Cheapest NCLEX question bank: what $49 to $229 actually buys
Of the major NCLEX-RN banks we checked on 27 October 2026, RN Compass is the cheapest at $49 for 90 days. Bootcamp is next at $59 for one month, then Archer at $79 for one month or $129 for three months; UWorld lists $139 for 30 days and $229 for 90 days. The bigger banks give you more questions and more readiness tools for the extra money, so the useful question is how much bank you need for the weeks you have left.
RN Compass publishes this guide and sells one of the options below. Prices are taken from each provider's own page on 27 October 2026, in US dollars, before any tax, regional pricing or promotion at checkout.
Listed prices by access period
| Plan | Price | Access | Works out to roughly, per month of access |
|---|---|---|---|
| RN Compass | $49 | 90 days, one payment | $16 |
| Bootcamp | $59 | 1 month | $59 |
| Archer Q-Bank + CAT | $79 / $129 | 1 month / 3 months | $79 / $43 |
| UWorld NCLEX-RN | $139 / $229 | 30 days / 90 days | $139 / $76 |
The monthly figure is just the listed price divided by the access period. Check each provider's renewal and extension prices separately, because those are often different from a first purchase.
When paying more makes sense
- UWorld is the widely used reference bank with detailed rationales. If you can afford the 90-day plan and want what most of your cohort is using, it is a reasonable spend.
- Archer's three-month plan is the middle ground: 3,100+ questions with CAT and readiness assessments for $129.
- Bootcamp is good value if your exam is within a month. $59 covers 2,800+ questions, 50 cases and four CAT readiness exams.
Where RN Compass saves you money, and where it doesn't
RN Compass costs $49 once for 90 days, with no monthly renewal. You get 1260 questions including NGN-style cases, an explanation for every option, an adaptive readiness assessment of 85 to 150 items, illustrated study notes and flashcards made from the questions you miss.
The trade-off is size. Archer, Bootcamp and Kaplan each list 2,200 or more questions. If you want maximum volume, one of them is the better buy. If you want a full study period on a tight budget and prefer to work carefully through each rationale, RN Compass covers that for less than any single month elsewhere in this table.
Questions are written and reviewed with per-option explanations. Questions reviewed by Jo-Fan Pan, RN, PhD, medical school faculty.
Try the free 30-question check first (no account or email), then decide on full access for $49 / 90 days. Gumroad handles a 7-day refund.
Costs that are easy to miss
- Renewals. A one-month plan bought three times can cost more than a three-month plan.
- Discounted first months. Compare the full term you will actually need, not an introductory price.
- Instalments. Do not compare a monthly instalment with another provider's full price.
- Features you won't use. Videos and live classes are worth paying for only if you will watch them.
FAQ
What is the cheapest NCLEX question bank?
Among the plans compared here, RN Compass at $49 for 90 days. This covers named plans checked on 27 October 2026, not every promotion available.
Is a cheap question bank enough to pass?
No question bank can promise a result. What matters is whether you finish it, understand why each wrong option is wrong, and go back over the topics you keep missing.
Are these prices permanent?
Not necessarily. Several are labelled as displayed offers. Refresh the provider's page and checkout before buying.
Can I try RN Compass before paying?
Yes. The 30-question check is free, needs no account, and the report is shown without asking for an email address.