ATI Testing is BS!

browneyedgirl71 · Dec 8, 2006

I think ATI is a waste of time. In no way do I feel that it really gages your knowledge! We have to take them at our school and they use them to determine if you will be successful at passing the NCLEX...whatever!

RN BSN 2009 · Dec 8, 2006

Our ATI testing things are just used to determine areas in need of improvement.

BoonersmomRN · Dec 8, 2006

So far my experience with ATI has been pretty bad.

Our Fundmaentals ATI was a joke it was so easy. I scored 99% percentile.

Our Med/Surg 1 ATI was only on Endocrine..and 1/2 the questions were on pancreatitis which we never even covered. I somehow managed to score in the 99th percentile again.

Our Psych ATI was ridicuously hard....because 1/2 the information we were "taught" differently than what ATI was asking for...and we never covered children/adolescents...and a large bulk of the test was on that. We were warned that 3/4 of the class would fail the ATI because we had our final and then had 2 days to " unlearn" what we were taught in class and " re-learn" it the ATI way- which is utter BS.

3/4 did fail. I somehow managed to score in the 92nd percentile...by taking some pretty random guesses lol.

We are supposed to "pass" by the 65th percentile or else you have to keep retaking it until you can pass by the 90th.

The instructors tell us they hate it- yet the dang school keeps using it.

Oh and by the way- the disc ATI gave us for Psych was USELESS...it was some broad sitting at a desk lecturing. Zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Lucious P · Dec 9, 2006

I have to take the ATI again I took it the first time and made a 37 percentile and then the 2nd time I took it I made a 33 percentile so the next time that I Have to take it I have to pay for it and plus make a 50 percentile. so can I please get some help on how to study for it. I have done the remedial work and plus took the non-proctored tests I do not know what to do because I want to get my diploma.....but if I do not pass it I do not get my diploma which does not make any since because I have passed nursing school.....PLEASE HELP ME.......

BoonersmomRN · Dec 9, 2006

Lucious what ATI are you taking ( what material is it covering).

I guess my best advice would be to get the ATI book on whatever information you are covering and learn it their way. If you have already done that...does your school give you out a code for a practice ATI non-proctored exam you can practice at home?

Jme2007 · Dec 9, 2006

Yeah, our school uses these tests like crazy. We take them at our college and have to get into the 60 national percentile and if we dont, we take them at home non-proctored and have to get a 90% or above. They keep telling us that a proctored score of 60% and above gives you a 98% passing of the NCLEX. They say we only get 3 times to pass these ATI's but no one has ever been kicked out of our program from ATI failure -- that I know of.

Lucious P · Dec 9, 2006

BoonersMom I am studying the material that they had given us to study and I even to the non-proctored ones that they give us the code to I do not know what my problem is.....I just need some help or advise from someone on what to do...so this time I am going to read the ati books, both med-surg 1 and 2 and the mental health....this time my score was 11 in mental health and last time it was 86 percentile so i do not understand what i am doing wrong.......see I am thinking that the way that they teach us how to take test is not the way that ATI does their tests....Please Help...

kgkarma · Dec 13, 2006

Why is it that I can make A's and B's on all of my unit exams but then at the end of the semester I have to take an ATI Fundamentals test on the same material and then I fail? Not to mention the fact that I have to go to a testing center where people are walking around, talking, and slamming doors? Also I have to pass this test or the whole semester is wasted! I only get one more chance to take it. I feel sick. :barf01: :angryfire

I took the ATI test and there is no way I should have passed but I watched the clock and made sure I didn't leave anything blank. When it got down to 3 minutes I marked everything with a 'C'. I don't know if it helped or not but I passed it.

Achoo!, LPN · Dec 13, 2006

Are you looking at the right scores?

I scored 75% on OB\Peds, but that ranked me in the 90th % of all the students that took it. It is a nationwide exam. Some of the info you may not even be taught. Look at your national rank instead of the score. That will give you a better idea on how you did.

BonnieSc · Dec 13, 2006

I really recommend the DVDs; I think they help you understand the ATI way of thinking, especially the mental health one. Some of the questions are practically taken word for word from the DVD.

Every question, stop and ask yourself WHAT ARE THEY REALLY ASKING HERE? Is there any "hidden" text? Is something different emphasized from what you would expect?

woody436 · Dec 13, 2006

ATI's are nothing more than "gates". Much like intermediate algebra in college is a "weed-out" course. It keeps people from progressing. ATI is supposedly an indication on how well one will do on the NCLEX. I'm not sure if that's a good way to test or not. But I will say this, Medical Students have to take the USMLE Stage I at the end of their 2 years of didactic education prior to going into clinicals. If one fails, one does not continue...no matter what their GPA is. They must also take the USMLE Stage II at the end of clinicals or guess what...they don't graduate, no matter what their GPA is.

I agree with some form of national testing to keep advancing in the program. After all, the NCLEX is the same test everyone in the country takes regardless of what school one attends or what state one will practice. Obviously something works, there are people that pass the exam afterall.

sellen1972 · Jan 23, 2008

I just posted asking about ATI and here I find the answers I was looking for - like 'em or not. Our tuition covers the ATI materials. I tend to do very well on them and hope the Boards are similar. But like someone else said, it's hard to find the time to study from those when it's all I can do sometimes to get my assigned reading done.

Sellen1972