How to Pass the NCLEX: Best Study Books and a Proven Plan

Nursing school is demanding, and the NCLEX at the end is its own challenge — it tests how you think, not just what you memorised. With the right books and a steady plan, you can walk in confident. Here's how.

Master med-surg first

Medical-surgical nursing is the backbone of the NCLEX. Two trusted texts dominate: Brunner & Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing and Lewis's Medical-Surgical Nursing. Either gives you the pathophysiology-to-care foundation that most exam questions are built on.

Keep a fast clinical reference

For quick lookups during clinicals and review, Davis's Diseases and Disorders: A Nursing Therapeutics Manual puts more than 240 conditions — with signs, symptoms and nursing interventions — at your fingertips.

Train for the test itself

The NCLEX rewards practice and strategy. Kaplan's NCLEX-PN Prep Plus drills critical-thinking question styles with full rationales, while Nursing School Cheat Sheets: 50 Tips for Making the Grade gives you a focused, no-nonsense study plan.

A plan that builds confidence

• Learn the content from a med-surg text, system by system.
• Practice questions daily — and always read the rationale, even when you're right.
• Review your misses using a quick clinical reference so weak spots close fast.
• Simulate the exam with timed blocks in the final weeks.

Keep your books digital and you can study on every commute and break. Explore the full nursing collection at Novabooks.

Every title on Novabooks is a digital download — instant access in PDF & ePub, readable on any device, with no shipping and lifetime access.