Key takeaways
- Archer's base NCLEX-RN Q-Bank + CAT package costs $79 for 1 month, $99 for 2, $129 for 3, and $149 for 6 (Archer plans (opens in a new tab)).
- Adding review videos raises Archer's price to $99 to $179; Sure PASS costs $159 to $209, and Intense PREP costs $399 for 3 months or $599 for 6 (Archer plans (opens in a new tab)).
- Archer sells 22 nursing school courses separately from its NCLEX-RN Q-Bank: $20 per course for 180 days from activation, or $299 for all 22 with 5,700+ questions (Archer nursing school (opens in a new tab)).
- MagstoneRN costs $19.99 a month or $199.99 a year, with every nursing school subject and clinical reference tool included in the same plan (subscription terms, MagstoneRN features).
- Every Archer NCLEX-RN package includes CAT practice tests and 30+ readiness assessments with pass prediction (Archer plans (opens in a new tab)). MagstoneRN has an adaptive practice exam but no readiness assessments.
Archer Review pricing by access window vs MagstoneRN
Bottom line
Through nursing school, use MagstoneRN at $199.99 a year for flashcards, practice questions, lessons, and clinical tools across all its subjects. Archer's $20 courses cost less, even six over a school year ($120), if video lessons and questions for the classes you're taking are all you want. In the final month before your exam, add Archer's 1-month Q-Bank + CAT ($79) if you want readiness assessments with pass prediction. See the MagstoneRN plans and trial terms.
| Access you need | MagstoneRN, its cheapest way to pay | Archer Q-Bank + CAT | Archer Q-Bank + CAT + Videos | Archer Sure PASS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | $19.99 (one monthly payment) | $79 | $99 | $159 |
| 2 months | $39.98 (2 monthly payments) | $99 | $109 | $169 |
| 3 months | $59.97 (3 monthly payments) | $129 | $139 | $189 |
| 6 months | $109.99 (one six-month payment) | $149 | $179 | $209 |
| 12 months | $199.99 (one annual payment) | No 12-month plan listed | No 12-month plan listed | No 12-month plan listed |
Archer also sells Intense PREP in 3-month ($399) and 6-month ($599) windows, and displays crossed-out regular prices of $119, $159, and $179 beside its 2-, 3-, and 6-month Q-Bank + CAT plans (Archer plans (opens in a new tab)). All four Archer NCLEX-RN tiers include CAT tests and 30+ readiness assessments; MagstoneRN has an adaptive practice exam but no readiness assessments, and its plans include a 5-day trial on monthly and annual billing with a payment method required (subscription terms).
What each Archer NCLEX-RN package includes, and what Sure PASS requires
Archer splits its NCLEX-RN prep into four packages (Archer plans (opens in a new tab)):
- Q-Bank + CAT ($79 to $149 for 1 to 6 months): a 3,100+ question bank that Archer calls a Next Generation NCLEX (NGN) Q-Bank with standalone and unfolding case studies, computerized adaptive (CAT) practice exams, and 30+ readiness assessments with pass prediction.
- Q-Bank + CAT + Videos ($99 to $179 for 1 to 6 months): adds on-demand review videos to the Q-Bank and CAT assessments.
- Sure PASS ($159 to $209 for 1 to 6 months): adds a 3-day live NCLEX review, live case studies, and a conditional pass guarantee, plus a free exit exam on the 3- and 6-month plans.
- Intense PREP ($399 for 3 months or $599 for 6 months): adds tutor support, flashcards among its listed learning activities, and a 600-question booster on a page that also lists 1,100+ NGN questions (Archer Intense PREP (opens in a new tab)).
Archer notes that its readiness assessments run for as many unused Q-Bank questions as remain in your account, and sells a reset after those questions are used; it also sells renewals if you need to extend an expiring window, without listing renewal prices on its main NCLEX-RN page (Archer plans (opens in a new tab)).
Before paying extra for Sure PASS or Intense PREP solely for the guarantee, read the eligibility rules in Archer's terms: you must be a first-time Archer Q-Bank user, complete at least 80% of the Q-Bank using its 6- or 12-week study plan, attend at least 80% of the 3-day live review, and score high or very high on four or more consecutive readiness assessments before your exam (Archer terms (opens in a new tab)). Archer's plans page advertises a 98.98% pass rate with a footnote requiring four consecutive high or very high readiness scores, while fine print on the same page puts the figure at 99% from self-reported outcomes of users who completed all Sure PASS program requirements (Archer plans (opens in a new tab)).
MagstoneRN does not publish a pass rate. Its NCLEX pass guarantee requires at least 90 days of paid access from magstonern.com before the exam and the official result within 60 days of receiving it, and it gives free access until you pass rather than a refund (MagstoneRN pass guarantee terms).
Archer sells nursing school courses separately; MagstoneRN puts all subjects in one plan
Archer's NCLEX-RN Q-Bank and its nursing school catalog are separate purchases. On its nursing school page, Archer sells 22 individual subject courses at $20 each, valid for 180 days from activation, or all 22 courses together for $299 with video lessons and 5,700+ total questions across the courses that include practice items (Archer nursing school (opens in a new tab)). Dose math is one of those separate $20 courses, listed with 25 videos and 153 practice questions (Archer nursing school (opens in a new tab)).
If you only want video lessons and questions for one or two classes in a single term, one or two Archer courses ($20 or $40) cost less than MagstoneRN over that semester. If you study across pharmacology, med-surg, maternal-newborn, pediatrics, mental health, and critical care over a school year, six Archer courses come to $120 at listed single-course prices before multi-course discounts, and each expires 180 days after activation (Archer nursing school (opens in a new tab)). MagstoneRN includes all of its subjects in every plan at $199.99 for a full year (MagstoneRN curriculum).
Flashcards, clinical references, 3D anatomy, and browser simulations
| Study tool | Archer Review (Q-Bank + CAT) | MagstoneRN |
|---|---|---|
| Ready-made flashcards | Not listed for Q-Bank + CAT; listed among Intense PREP learning activities | 5,000+ cards in 130+ decks with scheduled review, plus cards from your own notes |
| Practice questions and NGN | 3,100+ NCLEX-RN Q-Bank questions with case studies (Intense PREP page lists 1,100+ NGN questions), plus 5,700+ across 22 separate nursing school courses | 4,000+ practice questions across nursing school subjects and NCLEX prep (including 220+ in 38 unfolding case studies), plus 220 Bowtie, Matrix, trend, and ordered-sequence items |
| Adaptive tests and readiness scores | Included, with 30+ readiness assessments | One NCLEX-style adaptive practice exam (85 to 150 questions) and timed exams of 30, 85, or 150 questions; no readiness or pass-prediction score |
| Dose math, drugs, and labs | Separate $20 dosage course; drug and lab handbooks not listed on Q-Bank plans | Dose calculators with worked steps, 54 calculation exercises, 100+ drug monographs, and 79 lab entries |
| 3D anatomy and simulations | Not listed on NCLEX-RN or nursing school plan pages | Whole-body and organ 3D models with 120+ landmark cards, plus six browser-based 3D patient simulations |
| Your own lecture files | Not listed | Upload lecture slides, PDFs, or notes to make private flashcards, practice questions, or a podcast ($5.00 monthly AI credit on paid plans and eligible school access; smaller one-time trial balance) |
Two scope limits matter when comparing these tools. First, the MagstoneRN app has drop-down and highlight NGN questions only in its adaptive practice exam, and its ordered-sequence items aren't the NGN drag-and-drop item type (MagstoneRN NGN guide). Second, MagstoneRN's six virtual patient simulations run in the web browser using authored care branches rather than a live physiology model (MagstoneRN features). For quick pre-clinical lookups without an account, you can also use MagstoneRN's public drug study guides, normal lab values for nursing students and clinical tools overview. Sources: Archer plans (opens in a new tab), Archer Intense PREP (opens in a new tab), Archer nursing school (opens in a new tab), 3D anatomy atlas and subscription terms.
Combining MagstoneRN for school with 1 month of Archer CAT prep costs $428.99 over two years
Many nursing students use a multi-subject study app during semesters and add a short CAT question bank right before the NCLEX. MagstoneRN lifetime ($349.99) from your first nursing class plus Archer's 1-month Q-Bank + CAT ($79) in your final month totals $428.99 (Archer plans (opens in a new tab)). Buying all 22 Archer nursing school courses ($299, each valid 180 days from activation) plus that same Archer month comes to $378 (Archer nursing school (opens in a new tab)). By comparison, UWorld's 30-day NCLEX-RN window is $139 on sale and its 730-day plan is $449 (UWorld plans (opens in a new tab)); see Archer vs UWorld vs MagstoneRN for the head-to-head breakdown.
The subscription terms define what lifetime access covers. Website purchases, lifetime included, are non-refundable except where the law requires otherwise.
MagstoneRN plans and trial terms
| Plan | Price | Billing |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly plan | $19.99/month | 5-day trial for first-time subscribers; payment method required. Renews monthly. |
| Six-month plan | $109.99/6 months | No free trial. Renews every 6 months. |
| Annual plan | $199.99/year | 5-day trial for first-time subscribers; payment method required. Renews annually. |
| Lifetime access | $349.99 one time | One payment; no trial or renewal. |
For monthly and annual plans, cancel before the trial ends to avoid the first charge. Cancel anytime online. See subscription terms and billing help.