Excelsior College

savagetrojan · Jun 4, 2011

After applying to different brick and mortar schools and getting nowhere, I need some advice on how to get started with Excelsior. I've submitted my transcripts, payed the enrollment fee, and have my evaluation. I have to complete info lit, 7 nursing courses, FCCA and CPNE. Should I just work my way down the exam list? The information is a bit overwhelming and need some guidance on how to go about this. Thank you!

You will get different advice from different people. Excelsior will tell you the tests are designed to be taken in the order they are listed. I started with Health Safety and then Transitions because you can take those two before you pay the enrollment fee, but everyone is different. Since then I have gone down the list in order and will finish Life Span III some time within the next week. I have heard others save chronicity or transitions for last. Some will take what they think is harder first(or last) either to get it out of the way or save it until the end. The only real advice I would give you is to purchase the practice exams. Take part A before you pick up a book, look at each section of the practice exam to find your weak points and focus your studying on those areas. These courses will at first glance look like information overload but if you are already a LPN or EMT you have a lot of this knowledge already, that is why getting the practice exams are so important. AFTER you have studied your weak areas and skimmed over your strong areas THEN take part B of the exam. Most people report if they score in the HIGH 60s or better they do well on the actual exams BUT.... make sure you aren't very weak in one area because failing one area will have you failing the actual exam. I hope this helps and welcome to allnurses!

dslpninla · Jun 4, 2011

Thats exactly what i did. I have the fcca and cpne to do. Its been great too. This site is awesome and will help so much as well as the excelsior peer network (epn). Post ?s here or there and youll no doubt get your answer. Iused the saunders book for all the exams. I had originally done lisa arenda and sg101 notes but they felt all over the place and missed pieces. You are not alone in this and you can do it! Let me know if i can help in anyway... Oh and info lit can be done in less than a day. I hear a lot of ppl say to use penn foster too bc its cheaper and ec accepts it. GOOD LUCK!!

spreadlove · Jun 4, 2011

Thanks! I plan to purchase the practice exams I know they will be a great help. I think I'll just go down the list and start with transition/rn role exam. I'm waiting on books ordered in the mail and can't wait to get started next week. If I focus I would like to be done with everything by dec. I'll have to check out the saunders book you mentioned.

dslpninla · Jun 4, 2011

The saunders rn nclex book really laid it out well for me. It explained and ave rationales. Then there were quizzes at end of each section.... I swear i had a couple on the real tests!

savagetrojan · Jun 5, 2011

Thanks! I plan to purchase the practice exams I know they will be a great help. I think I'll just go down the list and start with transition/rn role exam. I'm waiting on books ordered in the mail and can't wait to get started next week. If I focus I would like to be done with everything by dec. I'll have to check out the saunders book you mentioned.

December is doable....challenging, but doable. When I first started on March 25th I thought one exam a month was a reasonable goal and projected a finish date of March 2012. Well, since that time I have revised my date and if I stay on course I will finish(including NCLEX) before Halloween!!! So, if I can do it in seven months...so can you! Just curious, but how is it you only have seven nursing theory exams? I thought they stopped waiving Health Differences for newer LPNs? Anyway, good luck on your journey and remember we are here to help each other.

Nervous1 · Jun 5, 2011

December is doable....challenging, but doable. When I first started on March 25th I thought one exam a month was a reasonable goal and projected a finish date of March 2012. Well, since that time I have revised my date and if I stay on course I will finish(including NCLEX) before Halloween!!! So, if I can do it in seven months...so can you! Just curious, but how is it you only have seven nursing theory exams? I thought they stopped waiving Health Differences for newer LPNs? Anyway, good luck on your journey and remember we are here to help each other.

It still shows on the degree chart that they are waiving Health Differences for newly licensed LPNS - as of a few days ago when I printed it. Planning on enrolling before July, that seems to be the month they enact any big changes. :)

spreadlove · Jun 5, 2011

I took most of my LPN classes at a community college and the wait to get into the rn bridge program is fall of next year. Too long of a wait for me. Fortunately, excelsior accepted all of the gen ed courses and waived one nursing exam.

savagetrojan · Jun 5, 2011

I took most of my LPN classes at a community college and the wait to get into the rn bridge program is fall of next year. Too long of a wait for me. Fortunately, excelsior accepted all of the gen ed courses and waived one nursing exam.

Good for you! That one wasn't hard anyway but it saves you $250. I wasn't exempt because I've been a LPN for 18 years and I still don't understand the logic to waiving the first exam for "newer" LPNs versus one who has been doing it most of their adult lives. Maybe they think the information is still fresh in their minds or they haven't had enough time to get into bad habits or something. I didn't mind taking that one, I only "studied" for a week if you can call it that but I would have liked to have saved the money :) Anyway, Keep focused and a goal of December will be reasonable as long as you don't have a lot of distractions. I'm an outdoor type and now with the warm weather I am getting a little distracted, I'm glad I only have LS3 left.

spreadlove · Jun 5, 2011

Thank you all so much for the support! :):heartbeat

caliotter3 · Jun 5, 2011

Easiest way to do it is to just work your way down the list. Make certain you get the practice exams for the nursing tests. Everyone says they are very helpful and well worth the expense.