ATI testing

mzjones6 · Nov 9, 2007

My school just switched from the Hesi to the ATI this year, they're testing it out on my program (Accelerated-ASN) to see how they're going to do in the future.

We had 2 ATI practice exams for Pharm and they weren't counted toward our grade. They're doing the same thing with our Fundamentals, we're taking 2 practice exams during the class, and then we're taking a final ATI exam, that counts 5% of our total grade. We were given ATI books to help us study for the exams and it goes over all the topics that are covered on the test. In terms of our Pharm class there were questions to topics that we never covered in class. You should be given some kind of book specifically about the ATI exam, and that should help with the exam. I personally never found the time to study from their book because I was too busy studying for my class.

Its sort of like an NCLEX type exam. Some questions are simple recall, some are application, others are math, so I think its roughly designed to be like the NCLEX.

boynursingmom · Nov 9, 2007

I'm in the same boat you are. It seem like one more thing to worry about. I don't know anyone who has had this requirement in their program. Who has time for this?

justme1972 · Nov 9, 2007

We don't do ATI testing in the first semester but start in the 2nd semester.

We were given two books and a CD for our first semester and one of our classmates ran into an issue with the material.

On one of our exams, a student MISSED the question b/c she remembered something from the ATI books and changed her answer...when she discovered she missed the question she looked it up and realized that her ATI book was right....however, our TEXTBOOK gave information that was different and the instructor did not give her points back.

My issue? If the school is going to push ATI, then they need to stand behind what they teach.

To me it is 100% unreasonable for a student to be able to separate ATI books, textbooks and lecture notes in their heads for exams...if a student can find the answer in the materials given, then the students should be awarded the points back.

That is when I stopped reading the ATI books.

shock-me-sane · Nov 9, 2007

I take ATI every quarter. Currently in the beginning of my last (3rd) year. I have always been able to do well on ATI. I am a B+/A- student in nursing. I have found the BEST thing to do is actually taking the online practice tests and reviewing the ATI book. I try to keep ATI and my lecture tests somewhat separate. ATI likes a lot more med questions than I typically have in lecture.

Good luck!

sbg23 · Nov 9, 2007

I have to take ATI testing as well. And it is also during finals week. I think this is really stupid. I'm not sure if it counts toward our final grade, but it is still something that will make that week much worse. I am not looking forward to it at all, but hey, maybe it won't be that bad.