Hurst Review vs Kaplan:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Hurst Review had more branded searches than Kaplan among NCLEX prep courses in the United States. Hurst Review had about 3,600 branded searches, while Kaplan had 1,900. Hurst Review made up 3.4% of all NCLEX prep course searches we track, and Kaplan accounted for 1.8%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about NCLEX prep courses, Kaplan appeared in three of the five answers and Hurst Review in two. Kaplan was mentioned before Hurst Review in two out of three answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Hurst Review, about 89% more searches than Kaplan
Who does AI mention more?
Kaplan, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Hurst Review in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Kaplan, named ahead of Hurst Review in 2 of 3 answers
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Top NCLEX prep courses in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Kaplan was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Hurst Review was mentioned in two out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in both Google AI Overviews. Kaplan was listed before Hurst Review in two out of three answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Archer Review5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
UWorld5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Kaplan3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Simple Nursing2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Hurst Review2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
ATI1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Level Up RN0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
NURSING.com0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
NurseAchieve0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about NCLEX prep courses
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best NCLEX prep course?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which NCLEX question bank should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“How should I study for the NCLEX in a month?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“nclex prep”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“nclex review course”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 28, 2026.
Is Hurst Review or Kaplan more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Hurst Review and Kaplan by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine NCLEX prep course brands we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Hurst Review, Kaplan. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Simple Nursing | Archer Review | Level Up RN | UWorld | Hurst Review | NURSING.com | NurseAchieve | Kaplan | ATI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 49.2% | 21.9% | 9.8% | 6.6% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 2% | 1.5% | 0.26% |
| Nov 2025 | 47.1% | 23.5% | 9.4% | 7.7% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.3% |
| Dec 2025 | 35.3% | 29.9% | 8.6% | 10.6% | 5.8% | 5.8% | 2% | 1.7% | 0.42% |
| Jan 2026 | 35.3% | 29.9% | 8.6% | 10.5% | 7.1% | 5.7% | 0.87% | 1.7% | 0.42% |
| Feb 2026 | 50.8% | 20.7% | 10.2% | 6.8% | 3.7% | 4.5% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 0.33% |
| Mar 2026 | 46.4% | 23.1% | 9.3% | 7.6% | 4.1% | 6.2% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 0.37% |
| Apr 2026 | 45% | 22.5% | 9% | 9% | 4.9% | 6% | 1.5% | 1.7% | 0.35% |
| May 2026 | 33.7% | 32.6% | 6.7% | 12.3% | 6.7% | 4.5% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 0.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 32.7% | 33.9% | 6.5% | 11.9% | 6.5% | 4.3% | 0.87% | 2.9% | 0.39% |
| Jul 2026 | 38.8% | 29% | 7.7% | 11.6% | 5.2% | 4.2% | 0.84% | 2.2% | 0.46% |
| Aug 2026 | 37.3% | 27.8% | 11.2% | 11.2% | 5% | 4.1% | 0.99% | 2.1% | 0.36% |
| Sep 2026 | 46.8% | 23.3% | 9.4% | 9.4% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 2.3% | 1.8% | 0.3% |
How has the Hurst Review and Kaplan comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Hurst Review was ahead of Kaplan in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hurst Review’s share of searches among NCLEX prep courses in the United States moved from 4.4% to 3.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 5.4K to 3.6K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kaplan’s share of searches among NCLEX prep courses in the United States moved from 1.5% to 1.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.9K.
How did search popularity change for United States NCLEX prep courses in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, NurseAchieve overtook Kaplan to rank 7th among NCLEX prep courses in the United States, with 2.3% of the searches.
In September 2026, Hurst Review lost share of searches among NCLEX prep courses in the United States, from 5% to 3.4%.
Kaplan’s share of searches among NCLEX prep courses in the United States has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 2.9% to 1.8% in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Hurst Review’s and Kaplan’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Hurst Review
1 branded search term
- hurst review
Kaplan
1 branded search term
- kaplan nclex
Other head-to-heads among NCLEX prep courses
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