Is Mark Klimek Enough to Pass the NCLEX in 2026?
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Short answer: Mark Klimek is one of the best content reviews out there, and for a lot of students it is the thing that finally makes the hard topics click. But "enough to pass on its own"? That depends on one thing most people skip, and it is the reason strong students still fail.
Let's walk through it honestly, so you can build a plan you actually trust.
Why students love Klimek
The Klimek lectures earned their reputation. Here is what they genuinely do well:
- Rules you can use under pressure. Klimek is known for clean decision rules, the "always this, never that" logic that turns a panicky select-all into a fast call.
- The scary topics, made simple. Acid-base, endocrine, psych, and prioritization are where students bleed points. The lectures hit those the hardest.
- Memory that sticks. The style is built for recall on test day, not just understanding in the moment.
If your problem is "I don't understand the content well enough," Klimek is a fantastic fix. That is real, and we are not going to talk you out of it.
Where Klimek leaves a gap
Now the honest part. The lectures are a content review. Passing the NCLEX in 2026 takes three things, and content is only the first:
- Content mastery. Klimek covers this well.
- A large volume of practice questions with rationales. This is how you convert knowing into answering. Klimek is not a question bank.
- Practice in the Next Gen (NGN) format. The exam changed on April 1, 2023. It now uses case studies, bow-tie, matrix, and other item types built around the Clinical Judgment Measurement Model, with partial-credit scoring (source: NCSBN). Older Klimek material does not train you for that wrapper.
This is not a knock on Klimek. It is just what a lecture series is and is not. The students who fail after "doing Klimek" almost always did the lectures and skipped the questions. They knew the content and still could not perform under the new format.
The numbers back this up
The 2025 NCLEX-RN pass rate dropped to about 69.1% overall, down from 73.3% the year before, according to NCSBN data. First-time U.S.-educated grads did far better at roughly 87.1%, but repeat candidates passed at only about 53.1% (NCSBN via Nurse.org).
Read that gap again. The students who go in with content plus real question practice plus NGN reps are the first-time group clearing 87%. The ones who go in underprepared on format and application land in the group that struggles. Content alone is not what separates them.
What "enough" actually looks like
So build the whole system, not just one piece:
- Content review to master the topics (Klimek does this).
- 1,500 to 3,000 practice questions, reading every rationale, to turn content into correct answers.
- NGN-format practice so case studies and bow-ties feel routine, not shocking.
- A study schedule so you cover everything instead of over-studying your favorite topics.
You can absolutely assemble that yourself from five different tools, three YouTube playlists, and a stack of PDFs. Plenty of students do. It just costs you time, money, and the mental energy of stitching it together while you are already stressed.
Two ways we can help
If you want the Klimek-style review, updated for 2026: our Mark's 2026 NCLEX Review Mega Bundle gives you the high-yield video lectures and matching PDF guides in one clean package, current for the Next Gen exam. It is the content engine, done right, for $79.
If you want the entire system in one place: our NCLEX FastTrack All-in-One Bundle is built for exactly this problem. Video lectures, the full PDF study-guide library, and a 3,000-question NGN-ready bank with rationales, all organized into a plan so you stop piecing prep together from scattered apps. It is everything above for $169, which is less than most single review courses charge.
Either way, you are covered by our Pass Guarantee: if you do not pass, we send you the next edition free.
So, is Klimek enough?
For content, close. For passing, only if you add real question practice and NGN reps on top. Do the lectures, then prove every rule with questions in the current format, and you walk in like the 87% instead of hoping to be.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mark Klimek a full NCLEX prep course?
No. It is a content review. It is excellent at teaching topics and test-day rules, but it is not a question bank or a full study plan. Pair it with practice questions in NGN format.
Can you pass the NCLEX with just Klimek?
Some students do, especially strong first-time test-takers. Most people pass more reliably when they combine a content review like Klimek with 1,500-plus practice questions and NGN-format reps.
Is Klimek updated for the Next Gen NCLEX?
The classic lectures predate the 2023 NGN change. Make sure whatever version you use includes NGN-format practice, or add it separately.
What should I pair with Klimek?
A large question bank with rationales and NGN case-study practice. Our FastTrack bundle packages the review, the questions, and the plan together.
You've got this. Master the content, then put it to work on real questions, and "enough" stops being a guess.
Nurse June, BSN, RN
Founder, Your Nursing Space
