ATI testing for LPN students

[Kimberly.Durst]

After graduating from college with a degree in a totally unrelated field in 2005, I decided to go back to school for nursing last year. As a single working mom, a local LPN program made the most sense; I'll do an LPN to RN program further down the road. Took the TEAS last March with a composite in the 95th percentile nationally, and thus far I've pushed through the year with all A's and B's. I'm in an accelerated program, meaning I'm in lecture, lab, or clinical 5 days/week all day (I work midnights, believe it or not), and I'm 2 weeks from graduating. We've had to take the ATI tests the past 3 weeks and have several more. I did well on Fundamentals and Med Surge, terrible on Pharm (I was utterly unprepared). I scored in the 99th for Fundamentals and 89th for Med Surge. Pharm was embarrassingly low.

How accurate are these tests as predictors in one's success in passing the NCLEX-PN?

[la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN]

They aren't. ATI is not the best in terms of quality or test-taking strategy. I had to basically de-brainwash myself from ATI before I took the NCLEX-RN. I used Saunders and Kaplan to prepare and I passed the 1st go around. I would not put any stock into what ATI says in terms of its predictor scores. They're very vague and finding the evidence to back up their bizarre scoring system is curiously difficult.

[Ilargia99, LVN, RN]

My program uses HESI instead of ATI. I'm not sure what the difference is between the two or how accurate they are. I did very well on fundamentals last semester (99th percentile as well) but I'm not sure how well I'm going to do on the OB or peds ones next week.

Congrats on finishing the program and good luck on the NCLEX! I'm just finishing up my second of three semesters :)

[CKAYTHOMAS]

Did you have a specific pharmacology course or was it spread out throughout the program? Regardless of accuracy focus on pharmacology prep. Don't stress, I have confidence that you will pass on your first attempt.