with Qbank questions, live sessions and on-demand videos, so you can try Kaplan’s style before you pay.
Pass-rate claims
Both companies publish a high pass rate, and both apply only to students who met conditions:
- Archer: a 98.98% pass rate in Q4 2024, among students who completed Sure PASS and then scored at least “High” on four consecutive readiness assessments. Archer says its figure is based on self-reported outcomes.
- Kaplan: from a self-reported survey of 324 first-time NCLEX-RN takers (August 2023 to March 2026), Kaplan reports 95% passed, and over 99% of the 49 who completed all recommended Kaplan activities passed.
Neither figure tells you how every buyer did. Treat them as a sign of what finishing the program looks like, not as odds.
Which should you choose?
| Your situation | Choose |
|---|---|
| Passed your program comfortably, want practice plus live review | Archer Sure PASS |
| Tight budget, question bank only | Archer Q-Bank + CAT ($79 for 30 days) |
| Need Next Generation NCLEX case-study practice | Archer (1,100+ NGN items) |
| Need content re-taught in order | Kaplan PassTrack |
| Want a fixed method for every question | Kaplan (Decision Tree) |
| Retaking after using Kaplan | Archer for a fresh question bank |
The honest caveat
Kaplan’s higher price is not padding for nothing. Some students genuinely need a course, not a bank plus review sessions, and Kaplan sells a course. If you failed the NCLEX once and your readiness assessments were low across the board, that is a content problem, and content is what Kaplan’s PassTrack is built for. If your assessments were mixed and you ran out of fresh questions, that is a practice problem, and Archer is the cheaper fix.
For how both stack up against UWorld, ATI, and Hurst, see our NCLEX prep course comparison, and for a closer look at Archer alone, Is Archer Review worth it?
Prices change often. Check each vendor before buying.
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