Who Is Mark Klimek and Does He Still Teach in 2026?
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If you have been in a single NCLEX study group, someone has told you to "just do Klimek." Then you go looking and find a name attached to grainy audio files from a decade ago, and reasonably ask: who is this guy, and is he even still teaching?
Here are the straight answers.
Who is Mark Klimek?
Mark Klimek is a nurse educator whose NCLEX review seminars became a word-of-mouth institution among nursing students. He built a 12-lecture sequence that covers the topics students lose the most points on, taught through decision rules rather than memorisation.
He is not a publishing company or a test-prep brand with a marketing budget. The reputation spread the hard way: student to student, cohort to cohort, because the material worked.
Why the lectures became legendary
Three reasons, and they still apply:
- Rules, not facts. ROME for arterial blood gases. The never-ever rules. Assessment before intervention. Delegation logic. These are things you can execute in eight seconds on question 87 when your brain is fried.
- He targets where students bleed points. Acid-base, endocrine, psych, prioritization and delegation are the categories that sink otherwise-strong test-takers. That is where the lectures spend their time.
- The delivery sticks. Blunt, memorable, occasionally funny. Students quote him years later. That is not an accident, it is designed for recall under stress.
Does Mark Klimek still teach?
The honest answer: live seminar availability has become inconsistent and regional. Sessions are scheduled through various nursing-school and regional hosts rather than a single national calendar, so availability depends heavily on where you are and what year it is. Many students searching today find no seminar within reach and end up using recorded material instead.
What has not changed is that the method is what people actually want. Nobody needs to be in a specific room. They need the 12-topic sequence, the rules, and the notes that go with them.
Does the material still hold up for 2026?
Mostly yes, with one real caveat.
What holds up: the clinical reasoning. Acid-base interpretation, prioritization hierarchy, delegation boundaries and the never-ever rules are not going anywhere. Those are core nursing judgement, and the Next Generation NCLEX arguably tests them harder than the old format did.
What does not: the question style. Since April 1, 2023 the NCLEX has used case studies, bow-tie and matrix items scored with partial credit (NCSBN). Older recordings do not train you for that wrapper, because it did not exist when they were made.
So the content is still excellent and the format practice has to come from somewhere else. That is the whole picture.
The 2026 NCLEX Review Mega Bundle delivers the full 12-lecture sequence and the matching PDF study guides, current for the 2026 test plan, for $79. Instant access.
The 12 lectures at a glance
| Lecture | Core topics |
|---|---|
| 1 | Acid-base balance, ABGs, ventilators |
| 2 | Alcohol, withdrawal, aminoglycosides |
| 3 | Cardiac, infection control |
| 4 | Crutches, canes, walkers, psychosis |
| 5 | Diabetes, DKA, SIADH, diabetes insipidus |
| 6 | Drug toxicities, electrolytes |
| 7 | Thyroid, adrenal, laminectomy |
| 8 | Lab values, neutropenic precautions |
| 9 | Psychiatric medications |
| 10 | Maternity and newborn |
| 11 | Fetal monitoring, labour and delivery |
| 12 | Prioritization, delegation, assignment |
If you only have time for two, make them Lecture 1 and Lecture 12. Acid-base and prioritization show up everywhere.
The mistake most students make
They treat finishing the lectures as finishing their prep. Then they sit the exam and discover that knowing a rule and applying it inside an unfamiliar case study are two different skills.
Do the lectures. Then prove every rule on 1,500-plus practice questions with rationales, including current NGN item types. That combination is what separates first-time passers from repeat testers.
The NCLEX FastTrack All-in-One Bundle pairs the full lecture series and PDF library with a 3,000-question NGN-ready bank including bow-tie and case-study items, plus full rationales, organised into a day-by-day plan. $169, lifetime access, Pass Guarantee.
See what's inside FastTrack →Frequently asked questions
Does Mark Klimek still teach live reviews?
Live seminar availability is inconsistent and regional, scheduled through individual hosts rather than a single national calendar. Most students today use recorded lectures instead.
Is Mark Klimek still relevant for the 2026 NCLEX?
The clinical reasoning is as relevant as ever. The question style predates the 2023 NGN change, so pair the lectures with current-format practice questions.
How many Mark Klimek lectures are there?
Twelve, running roughly 10 to 12 hours in total, covering acid-base through prioritization and delegation.
Which Klimek lecture is the most important?
Lecture 1 (acid-base and ABGs) and Lecture 12 (prioritization and delegation). Those two concepts appear across the entire exam regardless of topic.
You've got this. The method is what matters, not the room it was taught in.
Nurse June, BSN, RN
Founder, Your Nursing Space
