Excelsior Pass Rate?

Spazzy Nurse, RN · Jun 8, 2004

Passing rate for what? NCLEX? Last I heard it was 99%.

Does anyone know Excelsior's passing rate? Just curious. tia
Kelly

Sheri257 · Jun 8, 2004

Passing rate for what? NCLEX? Last I heard it was 99%.

Uh ... no. :chuckle

There was an article posted on this board where Excelsior did say they have a higher than average NCLEX pass rate ... (the average is 85 percent.)

But, if memory serves, it was something like 87 or 89 percent. Not 99 percent.

DC2RN · Jun 8, 2004

Do you mean the NCLEX pass rate of Excelsior student, or do you mean what percentage of people entering Excelsior successfully complete the program?

I do not know the NCLEX pass rate, but the school says that it is higher than the national average. I have heard that the Excelsior ADN completion rate is between thirty and forty percent. The official first time pass rate for the dreaded CPNE is 68 percent.

I just finished the program and I am waiting to officially graduate and take the NCLEX.

Spazzy Nurse, RN · Jun 8, 2004

Uh..... yes. :chuckle :chuckle

As I said, the last I heard it was 99%. It was a just over a year ago that I heard that, and maybe that WAS the passing rate for 2003 up until that point. I don't know how exactly they got 99% but that is what I was told. I didn't see this info. on the official NLN NCLEX stats, so I don't know it's a fact. All I know is that is the last that I heard.

And DC, congrats!!! Almost done!

Sheri257 · Jun 8, 2004

Well, as of December, 2003, this is what Excelsior had to say about it:

"Excelsior College nursing graduates pass the NCLEX at a rate equal to or greater than the average of all nursing schools nationwide"

http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:IitCN1sN87oJ:www.excelsior.edu/california/+excelsior+college+NCLEX+pass+rates&hl=en

So, I take that to mean 85 percent or better ...

If it was 99 percent, you'd think they'd be advertising it. I sure would.

MiaLyse, APRN · Jun 8, 2004

I have heard that the Excelsior ADN completion rate is between thirty and forty percent. The official first time pass rate for the dreaded CPNE is 68 percent.>>

Ouch, these are not good pass rates. Wow, only 68%. I wonder what the percentage is for those who take the cpne 3 times & don't make it then.

Kelly

DC2RN · Jun 8, 2004

The CPNE is a real killer. In my group of four people, I was the only one who passed. Some sites are harder than others. You only get three chances at the CPNE, and then you are expelled form the program. From what I understand, the pass rates for the second and third CPNE is about 50 percent. If these numbers are correct, then if people stick it out until the end, approximately 92 percent will pass. The reality is that after failing the CPNE once or twice, many people get discouraged and do not continue or find another way to get their RN. The stress is just unreal.

MiaLyse, APRN · Jun 8, 2004

You only get three chances at the CPNE, and then you are expelled form the program>>

This seems like an awful waste of money as there is nothing to transfer to a traditional college.

Do the CPNE boot camps help much or just as much of a failure rate with them?

Kelly

RN34TX · Jun 8, 2004

You only get three chances at the CPNE, and then you are expelled form the program>>
This seems like an awful waste of money as there is nothing to transfer to a traditional college.
Do the CPNE boot camps help much or just as much of a failure rate with them?
Kelly

Don't let those comments discourage you if you are thinking of going the Excelsior route. All 5 students at my CPNE passed, one was taking his the second time around. However, I tested at one of the sites that is more known to be fair, some of them are notorious for failing students for petty reasons.

Just understand that this program is designed for people with SOLID and current clinical background. LPN/LVN's who work in acute care settings, paramedics, etc. Some of the high failure rate is attributed to people trying to pass it that have limited clinical backgrounds like Surgical Techs, Respiratory therapists, etc. (I don't mean limited in a demeaning way, just that Surgical techs do not work on regular hospital floors and have more O.R. type skills which are not tested on that exam.)

BUT...even people in these categories can and have passed the CPNE. They just have more challenges finding ways to acquire skills that they don't use in their daily practice that they need for this exam.

Everyone I've talked to has told me that the boot camps and workshops helped them to pass and it was worth it. I only took the one offered by Excelsior so I can only speak for that one and I truely believed that it helped me pass the first time around.

Expensive, yes. But I don't regret going to Excelsior one bit. Going through a year of redundant clinical rotations with tuition and books and basically only being able to work weekends like in a traditional LPN-RN program gets pretty expensive as well. And there is no guarantee that after all that work that you will graduate from one of their programs either. Just something to think about.

mona b RN, BSN, RN · Jun 8, 2004

Don't let those comments discourage you if you are thinking of going the Excelsior route. All 5 students at my CPNE passed, one was taking his the second time around. However, I tested at one of the sites that is more known to be fair, some of them are notorious for failing students for petty reasons.
Just understand that this program is designed for people with SOLID and current clinical background. LPN/LVN's who work in acute care settings, paramedics, etc. Some of the high failure rate is attributed to people trying to pass it that have limited clinical backgrounds like Surgical Techs, Respiratory therapists, etc. (I don't mean limited in a demeaning way, just that Surgical techs do not work on regular hospital floors and have more O.R. type skills which are not tested on that exam.)
BUT...even people in these categories can and have passed the CPNE. They just have more challenges finding ways to acquire skills that they don't use in their daily practice that they need for this exam.
Everyone I've talked to has told me that the boot camps and workshops helped them to pass and it was worth it. I only took the one offered by Excelsior so I can only speak for that one and I truely believed that it helped me pass the first time around.
Expensive, yes. But I don't regret going to Excelsior one bit. Going through a year of redundant clinical rotations with tuition and books and basically only being able to work weekends like in a traditional LPN-RN program gets pretty expensive as well. And there is no guarantee that after all that work that you will graduate from one of their programs either. Just something to think about.

So true. Think about all the students who are weeded out during the first semester of a regular/traditional nursing program. No difference really, except with EC the weeding comes at the end. Anybody who doesn't put serious effort into passing the cpne may not be too happy with the results.

I also heard that the nclex pass rate with EC was pretty high.

mona

DC2RN · Jun 8, 2004

I did not mean to come across as so pessimistic. Excelsior has been a God-send for me. There is smiply no way that I could go back the traditional RN study route. (mortgage, full-time work, etc)

Excelsior is also tightening up their admission policy. As of September, 2004, they have eliminated admissions for medical assistants and surgical technicians. Last year they eliminated admissions for EMTs, but continued to admit paramedics.

If you are a self-motivated studier, this program is absolutely passable. Excelsior continues to graduate more RNs than any other school. There are over 30,000 Excelsior RN graduates. Just do some research before deciding on your CPNE site.