Best NCLEX Flashcard Apps – Free and Paid

Editor’s Choice

Nursing.com NCLEX

• Free Trial
• Pre-made Decks & Full Video Lessons
• Money Back Guarantee

• Free Trial
• Pre-made Decks & Full Video Lessons
• Money Back Guarantee

Our Score

9.6

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See our full review process

Pros

• Wide variety of pre-made decks and full mobile access
• Pharmacology and clinical bundles are especially strong
• Adaptive SIMCLEX exam: their practice test engine adapts difficulty and mimics the NCLEX algorithm
• Smart analytics track weak areas and test readiness
• Integrated with full NCLEX prep course (videos, SIMCLEX, QBank)
• Custom flashcard generator allows instant creation from any term

Cons

• Flashcards are only available as part of the full Nursing.com subscription – no standalone option.
• Can feel overwhelming at first due to the volume of decks and features.

Editor’s Choice

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Best NCLEX flashcard apps (paid)

First, let’s check out our top picks for the best NCLEX flashcard apps if you’re willing to pay for a high-quality option. We tested all the major NCLEX programs by reviewing the volume of flashcards, evaluating their usability, and checking their alignment with the NCSBN blueprint. Our favorite picks include:

• Nursing.com
• Kaplan
• UWorld
• Picmonic

At the top of our list is Nursing.com, whose wide variety of pre-made decks and mobile access make review effortless. Their pharmacology and clinical bundles are super helpful in getting extra practice with tough material, or you can generate your own flashcards instantly by simply entering in a term you want to review. Best of all, the flashcards are integrated into the full course, which means you’re also getting high-quality video lessons, plus their signature SIMCLEX that simulates the actual NCLEX test experience.

Next up is UWorld, which lets you easily import questions from the QBank to create fully customizable decks based on your learning needs. Their flashcards are limited to full course users, and they have a restricted interface compared to competitors. Still, they’re overall a great option, as their spaced repetition technology makes it easy to retain huge amounts of information quickly.

We also have a few honorable mentions for paid NCLEX flashcards. Simple Nursing provides over 900 colorful study guides, and if you prefer hands-on study materials, you should check out Nurse Plus Academy’s printable PDFs. Bootcamp’s cheat sheets have a beautiful layout and come with tons of charts and labeled pictures, which make it easy to see the relationships between data sets. Kaplan also offers a pharmaceutical pack that covers 300 drugs and much more.

Kaplan – more than just flashcards

We already cover many of Kaplan’s products elsewhere on our site. In fact, you can check out our detailed Kaplan NCLEX review and our full UWorld vs Kaplan NCLEX comparison. The reason we keep coming back to Kaplan is simple: they’re one of the best NCLEX prep providers out there. While this page is focused on flashcards, Kaplan really shines when you look at the bigger picture.

Beyond just decks of flashcards, Kaplan offers a full NCLEX prep package that covers everything, including a massive Qbank that feels close to the real test, live classes with expert instructors, the NCLEX Channel for 24/7 help, and their adaptive CAT exams that mirror the actual exam experience. If you’re after structure, accountability and tech-forward study tools, Kaplan delivers on all fronts. In our considered opinion, they train you to think like the NCLEX!

Picmonic is less NCLEX focused

Picmonic uses visual-style flashcard decks. While it’s less NCLEX-focused than Nursing.com, it can still be a decent option for visual learners when used as a supplement. For serious NCLEX prep, though, it’s best paired with a program that offers more exam-style practice.

Looking for NCLEX books? Read our guide to the best NCLEX review books

Best free NCLEX flashcards

Now, we’ll turn to the best NCLEX flashcards you can get for free. We’ve spent time working with several free flashcard options to see which ones offer the most flashcards and are best aligned with the NCSBN blueprint, while also considering ease of use. We know free options in general can be super restrictive compared to the paid options, but we wanted to cover them anyway.

Our top three picks are:

• Quizlet

• Anki

• NCLEX RN Mastery 

First, Quizlet provides easy access to thousands of user-made NCLEX decks available for free. Some of these decks are better than others, since anyone can log on and publish a deck, without any quality checks. On the plus side, Quizlet does offer spaced repetition, and they’re decent for quick daily drills.

Similarly, Anki uses a great spaced repetition algorithm to make learning intuitive. This option is best for advanced users, since it requires building or importing your decks manually. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as the process of building a flashcard deck gives you an extra round of review. While this extra work may frustrate those who just want to jump into drilling right away, Anki is a good option for independent learners who want a fully customizable NCLEX flashcard tool.

Finally, the lite version of NCLEX RN Mastery includes some flashcard access for free. We like NCLEX RN Mastery for its usability and its clinical-style content, but do be aware that there’s a big in-app push for upgrades that can be a little annoying if you’re just wanting to use the free version.

Why we recommend Nursing.com for NCLEX flashcards

If you’re looking for a top nursing flashcard program, Nursing.com is our number one recommendation. They include spaced-repetition flashcards in all paid plans, helping you both break down complex topics and drill information you’ve already covered.

Built by NCSBN-aligned nurses, Nursing.com follows clinical priority frameworks and includes great visual explanations with the 6,500+ questions in their QBank. Their smart analytics track user retention and test performance so you can focus on areas where you need the most review. If you’re looking for great pharmacology flashcards, you simply can’t get better than Nursing.com. We think they are just the best ‘all round’ choice compared to all other providers.

How to use flashcards efficiently for NCLEX

To get the most out of NCLEX flashcard apps, we recommend keeping a daily rotation of flashcard decks tagged by subject. Flashcards are all about giving yourself an opportunity to quickly review concepts and terms you’ve previously studied in-depth. For best results, keep your learning fresh by running through about 30 to 50 flashcards per day. 

Focus on weak areas flagged in practice tests, and make note of any concepts you’re consistently missing. To get the most bang for your buck, reinforce any concepts you’re struggling with by pairing NCLEX flashcards with a full course like Nursing.com, which offers over 200 high-quality, bite-sized video lessons to make learning easy. 

Final verdict

NCLEX flashcards are ideal as a learning supplement but not as a standalone prep tool. Everybody needs to drill terms, but you don’t want to neglect other vital aspects of studying, like breaking down complex concepts and taking practice tests and simulations.

We know that free flashcard tools are certainly tempting – but – and it IS a BIG but – they just don’t provide in-depth review, video instruction, practice questions, or practice exams. After examining all NCLEX prep courses for 2025, we recommend using Nursing.com flashcards within their full NCLEX prep course. In addition to premade flashcard decks sorted by topic, you’ll get access to video lessons, an extensive question bank, and a realistic simulation of the actual test experience.